{"product_id":"cantaloupe-paperback","title":"Cantaloupe! - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eM. Jay Smith\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eNavigating constantly changing social and familial relationships, the characters in M. Jay Smith's stories strive to hold everything together and stay true to their convictions in the process.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eCantaloupe!\u003c\/i\u003e brings us nine juicy stories about trying (and failing) to do the right thing - about yearning to stay true to yourself in a culture that demands compromise. With razor-sharp prose and a bit of slapstick humour, M. Jay Smith contemplates how identities smudge into each other, how they shout and push and wither and explode under pressure. These stories poke at the complexity of Indigeneity, gender, disability, and class. Childhood experiences exert a jagged and haunting influence on motherhood. The climate is collapsing. No matter what, it seems one's best intentions go a little bit awry.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eM. Jay Smith is a writer and lawyer who lives in Edmonton. Her non-fiction, fiction, and poetry has appeared in publications such as \u003ci\u003eReader's Digest\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eHazlitt\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eLos Angeles Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e18 Bridges\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Walrus\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eToday's Parent\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ePrairie Fire\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ePlenitude\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eFilling Station\u003c\/i\u003e. \u003ci\u003eCantaloupe!\u003c\/i\u003e is her debut collection of fiction.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 192\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.61 x 8.21 x 5.21 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e September 22, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46381292781703,"sku":"9781997534273","price":22.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0601\/2623\/2711\/files\/X5eZvoC1aP9781997534273.webp?v=1793397091","url":"https:\/\/booksby.splitshops.com\/products\/cantaloupe-paperback","provider":"Books by splitShops","version":"1.0","type":"link"}