Forgotten today, Julia Anna Baker was notorious in the early part of the twentieth century for running a series of children's homes. Mrs. Baker traveled the country proselytizing for and collecting money in the name of "home conserving." The children who came under her care, however, were subject to filthy living conditions, insufficient food and, in some cases, physical abuse.

A MARBLE HEART brings the story of Mrs. Baker and her children to life. The novel is the culmination of approximately two years of research, and utilizes such real-world figures as Mrs. Baker herself, Kansas City politicians and a preacher who claimed to be the reincarnation of the prophet Elijah.

It is a story of greed, fraud, abuse, religion and ultimately, survival.