Scan barcode
A review by foggy_rosamund
The Deepest Breath by Meg Grehan
5.0
I don't give five-star reviews lightly but this book absolutely deserves the highest of ratings. I rarely cry when reading, but I was welling up from half-way through this beautiful story. Stevie is eleven years old, and lives with her Mum in an unnamed Irish city. Stevie is a very clever girl, with a lot of big thoughts in her head, and a very close relationship with her Mum. She's scared of fish and the ocean, and wants to learn more about them because she likes to know a lot about the things that frighten her, because then they won't feel so scary. That's why, when she wonders why she gets a fizzy feeling every time she sees her friend Chloe, she decides to research. But for the first time, her Mum doesn't seem to know how to answer Stevie's questions, and all her books let her down.
This novel-in-verse is a beautiful exploration of a relationship between a mother and a daughter, and the moment when children discover that their parents don't have all the answers. It's also a considered look at the ways in which a heteronormative society will always fail LGBTQ+ children. Stevie, who depends on research says,
And I have a big hole in my knowing
A big gap
Where there should be something
But there isn't
And I think it's a thing that matters
Because the gap feels
A little bit cold
because she doesn't know any stories about girls loving girls, and doesn't know if it's allowed. Stevie is approximately two decades younger than I am, and yet she's running into exactly the same problems I did when I began to realise I was a lesbian: there weren't any stories about girls like me, I didn't exist in books or pictures, and I didn't have words for how I felt. No one told me it was possible for me to be with a woman when I grew up. I'm sad that Stevie's experience rings so true for me because we should be doing better by now, but also very happy that her story is being told, that children like Stevie can finally see versions of themselves. I'm also delighted that this subject is being geared towards a younger age group, because it's not just teenagers and adults who need these stories.
I'm also thrilled by how beautiful this book is. The relationship between mother and daughter is built up very carefully, and gently, and Stevie's feelings are given a lot of space to develop. Descriptions of fish, of snow, of family life, all create an atmospheric space for the emotions to be explored. I also love the joyous way Stevie writes about her crush on Chloe, and how happiness sparks between the characters. The story is nuanced, with no easy answers, but there's a huge sense of optimism and love throughout. I also really appreciate how libraries and librarians are cast as heroes.
This novel-in-verse is a beautiful exploration of a relationship between a mother and a daughter, and the moment when children discover that their parents don't have all the answers. It's also a considered look at the ways in which a heteronormative society will always fail LGBTQ+ children. Stevie, who depends on research says,
And I have a big hole in my knowing
A big gap
Where there should be something
But there isn't
And I think it's a thing that matters
Because the gap feels
A little bit cold
because she doesn't know any stories about girls loving girls, and doesn't know if it's allowed. Stevie is approximately two decades younger than I am, and yet she's running into exactly the same problems I did when I began to realise I was a lesbian: there weren't any stories about girls like me, I didn't exist in books or pictures, and I didn't have words for how I felt. No one told me it was possible for me to be with a woman when I grew up. I'm sad that Stevie's experience rings so true for me because we should be doing better by now, but also very happy that her story is being told, that children like Stevie can finally see versions of themselves. I'm also delighted that this subject is being geared towards a younger age group, because it's not just teenagers and adults who need these stories.
I'm also thrilled by how beautiful this book is. The relationship between mother and daughter is built up very carefully, and gently, and Stevie's feelings are given a lot of space to develop. Descriptions of fish, of snow, of family life, all create an atmospheric space for the emotions to be explored. I also love the joyous way Stevie writes about her crush on Chloe, and how happiness sparks between the characters. The story is nuanced, with no easy answers, but there's a huge sense of optimism and love throughout. I also really appreciate how libraries and librarians are cast as heroes.