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Breaking the Bank [Paperback]

Yona Zeldis McDonough

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Book Description

Sep 8 2009

A fresh and whimsical novel featuring a single mother in Brooklyn who suddenly discovers an ATM machine that gives her free (and unrecorded) cash; what she does with that money changes many lives—including her own.

Mia Saul is down on her luck. She’s been dumped by her husband, fired from her job, and forced to move with her ten-year-old daughter Eden to a crummy apartment. Juggling temp jobs, arguing over child support, and trying to keep Eden’s increasingly erratic behavior in check leaves Mia weary and worn out. So when a routine stop at an ATM turns into a stroke of luck Mia never expected, the results are nothing short of...magical.

Teetering between guilt and generosity, Mia takes advantage of her sudden windfall in small ways. She also develops relationships with a variety of neighborhood characters she ordinarily would never have crossed paths with—and turns her life around in ways she never thought possible.

Poignant, smart, and utterly captivating, this quirky "pay-it-forward" tale captures the everyday concerns of women everywhere.


Product Details

  • Paperback: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Gallery Books; Original edition (Sep 8 2009)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1439102538
  • ISBN-13: 978-1439102534
  • Product Dimensions: 20.9 x 13.7 x 2.5 cm
  • Shipping Weight: 295 g
  • Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #1,761,585 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Product Description

About the Author

Yona Zeldis McDonough is the author of two previous novels and the editor of two essay collections. Her short fiction, articles, and essays have appeared in a variety of publications and magazines. McDonough is also the editor of Lilith, a Jewish women’s magazine. She lives in Brooklyn.


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Amazon.com: 4.4 out of 5 stars  36 reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Park Slope story with a lot more depth than "Prospect Park West" Sep 17 2009
By FF - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
From the first chapter, I was hooked on this book. Using the same locale as "Prospect Park West" Yona tells a far more engrossing story. As in PPW the neighborhood institutions are recognizable, but instead of skimming along on top, peeking in at one-dimensional characters with sleazy sex lives, we are introduced to believable people facing real, though magical, problems.

A single mom struggling with financial problems, with a beloved and stubborn daughter who will not eat, suddenly begins to get more money than she asked for when she goes to her ATM. Her adventures as she tries to help her daughter, resolve the moral and legal issues of taking the money, free herself from her ex, and find new love make for fascinating reading.

I read "Breaking the Bank" in less than 24 hours because I couldn't wait to see what would happen next. And once I was finished I kept thinking about it. It raised so many interesting issues. Is the parent with more money the better parent? Is stealing from an institution stealing if there is no record of it? Should a family help a depressed family member with money troubles with money or with tough love? Does giving money to the needy expiate the shady nature of its acquisition?

Then there were the well-drawn characters of the men to ponder, the seeming sensitive selfish ex, the boring but reliable new man, the wild man who was both a devil and an angel, and the traitorous brother.

I very much enjoy reading novels set in my neighborhood. Interesting how the fairy tale rang more true than the realistic one.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Funny, Heartfelt Page-Turner Oct 29 2009
By Catherine Hiller - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
I loved this book! It had me in thrall for days. There was such a nice light touch to it -- it was just a pleasure to read. I liked that it was utterly realistic except for one magic ATM machine. All the relationships, Mia/Eden, Mia/ex-husband, Mia/boyfriends, Mia/girlfriend were totally convincing, and I had to keep turning pages. Also I enjoyed the Park Slope setting. Great job!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Fun read about the power of money Oct 29 2009
By Carla Ford - Published on Amazon.com
Format:Paperback
This is a feel good story, something nice happening to a nice person. Mia Saul is having a really rough time. Her rat of a husband left her for another woman, and has become a sporadic father to the their ten year old daughter, Eden. She lost the job that she loved, and is trying to support herself and her daughter working temp jobs because she can't count on her ex-husband for child support. Her daughter is having a hard time coping with the divorce, and Mia has her hands full. She is a good mom to Eden, but she is blamed for Eden's problems by Eden's teachers, her ex-husband, and even her own family. When the ATM at her bank starts spiting out free money, at least her money worries are relieved. Of course, there is a whole new set of worries to go along with the free money. Why is she getting this money, and could she go to jail for keeping it? Mia knows that she should give some of the money she is getting to people who are in need, and she begins to find ways to use some of the money to help her neighbors. It was pleasant to read about Mia, an ordinary person dealing with life as best she can, finding herself in the middle of a real life fairy tale.

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