{"product_id":"natural-beauty","title":"Natural Beauty","description":"\u003cp\u003eBy Ling Ling Huang\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaperback\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eWinner of the Lambda Literary Award in Bisexual Fiction\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLonglisted for the PEN\/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSly, surprising, and razor-sharp, \u003cem\u003eNatural Beauty\u003c\/em\u003e follows a young musician into an elite, beauty-obsessed world where perfection comes at a staggering cost. \u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eOur narrator produces a sound from the piano no one else at the Conservatory can. She employs a technique she learned from her parents—also talented musicians—who fled China in the wake of the Cultural Revolution. But when an accident leaves her parents debilitated, she abandons her future for a job at a high-end beauty and wellness store in New York City.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eHolistik is known for its remarkable products and procedures—from remoras that suck out cheap Botox to eyelash extensions made of spider silk—and her new job affords her entry into a world of privilege and gives her a long-awaited sense of belonging. She becomes transfixed by Helen, the niece of Holistik’s charismatic owner, and the two strike up a friendship that hazily veers into more. All the while, our narrator is plied with products that slim her thighs, smooth her skin, and lighten her hair. But beneath these creams and tinctures lies something sinister.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA piercing, darkly funny debut, \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eNatural Beauty\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e explores questions of consumerism, self-worth, race, and identity—and leaves readers with a shocking and unsettling truth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Penguin Random House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52461251330337,"sku":null,"price":18.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0787\/1011\/2545\/files\/IMG-1492.jpg?v=1773942517","url":"https:\/\/www.elmsidegoods.com\/products\/natural-beauty","provider":"Elmside Goods ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}