Book Tour and Review: Nothing North of Delmar (a Novel) by Ellen Barker

 Book Details:

​Book Title:  Nothing North of Delmar (a Novel) by Ellen Barker

Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  344 pages

Genre: Literary Novel

Publisher: She Writes Press

Release date:  April 2026

Content Rating:   PG-13: No sex, little profanity, but themes of racism and adulting. ​ ​

Book Description:

​It's 1976, the Bicentennial year and a watershed moment in America. The draft, the Vietnam war, Woodstock, and the Summer of Love are long gone. Tie-dye is out, and everyone has cut their hair. The Civil Rights Act has passed, the Equal Rights Amendment is just a few states from ratification, Roe v. Wade is firmly enshrined, and closet doors are creaking open. The sixties have changed the world.

Only they haven’t, as Novelle is about to find out.

At this moment, she arrives in St. Louis to start graduate school in economics, a clear-cut field of mathematic problem sets with answers. Except, it’s not. Almost immediately, she discovers that Delmar Boulevard is a Great Wall of China separating St. Louis into Black North and white South, and that economics is the mortar between the bricks. She gets caught up in unraveling a plan to “take back” a Black neighborhood that has leaked over the divide. By the time she finishes her degree, she is getting hate mail and death threats. But she’s also come into her own as a force for change. A satirical, witty look at a slice of history that still resonates today.​

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Meet the Author:

Ellen Barker grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, and had a front-row seat to the demographic shifts, the hope, and the turmoil of the civil rights era of the 1960s. 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 in Saint Louis and then spent many years working for large consulting firms specializing in urban infrastructure. She now lives in Northern California.​

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My Review:

I have had the pleasure in reading previously released books from the talented author, Ellen Barker. I did not hesitate when I had the opportunity to read her newest novel, Nothing North of Delmar. I found myself being transported back in time to the Bicentennial of the United States. It was a joy for me to meet Novelle as she begins her new life in St Louis and starting her graduate school studies. I enjoyed the author's use of humor while bringing her story to life. Novelle thought she the world figured out and had suddenly having to rethink the world again. Even though she is fifty years in the past, I can still see that not a lot had changed with society. I wanted to keep reading to see how she navigates through it all. Overall, a fun and entertaining tale to dive into on a rainy spring day. I loved it every single page. 

I am going to give Nothing North of Delmar a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who love to read historical adult fiction. I would be interested in reading more novels from Ellen Barker in the near future. This one is no doubt a novel that is worth reading and should not be missed. 

I received a paperback copy of Ellen Barker's Nothing North of Delmar from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. 

Book Tour and Review: The Breaks: A Novel by Ellen Barker

 

Book Details:

​Book Title:  The Breaks (a Novel) by Ellen Barker
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+),  310 pages
Genre: Literary Novel
Publisher: She Writes Press
Release date:  February 2025
Content Rating:   PG-13 +M:  I'm not sure if this book should be PG-13 or PG-13+M. The book contains little profanity, no sex or violence, and no abortion, suicide, adultery, sexual or physical abuse. It does deal with wrongful conviction and women leaving prison, which may be unsuitable for under 13. ​

Book Description:
​
​Waking up in the emergency room with a broken arm was 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. At least I’m on this side of the gate. 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.

East 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 moved back there after a reversal of fortune limited her options. She’s had to repair the house and deal with a couple of “incidents” – hence her acquaintance with Officer Carl. 

Meanwhile, Sister Colette has 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."

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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 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.

connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~  bookbub ~  goodreads

My Review:

The Breaks: A Novel is another wonderful novel by Ellen Barker. I can say enough at how much I loved meeting and getting to know the main character, Marianne. She is learning to navigate a "new life" after being dealt with some hardships on the past. As I read on, I was introduced to new friends and neighbors that I felt like I was, also, part of their world. This story was heartwarming to read that made me laugh out loud at times. I loved learning along the way with Marianne of how being resilient, being true to herself, living life to the fullest, and embracing friendships. It was uplifting and inspiring to me and good reminder for myself. I admired her strength and courage as a single woman. I loved every single page of her story and had no problem reading it cover to cover in one sitting. I thought it was an overall fun and entertaining tale. 

The Breaks: A Novel will be getting a very well deserved five plus stars. I highly recommend it for readers who love to read Women's Literary Fiction. I would love, love, love to read more by the talented author, Ellen Barker, in the near future. This one is most definitely not one to be missed. 

I received a paperback copy of Ellen Barker's The Breaks: A Novel from the publisher, but was not required to write a positive review. This review is one hundred percent my own honest opinion. 

Review: Still Needs Work by Ellen Barker

Book Details:

​Book Title:  Still Needs Work by Ellen Barker
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.

BUY THE BOOK:
Amazon ~ B&N
Bookshop.org ~ BAM
Bookbub
​add to goodreads

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

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.