{"product_id":"how-we-see-the-gray-9780810149892","title":"How We See the Gray","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA riveting story about parenthood, substance abuse, and the strength it takes to come back from our mistakes\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFoster care is a disaster in Rockford, Illinois. Meredith, a social worker and single mom, is stretched beyond thin but determined to protect her kids: not only her son, but those on her caseload too. When the stress of the job has her breaking her sobriety, the foundations of her life begin to tremble. After drinking too much, she makes a mistake that puts her preschooler in jeopardy, and Meredith finds herself in a situation that mirrors her clients' as she loses custody of her son. In her fight to get him back, Meredith experiences the system from the outside--while still working for the kids inside of it. Set over the course of a year, this riveting documentary-esque novel is told from multiple perspectives, including those of case workers, birth parents, foster parents, and foster children. Written with the working-class humor and heart that defines the Midwest, \u003ci\u003eHow We See the Gray \u003c\/i\u003eis a story about mistakes, second chances, and trying to do better in a system that seems doomed to fail.\u003cbr\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/b\u003e Rachel León\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublisher:\u003c\/b\u003e Curbstone Press\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePublished:\u003c\/b\u003e 05\/15\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003ePages:\u003c\/b\u003e 296\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eBinding Type:\u003c\/b\u003e Paperback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWeight:\u003c\/b\u003e 0.70lbs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eSize:\u003c\/b\u003e 7.90h x 5.20w x 0.80d\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eISBN:\u003c\/b\u003e 9780810149892\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eReview Citation(s): \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e 04\/01\/2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eRACHEL LEÓN\u003c\/b\u003e has worked in the foster care system for nearly two decades. She serves as managing director for the \u003ci\u003eChicago Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e and fiction director for \u003ci\u003eArcturus\u003c\/i\u003e. Her work has appeared in \u003ci\u003eCatapult\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Rumpus\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eElectric Literature\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eFoglifter\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e, and elsewhere. She hails from Rockford, Illinois, and is the editor of \u003ci\u003eThe Rockford Anthology.\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"booksdeli.com","offers":[{"title":"Rachel Le\u0026#195;\u0026#179;n \/ Paperback \/ English","offer_id":48311283679389,"sku":"9780810149892","price":31.2,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0619\/5648\/9373\/files\/img_8af3b29d-3210-41fb-8574-ba5ebb3cceab.jpg?v=1779260416","url":"https:\/\/booksdeli.com\/products\/how-we-see-the-gray-9780810149892","provider":"booksdeli.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}