Polishing Plastic GemsContemporary American Fiction

In August 2021 America was still navigating the chaos left in the wake of the pandemic. The virus had long ago swept across the country, forcing everyone to reshape their lives, while conspiracy theories and misinformation distorted our perception of the truth. Percolating beneath this turmoil were the ever-present issues of race relations, immigration, abortion rights, gun control and political divisiveness. Lynsey and her friends graduated high school more than four years ago, but she's finding herself dissatisfied with her job, her boyfriend and the overall direction of her life. On top of it all, it's been more than a year since she spoke to her mom, and she's starting to question the reason behind their estrangement. In an overburdened emergency department, Noreen, a nurse, is struggling with the stress of Covid, mask mandates, staff shortages and vaccines. She has always been able to lean on her boyfriend for support, but their interracial relationship is being strained by those around them, which is pushing her back toward her self-destructive habits. Beliefs, desires and reactions force tough decisions that ripple through everyone's lives, setting each of them on a collision course with unforeseen outcomes. Polishing Plastic Gems is a social-issue fiction novel that explores the real-life challenges and hot-button topics that gripped the United States during the second summer of the pandemic, reflecting the truths that continue to shape our world today.