Additional information
by Ellen Barker (Author)
When Marianne is abruptly laid off from her tech job during a recession, she's forced to move back to the seedy Kansas City neighborhood she thought she'd left forever. As she applies for jobs in an industry that doesn't value the middle-aged, Marianne must rally her inner strength to rebuild her life again.
Author Biography
Ellen Barker grew 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 East of Troost, which introduced readers to the neighborhood where The Breaks takes place, and Still Needs Work, 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.
