{"title":"Marianne Leone","description":"\u003cp\u003eWelcome to the collection of books by Marianne Leone, an accomplished author known for her insightful storytelling and poignant narratives. Her work spans across genres, including general fiction and biography, offering readers a unique glimpse into the human experience through both real and imagined lenses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eChristina the Astonishing\u003c\/em\u003e, Leone crafts a narrative that blurs the lines between the divine and the everyday. This intriguing tale pulls you into the unexpected life of Christina and her journey, as it beautifully explores themes of faith, endurance, and resilience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eOn the other hand, Leone's \u003cem\u003eFive-Dog Epiphany\u003c\/em\u003e delves into the deeply personal realm of memoir and biography. This engaging piece invites readers into Leone's life, delivering heartfelt reflections through her experiences with the loyal companions who left paw prints on her soul. It is a touching exploration of love, loss, and the profound connections we forge with our canine friends.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMarianne Leone's books are a testament to her skill as a writer, blending fact with fiction and profound insights with engaging storytelling. Dive into her captivating worlds and discover the depths of human emotion and experience she so eloquently portrays.\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"five-dog-epiphany-by-marianne-leone-9781636141923","title":"Five-Dog Epiphany","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eFive-Dog Epiphany\u003c\/em\u003e, Marianne Leone\u003c\/strong\u003e writes about the joy that can be summoned after a great loss, \"when you look into the eyes of another damaged creature and know that your happiness is a mirror and an echo and a prayer, and that the little soul reflecting all that energy is happy too, at last.\" This memoir is a moving and sometimes surprisingly funny exploration of grief and the mutual healing that can occur between rescue dogs and people who have experienced a soul-crushing loss. Leone and her husband, actor Chris Cooper, lost their only child suddenly in 2005. Jesse was seventeen, a straight-A student, and a brilliant poet, who was also quadriplegic and nonverbal except with the assistance of a computer.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eWhen six-year-old Jesse miraculously blurted \"dog\" to Santa, Goody appeared on his bed on Christmas morning. Goody was followed by Lucky, Frenchy, Titi, and Sugar, all rescues adopted after Jesse's passing. After Jesse's death, Leone grew a tumour the size of her premature son at birth, her husband disappeared into dark acting roles (\u003cem\u003eBreach, Married Life\u003c\/em\u003e), and Leone fainted during the filming of a scene in \u003cem\u003eThe Sopranos\u003c\/em\u003e where she is standing in front of her television son's coffin.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThis is the story of a bereaved couple and a pack of rescue dogs finding their way to a new life, everyone licking their wounds, both corporal and spiritual, and the rediscovery of joy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46855770865900,"sku":"9781636141923","price":50.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9781636141923.jpg?v=1759276538"},{"product_id":"christina-the-astonishing-by-marianne-leone-9781636142739","title":"Christina the Astonishing","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCHRISTINA FALCONE IS A THIRTEEN-YEAR-OLD EIGHTH GRADER\u003c\/strong\u003e at Precious Blood Junior High. She is growing up \u003cem\u003epazza\u003c\/em\u003e according to her Italian immigrant mother, Rita, who curses a country that poisons children with chocolate milk and singing mice on television.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eThe nuns at Precious Blood are giving Christina nightmares and facial tics with their daily descriptions of torture and martyrdom. All she wanted as a fourth grader was to become a saint so she could be God's best friend and go straight to heaven and avoid burning in hell for all eternity.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eAt thirteen, though, Christina's nightmares about eyeless martyrs have become dreams of escaping this place where she can see the entire trajectory of her life looming before her in a never-ending hamster loop that goes from Precious Blood Elementary School to La Sposa Bridal Shoppe and eventually across the street to Carmello's Funeral Home without ever leaving her neighbourhood only seven miles from Boston.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eBut Harvard Square beckons and Christina's window to the world cracks open, along with the entire American culture of the 1960s, as she grows from girl to woman. \u003cem\u003eChristina the Astonishing\u003c\/em\u003e is an endearing look at an irrepressible character that will ring true to all readers regardless of the time or place they happened to take the roller-coaster ride to adulthood.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Hachette Aotearoa New Zealand","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46867358777580,"sku":"9781636142739","price":31.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/14589093482770.jpg?v=1759701622"}],"url":"https:\/\/bookhero.pro\/collections\/marianne-leone.oembed","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}