Breathing Room By Patricia Elam
Our book club gave the book an overall favorable rating. We thought the story line put emphasis on the teenager and we are 60+ so here issues did not really interest us. We also thought it was too word dy and dragged on In some areas. All of that said, I enjoyed the book especially the way everything was concluded. Bellissimo
In her dazzling debut novel, award winning author Patricia Elam takes us into the lives of two completely different women whose friendship has helped them weather just about everything. But now theyre at a crossroads where understanding may not be enough a place where they must risk it all to rediscover what they cherish most.
Photographer Norma Simmons Greer has a loving husband, a lively young son, and an upper middle class lifestyle. Probation officer Moxie Dilliard is as dedicated to her ideals as she is to her talented teenage daughter, Zadi. Best friends after meeting in college, Norma and Moxie are each others reality check and reassurance.
But suddenly the bond between them begins to unravel in unexpected ways. Anguished over the loss of her second child and her husbands recent withdrawal, Norma takes refuge in a complex love affair that puts her at odds with Moxie and with herself. Haunted by her beloved mothers inspiring yet disturbing emotional legacy, Moxie struggles to understand her friend, while her own refusal to compromise threatens to shatter her relationship with Zadi. And a devastating crisis will challenge both women to face the hardest of truths.
With insight, humor, and heartbreaking immediacy, Patricia Elam presents a beautifully written portrait of two unforgettable women, and the teenager they both cherish, as they negotiate the ever shifting terrain of friendship and identity. A wise, tender novel of what love can and cannot survive, Breathing Room is also an exploration of how the past can at once inspire and limit us, and of the pain and promise that accompany us on the journey we all share. Breathing Room
Patricia Elam has written a winner. The Character development is wonderful Zadi, Moxie and Norma cannot be contained on the pages they will invade your thoughts and your heart.The author explores several subjects, the handles them all extremely well. But the one that really got my attention was the relationship between Norma and her 3 year old son Miles, Norma honestly does not feel the love and nurturing towards Miles that is expected of a mother. It disturbs her and he feels it too. She has no idea how to change it. Elam explores it with such depth and sensitivity that you understand and empathize with Norma.Definitely one of the best of 2001! Bellissimo Mi sono ritrovata a leggerlo lentamente per far sì che durasse più a lungo. Peccato per i numerosi errori di formattazione che in un ebook che costa quasi 10 euro sono assolutamente intollerabili. Quindi 5 stelle all'autrice e1 sola ad . Bellissimo A very wordy book without much story, the review sounded interesting than the book turned out to be. Would like to return it but don't know where to. Bellissimo This a captivating story about friendship, motherhood, parenting, unhappiness in love and in marriage. It takes place within the lives of two middle class African American families in modern day Washington, DC. The writing style not only allows for good reading, it's fast paced. I read it in one sitting. Bellissimo This is very good book that covers a variety of topics, the main theme of the novel is the breach of trust. The characters are interesting, likeable, and very relatable. Bellissimo
