The Breakaway
A Novel
Table of Contents
About The Book
Thirty-three-year-old Abby Stern has made it to a happy place. True, she still has gig jobs instead of a career, and the apartment where she’s lived since college still looks like she’s just moved in. But she’s got good friends, her bike, and her bicycling club in Philadelphia. She’s at peace with her plus-size body—at least, most of the time—and she’s on track to marry Mark Medoff, her childhood sweetheart, a man she met at the weight-loss camp that her perpetually dieting mother forced her to attend. Fifteen years after her final summer at Camp Golden Hills, when Abby reconnects with a half-his-size Mark, it feels like the happy ending she’s always wanted.
Yet Abby can’t escape the feeling that something isn’t right...or the memories of one thrilling night she spent with a man named Sebastian two years previously. When Abby gets a last-minute invitation to lead a cycling trip from NYC to Niagara Falls, she’s happy to have time away from Mark, a chance to reflect and make up her mind.
But things get complicated fast. First, Abby spots a familiar face in the group—Sebastian, the one-night stand she thought she’d never see again. Sebastian is a serial dater who lives a hundred miles away. In spite of their undeniable chemistry, Abby is determined to keep her distance. Then there’s a surprise last-minute addition to the trip: her mother, Eileen, the woman Abby blames for a lifetime of body shaming and insecurities she’s still trying to undo.
Over two weeks and more than seven hundred miles, strangers become friends, hidden truths come to light, a teenage girl with a secret unites the riders in unexpected ways...and Abby is forced to reconsider everything she believes about herself, her mother, and the nature of love.
About The Readers
Product Details
- Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio (August 29, 2023)
- Length: 11 disks
- Runtime: 13 hours and 30 minutes
- ISBN13: 9781797163642
Raves and Reviews
"Nikki Blonsky, Santino Fontana, Jenni Barber, Soneela Nankani, and Joy Osmanski are an amazing ensemble for this captivating drama. As a plus-size woman with a meandering career, Abby feels at odds with societal expectations. But she is rooted in her love of bicycling and her steadfast boyfriend. Now she’s about to lead a two-week cycling trip that includes her critical mother and Sebastian, a one-night stand from years ago. Not surprisingly, she’s feeling anxious. Happily, the members of the cycling group support each other in unexpected and tender ways. Blonsky gives an expressive performance as Abby. Fontana employs a smug tone as privileged Sebastian. Barber uses a soft, fearful tone for a secretive teen. Nankani and Osmanski’s supporting roles provide meaningful contrasts."
– AudioFile Magazine
Resources and Downloads
High Resolution Images
- Book Cover Image (jpg): The Breakaway Unabridged Compact Disk 9781797163642
- Author Photo (jpg): Jennifer Weiner Andrea Cipriani Mecchi(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit