{"product_id":"tha-cats-table-9781620900406","title":"Tha Cat's Table","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn the early 1950s  an 11-year-old boy in Colombo boards a ship bound for England. At mealtimes he is seated at the cats tableas far from the Captains Table as can bewith a ragtag group of insignificant adults and two other boys  Cassius and Ramadhin. As the ship makes its way across the Indian Ocean  through the Suez Canal  into the Mediterranean  the boys tumble from one adventure to another  bursting all over the place like freed mercury. But there are other diversions as well: One man talks with them about jazz and women  another opens the door to the world of literature. The narrators elusive  beautiful cousin Emily becomes his confidante  allowing him to see himself with a distant eye for the first time  and to feel the first stirring of desire. Another cats table denizen  the shadowy Miss Lasqueti  is perhaps more than what she seems. And very late every night  the boys spy on a shackled prisoner  his crime and his fate a galvanizing mystery that will haunt them forever.  As the narrative moves between the decks and holds of the ship and the boys adult years  it tells a spellbinding storyby turns poignant and electrifyingabout the magical  often forbidden discoveries of childhood and a lifelong journey that begins unexpectedly with a spectacular sea voyage.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45646718926901,"sku":"ByrdShop_1620900408","price":157.05,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9781620900406.jpg?v=1781677640","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/tha-cats-table-9781620900406","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}