Break in Case of Emergency, Brian Francis
Break in Case of Emergency, Brian Francis
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

Break in Case of Emergency

Author: Brian Francis

Narrator: Chloe Cannon

Unabridged: 7 hr 46 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 03/31/2020


Synopsis

Set in a small town in the 1990s, this is the story of a girl on the edge—of a breakdown, of family secrets, of learning who she really is.

Life has been a struggle for Toby Goodman. Her mother died by suicide five years ago, and her father left before Toby was born. Now a teenager living on her grandparents' dairy farm, Toby has trouble letting people in. Convinced that she is destined to follow her mother's path, she creates a plan to escape her pain.

But with the news that her father is coming home and finally wants to meet her, Toby learns the truth of her parents' story. Her father is gay and a world-famous female impersonator—in a time when these facts are a source of small-town whispers and secrets, and not something anyone had dared talk with her about before.

As her careful plans go awry, Toby must rebuild her life from the ground up. While she might not follow an expected path, with the support of a quirky but lovable circle of friends and family, Toby will finally put together the many different pieces that make up her past, her present and her future.

About Brian Francis

Brian Francis is the award-winning author of Natural Order, selected by the Toronto Star and The Georgia Straight as a Best Book of the Year. His first novel, Fruit, was a CBC Canada Reads finalist. He lives in Toronto.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Heather on March 04, 2021

This book is incredible and provoked a strong emotional response from me. I am not sure if I have ever cried along with a story like I did while reading this one. As someone that has lost family to suicide, I appreciated the focus on healing, acceptance, understanding and breaking the taboos of pain......more

Goodreads review by Stephanie on August 08, 2020

TW: Suicide(graphic) suicide attempt, homophobic comments, alcohol This story follows Toby, when the book start she is a ten year old girl who comes home to find her mother has died of suicide. She is then sent to live on a farm with her grandparents. The book is now told in first person, by Toby as......more

Goodreads review by katelyn ❀ on August 25, 2022

TW: Attempted suicide/suicide, self-harm, & eating disorders for toby having to live through essentially 2 suicides and finally experience true happiness was incredibly to read. my girl deserved it after everything she’s been through......more

Goodreads review by Madeline on September 11, 2019

What a beautiful book. What a beautiful book. I legitimately just want to write that over and over again as my review. This was an incredibly well done book on suicide, mental illness, acceptance, family ties, love, and reconciliation. From the prose, to artistic choices in chapter breaks, to Toby’s......more

Goodreads review by Samantha (WLABB) on January 10, 2020

It had been five years since her mother died by suicide, and Toby was still dealing with deep seated feelings of abandonment. After a disastrous introduction to her estranged father and a failed suicide attempt, Toby was forced to deal with the aftermath. My emotions! My emotions! I have to admit, t......more