Holding My Breath: A Novel [DECKLE EDGE] (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ludwig's nicely observed debut, a coming-of-age tale, often shies away from the powerful themes it raises. Born in 1952 to a close-knit Jewish-Canadian family in Winnipeg, Beth Levy dreams of becoming an astronaut, an ambition partly inspired by stories of her late uncle, who died before Beth was born but left behind his fascination with the stars. On Beth's first day in elementary school, her widowed grandmother dies, and Beth's mother, Goldie, assumes responsibility for Goldie's younger siblings, who become like older sisters to Beth. Teenage Sarah is beautiful and restless, and yearns to be an actress or a singer. Carrie, a withdrawn seamstress overwhelmed by private tragedy, encourages Beth to follow her passions, although Beth's parents expect her to live out a quiet middle-class life in Winnipeg. The drama is understated throughout; crises occur, but have little influence on the steady pace of the narrative. Issues such as anti-Semitism and adolescent cruelty surface briefly and are quickly dropped. The result is a charming, if less than courageous, performance. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Ludwig’s debut focuses on the lives of four women in post–World War II Canada. Their characters are familiar: one is young and pretty and dreams of fame, one harbors a dark secret, one stoically tries to keep the family together, and one quietly observes them all. Ludwig slowly reveals the flaws of each character while resisting the temptation to absolve their sins at the end. She does not always trust her characterization, however, and too often the women shout warnings, such as “Don’t tell me how to live my life” and “Don’t you make her grow up too fast,” which feel cribbed from a soap opera. A common theme in the story is people disappearing; sometimes they come back, but more often they do not, leaving those left behind to endure. Although Ludwig’s voice is still forming, her ability to convey the obligation of family is mature, especially as it relates to betrayal and the seeming impossibility of forgiveness. --Kevin Clouther

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Shaye Areheart Books; First Edition edition (August 5, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307396223
• ISBN-13: 978-0307396228
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,843,404 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Story, August 31, 2009

By	L. Scites (Columbus, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Holding My Breath (Paperback)

Love this book! So well written didn't skim a word (like I usually do for books that are just ok). Ms. Ludwig told a beautiful story of family similar in many respects to most of ours if we are honest. I really enjoyed reading this book and didn't want to fly through it, I wanted to truly savor the story.

2 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars interesting Canadian mid twentieth century historical tale, August 17, 2008

By	Harriet Klausner - See all my reviews (#1 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

As a child after hearing the daring exploits of her late Uncle Phil who died flying a plane in Africa during WW II (several years before she was born), Canadian Jew Beth Winnipeg wants to become initially an aviator but then an astronaut. Her parents assume she will outgrow that childish whim as women, Canadian and Jews mean three strikes and your out. However, her life in Winnipeg changes abruptly when her maternal grandmother suddenly dies. Her mom Goldie takes in her younger siblings. Thus as Beth starts elementary school, she suddenly has two older "sisters" with dreams of their own.

Teenage Sarah wants to go either to Hollywood or Broadway as she dreams of becoming an actress or a singer. Reticent Carrie who vows no husband ever pushes her younger niece to go for her desires. Meanwhile Beth's parents want her to marry a Jew and raise a family in Winnipeg as her mother wants to reach the pinnacle of Manitoban social strata and believes her daughter through marriage is the ticket.

This is an interesting Canadian mid twentieth century historical tale that affirms life goes on whether one faces death, illness, antisemitism or abuse. The problem with strictly adhering to let's move on is that the trauma ends abruptly without deep lasting consequences. This is a charming somewhat compelling family drama as Sidura Ludwig provides a fascinating look at growing up Jewish in Manitoba in the 1950s and 1960s.

Harriet Klausner