{"product_id":"welcome-to-hard-times-a-novel-1","title":"Welcome to Hard Times: A Novel","description":"Here is E. L. Doctorow’s debut novel, a searing allegory of frontier life that sets the stage for his subsequent classics.\n\nHard Times is the name of a town in the barren hills of the Dakota Territory. To this town there comes one day one of the reckless sociopaths who wander the West to kill and rape and pillage. By the time he is through and has ridden off, Hard Times is a smoking ruin. The de facto mayor, Blue, takes in two survivors of the carnage–a boy, Jimmy, and a prostitute, Molly, who has suffered unspeakably–and makes them his provisional family. Blue begins to rebuild Hard Times, welcoming new settlers, while Molly waits with vengeance in her heart for the return of the outlaw.\n\nPraise for Welcome to Hard Times\n\n“A forceful, credible story of cowardice and evil.”—The Washington Post\n\n“We are caught up with these people as real human beings.”—Chicago Sun-Times\n\n“Dramatic and exciting.”—The New York Times\n\n“Terse and powerful.”—Newsweek\n\n“A taut, bloodthirsty read.”—The Times Literary Supplement\n\n“A superb piece of fiction.”—The New Republic\u003cbr\u003eASIN: 0812978226\u003cbr\u003eVSKU: BVV.0812978226.A\u003cbr\u003eCondition: Acceptable\u003cbr\u003eAuthor\/Artist:Doctorow, E.L.\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNote:\u003c\/b\u003e Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.  \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eCondition Notes\u003c\/b\u003e: The item is very worn but is perfectly usable. Signs of wear can include aesthetic issues such as scratches, dents, worn and creased covers, folded page corners and minor liquid stains. All pages and the cover are intact, but the dust cover may be missing. Pages may include moderate to heavy amount of notes and highlighting, but the text is not obscured or unreadable. Page edges may have foxing  age related spots and browning . May NOT include discs, access code or other supplemental materials.  \u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Blue Vase Books","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43389515857981,"sku":"BVV.0812978226.A","price":6.38,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0589\/4225\/9261\/files\/0812978226-0_bd1f6687-d4ad-4630-901f-7512dac11d76.jpg?v=1784758028","url":"https:\/\/www.bluevasebooks.com\/products\/welcome-to-hard-times-a-novel-1","provider":"Blue Vase Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}