Listen to a sample
Holding Her Breath
- Author
- Eimear Ryan
- Narrator
- Clara Harte
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Publish Date
- 17 June 2021
- Run Time
- 7 hours 18 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
Brought to you by Penguin.
A young woman comes of age in the shadow of her family's tragic past
When Beth Crowe starts university, she is shadowed by the ghost of her potential as a competitive swimmer. Free to create a fresh identity for herself, she finds herself among people who adore the poetry of her grandfather, Benjamin Crowe, who died tragically before she was born. She embarks on a secret relationship - and on a quest to discover the truth about Benjamin and his widow, her beloved grandmother Lydia. The quest brings her into an archive that no scholar has ever seen, and to a person who knows things about her family that nobody else knows.
Holding Her Breath is a razor-sharp, moving and seriously entertaining novel about complicated love stories, ambition and grief - and a young woman coming fully into her powers.
'A beautiful coming-of-age story told with impressive skill and lightness of touch . . . I absolutely loved it' LOUISE O'NEILL
'Precise, sure, engaging, and a joy to read' RODDY DOYLE
'A nimble account of student life with a darkly enjoyable undercurrent of secrecy and emotional turmoil' SARA BAUME
'Through the dark sky of our times, Eimear Ryan arrives like a comet, a bright talent scorching through every page' DOIREANN NÍ GHRÍOFA, author of A Ghost in the Throat
'Brilliantly realised, gripping, and moving . . . This is absolutely the real thing' KEVIN POWER
© Eimear Ryan 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021
Critics Review
-
Funny, dark and unexpected
The Last Word with Matt Cooper
-
A stunning debut from this new Irish talent, as well as being an exciting page turner it's also a perfect depiction of how it feels to be lost as you embark on a new chapter of your life
Stellar
-
From the first sentence to the last, this is a great piece of writing - precise, sure, engaging, and a joy to read
Roddy Doyle
-
Richly accomplished . . . a true pleasure to read
Business Post
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
A moving debut with a satisfying conclusion
Irish Independent
-
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 beautiful coming-of-age story told with impressive skill and lightness of touch. It marks the arrival of an exciting new voice on the Irish literary scene, one whom I can't wait to hear more from. I absolutely loved it
Louise O'Neill
-
Whip-smart observations and addictive prose
Sunday Telegraph
-
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
-
A delicious read . . . A nimble account of student life with a darkly enjoyable undercurrent of secrecy and emotional turmoil
Sara Baume
User Reviews
No reviews yet.
Details
- Author
- Eimear Ryan
- Narrator
- Clara Harte
- Duration
- 7 hours 18 minutes
- Release Date
- 17 June 2021
- ISBN
- 9780241993743
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Penguin Books Ltd
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Narrative theme: coming of age, Narrative theme: love / relationships, Narrative theme: death, grief, loss, Narrative theme: interior life / psychological fiction, Family life fiction / Stories about family
Synopsis
Brought to you by Penguin. A young woman comes of age in the shadow of her family's tragic pastWhen Beth Crowe starts university, she is shadowed by the ghost of her potential as a competitive swimmer. Free to create a fresh identity for herself, she finds herself among people who adore the poetry of her grandfather, Benjamin Crowe, who died tragically before she was born. She embarks on a secret relationship - and on a quest to discover the truth about Benjamin and his widow, her beloved grandmother Lydia. The quest brings her into an archive that no scholar has ever seen, and to a person who knows things about her family that nobody else knows.Holding Her Breath is a razor-sharp, moving and seriously entertaining novel about complicated love stories, ambition and grief - and a young woman coming fully into her powers.'A beautiful coming-of-age story told with impressive skill and lightness of touch . . . I absolutely loved it' LOUISE O'NEILL'Precise, sure, engaging, and a joy to read' RODDY DOYLE'A nimble account of student life with a darkly enjoyable undercurrent of secrecy and emotional turmoil' SARA BAUME'Through the dark sky of our times, Eimear Ryan arrives like a comet, a bright talent scorching through every page' DOIREANN NÍ GHRÍOFA, author of A Ghost in the Throat'Brilliantly realised, gripping, and moving . . . This is absolutely the real thing' KEVIN POWER© Eimear Ryan 2021 (P) Penguin Audio 2021
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.