{"product_id":"the-phony-marine-a-novel-9780812975512","title":"The Phony Marine: A Novel","description":"\u003cp\u003eVeteran newsman and acclaimed novelist Jim Lehrer exposes worlds both intimate and universal  builds suspense with an accomplished hand  and reveals a savvy understanding of the modern social landscape. With The Phony Marine  Lehrer dives into a highly controversial topicand delivers his most compelling character portrait to date.  Hugo Marder is about as unremarkable as they come. On the floor of the Washington  D.C.  branch of Nash Brothers  one of the countrys most respected mens stores  Hugo is a wise  reserved salesman. At home  he is a solitary  divorced fifty-year-old with few friends and an eBay addiction. But he has always wanted to make more of his life  dreaming of becoming an artist or a cartoonist. When he was younger  hed always wanted to be a marine.  Late one night  Hugo stumbles upon an online auction for a Silver Star  the medal awarded for bravery in battle. He bids and wins. But it is only after he places the lapel pin on his jacket that he realizes the enormity of his actions. Suddenly  ordinary people begin to treat him differently  with dignity and respect. Is he really going to pretend the honor is his own?  As Hugo wrestles with his conscience  a transformation begins to take place. He studies the life of a marine  learns the military terminology  body-builds at the gym  even gets a crew cut. When he is reborn as a former marine  his life immediately changes. Is it possible that his deception has unlocked the man he always wanted to be? Through numerous challenges and more than one terrifying ordeal  Hugo Marder must prove his worth. And in the end  he must ask himself: What is a hero?  Alive with detail  emotional depth  and unexpected twists of plot  The Phony Marine is a tense  revelatory work of fiction that will cause every reader to consider his or her own stance on what truly makes someone great.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"My Store","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67932213936181,"sku":"ByrdShop_0812975510","price":61.61,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0627\/8139\/0901\/files\/9780812975512.jpg?v=1794221469","url":"https:\/\/atxbooks.com\/products\/the-phony-marine-a-novel-9780812975512","provider":"ATX Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}