I love it when authors hide little easter eggs in their stories—those subtle details that seem ordinary at first but take on a whole new meaning once you’ve reached the end.

One of my favorite Easter eggs in A Wave of Breath is the name Mary. How many of you noticed it? The many versions of the name Mary… the quiet drift of Miriam Houseman’s ashes into the pool—just what did that activate?

Knowing what happens at the end of the novel, does the name give you a different perspective on the Divine Feminine rising from the mountain pool? Does it make you wonder if there was something else quietly moving beneath the surface of the story all along? Not AI. Not coincidence. Something older. Something mysterious. Something magical.

I believe every story can be read on multiple levels. You can enjoy the adventure, or you can look for the hidden threads woven throughout—the symbols, the echoes, the meanings waiting to be discovered.

If you’ve read A Wave of Breath, I’d love to know: Did you catch this Easter egg? And if not, does it change the way you see Brooklyn’s journey now?

Here is a list of the Mary names: (How many did you catch?)

Good Marys:
Miriam Houseman, neighbor in SF
Marina, sells vegetables at the GG Bridge
Maria, flute player, former soldier, all around badass
Marian, the librarian (not a character but she gets a mention)
Marilee Lawson, librarian
Rosemary Sharp
Madonna (the original Divine Feminine)

Bad Marys:
Mary of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph vegetable truck
Bad Madonna