From the first sentence to the last, this is a great piece of writing—precise, sure, engaging, and a joy to read.” — Roddy Doyle, Booker Prize-winning author of Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha and Love
"Ryan’s writing is quick and understated and addictive, and the story offers points of entry for many readers—competitive athletes, people who love literary drama, anyone who felt unmoored and different in college." — Glamour
“Holding Her Breath does not feel like a debut novel; it shows the deft assurance of someone who has spent years training for this. … A sparsely written, emotionally affecting coming of age story. … Feels entirely fresh.” — Irish Times
“Explores love, desire, and the secrets of the past with the background of student life. And it does so deftly, with complex, but fully realised characters, and is so accomplished; so wonderfully written and thought through, that it’s hard to imagine it’s a debut at all. I absolutely loved it.” — Irish Examiner
“An assured, absorbing first novel that follows a young woman as she begins the delicate work of finding out who she is and where she stands in relation to her history. ... A crisply written, empathetic novel. Ryan offers a realistic, perceptive view of the early college years, reflecting how difficult but liberating the first steps to adulthood can be. An absorbing, nuanced coming-of-age novel.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Ryan’s debut is a joy to read. ... Emotional, clever, and humorous, Holding Her Breath will engross readers with its academic atmosphere and family drama.” — Booklist
"Eimear Ryan expertly renders a lion-hearted protagonist's attempt to escape her family's long and hurtful shadow. Patient and searing storytelling at its best. Holding Her Breath announces the arrival of an unforgettable voice." — Marie-Helene Bertino, author of Parakeet
"An Irish collegiate swimmer unearths the truth about her grandfather, a famous poet, in Ryan’s penetrating debut. ... Readers will want to see what Ryan does next." — Publishers Weekly
“Whip smart observations and addictive prose.” — Sunday Telegraph
“Ryan’s depiction of starting college, making friends and embarking on your first real romance is very assured, and she handles the familial and friendship dynamics very well. The mystery of the family narrative drives the plot, culminating in a satisfying ending. A refreshing, accomplished debut." — Irish Independent
“Brilliant, vivid – I enjoyed this book ENORMOUSLY.” — Marian Keyes, internationally bestselling author of Grown Ups
“Written with a wonderful clarity and insight, Holding Her Breath lingers in the imagination. Beth's unravelling and re-ravelling is drawn with great skill and empathy. A brilliant debut.” — Donal Ryan, Booker Prize-nominated author of Strange Flowers
“A delicious read. … A nimble account of student life with a darkly enjoyable undercurrent of secrecy and emotional turmoil." — Sara Baume, author of Seven Steeples
"Through the dark sky of our times, Eimear Ryan arrives like a comet, a bright talent scorching through every page. To read this book is to feel it blaze to life. I can't stop thinking about it." — Doireann Ní Ghríofa, author of A Ghost in the Throat
"A secret relationship, a family’s tragic past, and a woman learning to be herself are all the makings of a great story, and I’m looking forward to reading this Irish writer’s debut." — Literary Hub, Most Anticipated Books of 2022
"A compelling look at coming-of-age concerns beneath the taboo of generational mental illness. ... An engaging, sensitive story set in Ireland, sure to resonate with readers far and wide." — New York Journal of Books
“Books about young Irish women going to university, usually Trinity, are now so plentiful that they constitute their own genre – Trin Lit, anyone? The Queen is of course Sally Rooney, but this new novel from Eimear Ryan is an absorbing read and a very worthy addition to the growing pile. … A gripping and ultimately very satisfying read.” — RTE Ireland
“Holding Her Breath was a joy to read — disarming, entertaining and life-affirming. A blisteringly good portrayal of complex lives and loves. It's an enthralling debut from a hugely talented writer.” — Danielle McLaughlin, author of The Art of Falling
“An enthralling Irish debut.” — IMAGE
“Effortlessly weaving together a gripping, multi-layered plot, while maintaining a profoundly tender touch, Ryan has marked herself as a captivatingly original voice in Irish literature.” — Hot Press
2022-03-16
An Irish college student grapples with the aftermath of a breakdown and her poet grandfather’s legacy.
Because the literary world can’t resist comparisons, Irish writer Ryan’s debut coming-of-age novel will inevitably be compared to the work of Sally Rooney. But there’s no need to bring Rooney into the discussion. This is an assured, absorbing first novel that follows a young woman as she begins the delicate work of finding out who she is and where she stands in relation to her history. Beth Crowe is juggling the demands of college and family, making new friends, and struggling to cope with two legacies: her own lost potential as an athlete and her Irish poet grandfather’s suicide by drowning, which happened before she was born. A competitive swimmer, Beth is recovering from a breakdown that most likely ended her Olympic dreams. She’s swimming again, learning that the discipline and repetition of an athlete’s routine are hard to shake (as are her father’s expectations). She has left the home she shares with her mother and grandmother and moved into a dorm, and her presence on the college campus has the literature department reeling. Everyone wants answers about her grandfather and his work. She begins a flirtation with Justin, an older instructor who would love access to her grandfather’s archives (her grandmother refuses all such requests). They embark on an affair, and as Beth develops her own reasons for keeping secrets about and from Justin, she discovers surprising new revelations about her grandparents and her own capacity for acceptance. Throughout the novel, water plays an important role as both balm and torment, a way for Beth to test and soothe herself, a way for her troubled grandfather to escape. But Ryan never goes too far with metaphor: This is a crisply written, empathetic novel. Ryan offers a realistic, perceptive view of the early college years, reflecting how difficult but liberating the first steps to adulthood can be.
An absorbing, nuanced coming-of-age novel.
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