Showing results by narrator "Christina M. Martin" in All Categories

Set largely in the 1990s, the 12 linked stories in Joel Mowdy’s first book take place in and around Mastic Beach, a community on New York’s Long Island that’s close to the wealthy Hamptons but afflicted by widespread poverty. Mostly in their teens and early 20s, the characters struggle to become independent in various ways, ranging from taking typical low-paying jobs - hotel laundry, janitorial, restaurant, and landscaping work - to highly ingenious schemes, to exchanging sexual favors for a place to stay.

In the tradition of Not All Princesses Dress in Pink and Princess in Black, What Does a Princess Really Look Like? breaks many old princess stereotypes. In this story, Chloe sets out to craft her very own princess. She quickly realizes that princesses are more than just frilly dresses and tiaras. "Inside of our head is where our smarts are," she says to herself, “and this princess is very smart." Chloe discovers that her power is not in how she looks but in how she can affect others.