Ellen Barker’s new novel, Nothing North of Delmar, takes place in UCity in the Bicentennial summer of 1976. She will be in conversation with local author Joan Fernandez, whose 2025 novel Saving Vincent takes place in Europe in the 1890s. Their protagonists are separated in time and space, but both are stories of women who take agency with societal gatekeepers. Ellen and Joan are both believers in the power of fiction to impart history under the guise of entertainment.
Copies of both authors’ books will be available for purchase and signing at the event.
About Ellen Barker:
Ellen Barker grew up in Missouri 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 lived in the Loop in University City for several years and began her career as an urban planner for East-West Gateway in Saint Louis. She then spent many years working for large consulting firms, first as a writer-editor and later managing large data systems. She is the author of three earlier novels: East of Troost, Still Needs Work, and The Breaks. She and her husband live in Los Altos, California, but return to Saint Louis whenever they can.
About Joan Fernandez:
Joan Fernandez calls Saint Louis her home. She is a historical fiction author, speaker, and former senior marketing executive, dedicated to elevating the overlooked stories of courageous women who shaped history—often from the margins. Her debut award-winning novel, Saving Vincent: A Novel of Jo van Gogh, released in April 2025. It is based on the true story of Jo van Gogh. Joan has spoken at national and international conferences and regularly presents to libraries, museums, book clubs, and women’s organizations. She also writes a regular essay published on the Substack platform called, Digging In with Joan Fernandez.