Holding Her Breath

Holding Her Breath by Eimear Ryan
Reviewed by Mimi
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Thank you to @vikingbooksuk for this proof copy 💙

Beth Crowe is a superstar swimmer who never quite made it to the big time. Her grandfather was a famous writer before he tragically died before she was born. She has this dilemma where people feel like they know so much about him and yet she feels like she knows nothing at all so she embarks on a journey to find out as much as she can from her grandmother.

This is a sort of coming of age story where Beth discovers who she is in two ways. Who is she outside of the sport and outside of swimming. And who was her grandfather and what of him exists in her. She develops relationships and even has an affair with a member of the teaching faculty who has an obsession with her late grandfather. It’s all a bit messy and complicated.

I understand the comparisons to Sally Rooney. The setting and style are both similar and there is nothing dramatic the novel climaxes to. It's written as though it's a snapshot of Beth's life. For me, I didn't find it as compelling as other novels in that style. It's an easy read but I wasn't as invested as I normally like to be when reading things like this.