“At first, forgiving myself implied I had done something wrong, and I couldn’t face the possibility that I played a part in allowing this overpowering denial to happen.”

In this special memoir told through a collection of earlier works including fictional short stories, non-fiction essays, and poetry, Shari Lopatin tells the story of her younger self—a millennial coming of age through the 1990s and 2000s while fighting to make sense of a world rapidly changing amidst The Great Recession and September 11. Touching on themes still relevant today, Shari shares deeply emotional pieces from her formative years about mental health, the search for home, the awkwardness of dating, love and heartbreak, and the effects of Antisemitism.

Included in this hand-selected collection are the fictional short stories “Pomegranates” about the power of kindness and connection; “A Call from Paris” about a young marriage falling apart; “Stone from HELL” about the effects of a monstrous society; and the namesake of this book, “The Condemned” about finding self-acceptance. Shari also included other personal essays and poems never before seen.

Ultimately, The Condemned: A memoir told through selected early works of short stories, essays, and poetry reveals one young woman’s struggle to find herself within a confusing and sometimes ostracizing world, and the messages of love, hope, and truth she now brings to others.

About the Author

Shari Lopatin writes stories that matter. An award-winning journalist in her earlier years, she now writes novels that tie into modern-day social issues, serialized fiction, short stories, personal and political essays, and poetry. Over the course of her seventeen-plus year career, Shari has worked as a newspaper reporter, magazine writer, public relations professional, social media manager, and earned the title of “Cat Mom of the Year.” She published her debut novel, The Apollo Illusion, in 2018 and lives in Phoenix, Arizona, where she was born and raised. Read more of Shari’s work and be the first to learn about new books by signing up for Shari’s newsletter as either a free or paid subscriber: sharilopatin.substack.com.

FOR REVIEWERS AND PRESS
"The Condemned" is currently available for pre-order, with the e-book version available at a special price to encourage sales. The e-book price will increase to its normal retail rate come publication on Sept. 9, 2023. If you write and publish a review, please include the following pre-order details and links for this book:

eBook (available for pre-order at Amazon) - special pre-order price: $2.99, purchase at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C55VG175?ref_=pe_3052080_276849420

For readers who are not ready to order, please provide a link to Shari's Substack e-newsletter, Rogue Writer, and tell readers they can sign up as a free or paid subscriber for more updates on "The Condemned" as publication nears: https://sharilopatin.substack.com.

FOR BOOKSELLERS
"The Condemned" is now available for wholesale discounts and ordering via Ingram. Please reach out to Shari directly with any questions: shari.lopatin@gmail.com.