Holding Her Breath, Eimear Ryan (Penguin, 2021), C+

Eimear Ryan’s forthcoming novel tells the coming of age story of Beth Crowe, as she starts her journey at university, shadowed by the ghostof  her potential as a competitive swimmer and as she attempts to create an identity for herself outside both her swimming career and her family history (she is the granddaughter of a famous poet). For fans of Sally Rooney, this is a fresh and exciting summer read.

Pre-order a copy here.

Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell (Tinder Press, 2020), A+

Maggie O’Farrell’s first historical novel is the fictional story behind Shakespeare’s famous play – the story of the death of Shakespeare’s son and the effect on his life.

Read our full review here.

Pick up a copy here.

Conversations on Love, Natasha Lunn (Penguin, 2021), A+

Natasha Lunn’s Conversations on Love examines love in all of its many forms – it’s an astonishing, joyful celebration of love, from some of the most important voices in literature.

Pre-order a copy here.

The Last Thing He Told Me, Laura Dave (Profile Books, 2021) B+

The Last Thing He Told Me is a propulsive mystery. Hannah finds out that her husband Owen has gone missing and she seeks to uncover the truth behind his disappearance with her step-daughter Bailey.

Read our full review here.

Pick up a copy here.

Malibu Rising, Taylor Jenkins Reid  (Cornerstone, 2021) A

Taylor Jenkins Reid’s latest novel is as compelling and propulsive as Daisy Jones, it’s the story of siblings growing up in Malibu and the events that unfold around one night.

Pick up a copy here.

Eat a Peach, David Chang (Penguin, 2020), A-

David Chang’s phenomenal memoir is the story of a man succeeding against the odds – it’s an inspiring story even for those for whom Momofuku means nothing.

Read our full review here.

Pick up a copy here.

The Push, Ashley Audrain (Penguin, 2021) B+

The Push is a psychological drama, telling the story of the unravelling of a family – a woman whose initial experience with motherhood does not live up to her expectations.

Read our full review here.

Pick up a copy here.

The post Everything We Read in May 2021 appeared first on off the record.

Holding Her Breath is a sharply written new novel by Eimear Ryan, it’s a lightly written coming of age story that is the perfect read for the summer of 2021. The story centres around Beth Crowe as she starts at university – shadowed by the ghost of her potential as a competitive swimmer. Free to create a fresh identity for herself, she finds herself among people who adore the poetry of her grandfather, Benjamin Crowe, who died tragically before she was born. She embarks on a secret relationship – and on a quest to discover the truth about Benjamin and his widow, her beloved grandmother Lydia. The quest brings her into an archive that no scholar has ever seen, and to a person who knows things about her family that nobody else knows. The magic of the novel is in the way that the storylines interweave and lattice upon each other. 

Above all, this is a powerful story about the complicated relationships within a family. Plot-wise it does not chart new territory, but the writing was propulsive enough for this to be a fast-paced and pithy read that positions Ryan as a novelist that needs to be paid attention to. The relationships have a similar feeling to the emotions contained within Sally Rooney’s books, although the subtleties of the novel need more time to unpack. As a central character, Beth’s characterisation at times needs more nuance and depth in order to elevate the novel to the same commercial ranks. Still, this is a vastly enjoyable read and is an important addition to the ranks of summer’s 2021 reads.

The post REVIEW: Holding Her Breath – Eimear Ryan appeared first on off the record.