The Utterly Unacceptable Atrocity of Isabelle Marsden
A Novel
by Nan Sanders Pokerwinski
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Pub Date 17 Mar 2026 | Archive Date 30 Jun 2026
Nancy Pokerwinski | She Writes Press
Description
All Isabelle Marsden wants when she moves from Chicago to Kansas is a place to retreat, reassess, and regain control of her life after an ugly #MeToo experience. But after a chance encounter with a free-spirited artist who carries a wallaby in a baby sling and makes assemblages from roadkill, she’s drawn into a community of eccentrics who soon have her lobbying to rescue their Summer Solstice parade, conducting surveillance at a roadside zoo, and visiting an outsider artist’s strange, yet intriguing, sculpture garden.
Inspired by that wild creation, Belle starts her own peculiar assemblage, convinced it’s the key to repairing her fractured life. As she uncovers her hidden creativity—and madness—her project lands her in trouble with her landlady, the city zoning department, and even the police. Ultimately, her only way through is to rely on help from her found family of oddball characters—and on her newly redefined self.
Advance Praise
“A heartfelt reminder that inspiration and creation aren’t relegated to institutions, but can be found tucked just around the block, hiding in rural environs, or buried within ourselves.”
—Erika Nelson, Cultural Resources Director, S.P. Dinsmoor’s Garden of Eden
***
Read this book for inspiration, as a respite, or just because it has a capybara. Many of us dream of starting over somewhere – a place that sizzles if we’re in a rut, or a simpler place if we’re burnt out. In Atrocity, we can ride along with Isabelle as she retreats to a quiet place. But of course, anyone who’s been to Lawrence, Kansas, could have told her that Lawrence does not fit the vision that “Kansas” evokes. Dorothy doesn’t live there anymore, and she never lived in Lawrence. Along with Isabelle, we discover that Lawrence is a quirky place and right away we see why this novel has such a quirky title. And so the fun begins. The author has filled her story with colorful, eccentric, delightful characters who do whimsical, unconventional, and amusing things. Soon enough, so does Isabelle.
--Ellen Barker, author of East of Troost, Still Needs Work, and The Breaks
Marketing Plan
Advance reviews, book events related to the story's themes, outreach to book clubs, bookstores, and libraries.
Advance reviews, book events related to the story's themes, outreach to book clubs, bookstores, and libraries.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Ebook |
| ISBN | 9798896360971 |
| PRICE | US$12.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 280 |