Book Details:
Category: Adult Fiction (18+), 286 pages
Genre: Literary Novel
Publisher: She Writes Press
Release date: June 2024
Tour dates: June 11 to June 28, 2024
Content Rating: PG-13 +M: Moderately bad language, mostly in the opening pages, but no F-word or truly crude language. No sex, some violence (a mugging with no serious injury).
Book Description:
Marianne gets the call while attending a conference in San Francisco: laid off, department dissolved. Two days later, she's back home in the dicey Kansas City neighborhood she moved to after a reversal of fortune two years ago. Her house and her life still need work, and now she needs a job, too.
Marianne tries all the usual routes to re-employment, but a middle-aged woman has little job cred in the tech world, no matter how skilled she is. A contract job at a Chicago startup morphs through two acquisitions in eight weeks. And then she is mugged in her own neighborhood, which frightens her enough to considers a permanent move.
An irreverent look at the alien denizens of the tech world, the fraught business of mergers and acquisitions, and the parallel universe of job openings, Still Needs Work is a contemporary story of the working world wrapped around a very human story of one person, her dog, and her community.
Marianne gets the call while attending a conference in San Francisco: laid off, department dissolved. Two days later, she's back home in the dicey Kansas City neighborhood she moved to after a reversal of fortune two years ago. Her house and her life still need work, and now she needs a job, too.
Marianne tries all the usual routes to re-employment, but a middle-aged woman has little job cred in the tech world, no matter how skilled she is. A contract job at a Chicago startup morphs through two acquisitions in eight weeks. And then she is mugged in her own neighborhood, which frightens her enough to considers a permanent move.
An irreverent look at the alien denizens of the tech world, the fraught business of mergers and acquisitions, and the parallel universe of job openings, Still Needs Work is a contemporary story of the working world wrapped around a very human story of one person, her dog, and her community.
Meet the Author:
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 spend many years working for large consulting firms, first as a writer-editor and later managing large data systems, jobs rich in corporate drama, large and small. She is the author of East of Troost, which introduced readers to the neighborhood where Still Needs Work takes place. 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.
connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ X/Twitter ~ bookbub ~ goodreads
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 spend many years working for large consulting firms, first as a writer-editor and later managing large data systems, jobs rich in corporate drama, large and small. She is the author of East of Troost, which introduced readers to the neighborhood where Still Needs Work takes place. 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.
connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ X/Twitter ~ bookbub ~ goodreads
My Review:
Still Needs Work: A Novel is a fabulous introduction to Ellen Barker's writing. I loved getting to know the relatable character, Marianne and her best friends sidekick canine. It seemed as though she was constantly dodging crisis after crisis. I admired her determination in finding herself and at how she handled everything that is thrown at her. No matter what, she continued to be resilient. The twists and turns of her current life made me feel a connection with her and understood what she was going through. Even though there were some seriousness of some the issues, there was still room for humor. I could not help to crack a smile or even feel a giggle bubble up. I thought it was a beautiful, well written, and feel good story. I loved every single page and had no problem reading it in one sitting.I am giving Still Needs Work: A Novel a very well deserved five plus stars. I believe fans of women's fiction with a side of humor will not want to pass up on this one. I do not think it should be missed. I would love to read more from Ellen Barker in the future to see what other novels she has in store for her readers and fans. She has earned herself a new fan right here.
I received a paperback copy of Ellen Barker's Still Needs Work: A Novel from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion.
Thank you! There is one previous novel (East of Troost) and another coming early next year!
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