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Cactus Country: A Boyhood Memoir

Name: Cactus Country: A Boyhood Memoir
Price: 27.00 USD
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$27.00

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Book Synopsis: A striking literary memoir of genderfluidity, class, masculinity, and the American Southwest that captures the author’s experience coming of age in a Tucson, Arizona, trailer park. Newly arrived in the Sonoran Desert, eleven-year-old Zoë’s world is one of giant beetles, thundering javelinas, and gnarled paloverde trees. With the family’s move to Cactus Country RV Park, Zoë has been given a fresh start and a new, shorter haircut. Although Zoé doesn’t have the words to express it, he experiences life as a trans boy—and in Cactus Country, others begin to see him as a boy, too. Here, Zoë spends hot days chasing shade and freight trains with an ever-rotating pack of sunburned desert kids, and nights fending off his own questions about the body underneath his baggy clothes. As Zoé enters adolescence, he must reckon with the sexism, racism, substance abuse, and violence endemic to the working class Cactus Country men he’s grown close to, whose hard masculinity seems as embedded in the desert landscape as the cacti sprouting from parched earth. In response, Zoë adopts an androgynous style and new pronouns, but still cannot escape what it means to live in a gendered body, particularly when a fraught first love destabilizes their sense of self. But beauty flowers in this desert, too. Zoë persists in searching for answers that can’t be found in Cactus Country, dreaming of a day they might leave the park behind to embrace whatever awaits beyond. Equal parts harsh and tender, Cactus Country is an invitation for readers to consider how we find our place in a world that insists on stark binaries, and a precisely rendered journey of self-determination that will resonate with anyone who’s ever had to fight to be themself.

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Immerse yourself in the striking and captivating journey of genderfluidity, class, masculinity, and the American Southwest with "Cactus Country: A Boyhood Memoir." This powerful memoir takes you on an unforgettable ride through the experiences of Zoë, an eleven-year-old trans boy navigating life in the Sonoran Desert trailer park of Tucson, Arizona.

From the moment Zoë arrives in Cactus Country RV Park, you'll be whisked away to a world teeming with giant beetles, thundering javelinas, and gnarled paloverde trees. As Zoë embraces his true identity, the desert surroundings become a backdrop to his exploration of self-discovery and self-acceptance in a community that begins to recognize him as the boy he truly is.

Through scorching hot days spent chasing shade and freight trains with a group of sunburned desert kids, Zoë grapples with his own questions about his body and the challenges that the working class Cactus Country men he has grown close to present. While resilience and a search for answers drive Zoë, the memoir unflinchingly addresses the darker aspects of sexism, racism, substance abuse, and violence that permeate this world.

In an attempt to find balance, Zoë adopts an androgynous style and new pronouns, but faces the complexities of living in a gendered body. As their first love brings further turmoil, the quest for self-acceptance intensifies. However, amidst the struggles, there are moments of beauty that flourish in the harsh desert landscape, reminding us of the resilience of the human spirit.

Cactus Country offers readers an invitation to delve into a world that challenges societal binaries and explores the intricacies of self-determination. This memoir is a testament to the strength and courage required to fight for one's true self. Are you ready to embark on this beautifully rendered journey of identity? Discover "Cactus Country: A Boyhood Memoir" today!

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