{"product_id":"breaks-paperback","title":"Breaks - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eEllen Barker\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA contemporary literary novel about an unlikely friendship between two very different women, \u003ci\u003eThe Breaks \u003c\/i\u003ewill appeal to fans of \u003ci\u003eEleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/b\u003e \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eWaking up in the emergency room with a broken arm is not one of the ways Marianne imagined her first date with Carl, if it is a date, ending up. Nor was driving up to the entrance of a women's prison a few weeks later anywhere on her radar. But here she is. \u003ci\u003eAt least I'm on this side of the gate\u003c\/i\u003e. She picks up newly released Stephanie, as a favor to a nun she barely knows, returns to her East of Troost home, and finds herself immersed in a whole new drama. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eEast of Troost is Marianne's childhood neighborhood, downtrodden by decades of redlining and a wide swath of destruction to make way for an expressway. Marianne moves back after a reversal of fortune limits her options. She repairs the house and deals with a couple of \"incidents\"--hence her acquaintance with Officer Carl. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eMeanwhile, Sister Colette bought the house behind her and is taking in women who, in her words, need to learn to \"just live.\" As Stephanie helps Marianne cope with her broken arm, she gradually comes out of her shell and teaches Marianne a thing or two about just living.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEllen Barker \u003c\/b\u003egrew up in Kansas City during a period of demographic upheaval, and she returns there in her novels. She has a bachelor's degree in urban studies from Washington University in Saint Louis, where she developed a passion for how cities work, and don't. She began her career as an urban planner, then spent many years working for large consulting firms, first as a writer-editor and later managing large data systems. Her volunteer work involves years of pet-assisted therapy with children in \"the system,\" both foster care and prison. She is the author of \u003ci\u003eEast of Troost, \u003c\/i\u003ewhich introduced readers to the neighborhood where \u003ci\u003eThe Breaks \u003c\/i\u003etakes place, and \u003ci\u003eStill Needs Work, \u003c\/i\u003e which takes place in the same area. She now lives in Los Altos, California, with her husband and their German shepherd, Boris, who is the inspiration for the dog in this novel.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 320\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 x 8.4 x 5.4 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e February 18, 2025\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47263135367417,"sku":"9781647428402","price":18.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0789\/2782\/3097\/files\/YnNuOiMuiv9781647428402.webp?v=1768814073","url":"https:\/\/bookscloud.io\/products\/breaks-paperback","provider":"BooksCloud Book Dropshipping","version":"1.0","type":"link"}