Shallow Breath

by Sara Foster

How far would you go to save someone you love?Two years ago, Desi Priest made a horrific mistake and destroyed her family. Now, she is coming home to make to her daughter, Maya, who's nurturing her own dangerous plan; to her brother, Jackson, who blames himself; and to her close friend, Pete, who has spent years shielding her from a devastating truth. But as Desi returns to her beloved house by the ocean, there is a stranger waiting for her. Someone who needs her help. Someone whose arrival will reveal a chain of secrets hidden for over twenty years. And one by one the family will be forced to confront the possibility that they have somehow got things terribly, tragically wrong …Set across five continents, Shallow Breath is a compelling novel of dashed dreams and second chances. But most of all it is a story about love, and what it really means to be free.

Genres: Fiction, Thriller, Suspense, Contemporary, Book Club, Drama, Mystery

315 pages, ebook

First published January 1, 2012

About the author

Sara Foster is a critically acclaimed, bestselling fiction author with a passion for psychological suspense and a keen interest in exploring zeitgeist issues and strong female characters in her nail-biting novels. Her latest, When She Was Gone (2025), begins when an au pair and two small children vanish from a remote Australian beach, and is a race-against-time thriller, exploring themes around misogyny, wealth, power and control.

Sara is also the author of dystopian thriller The Hush and seven more bestselling novels. Two of her books have been optioned for television, and You Don’t Know Me was adapted into a chart-topping podcast series by Listnr. Sara has a PhD in creative writing (studying maternal representations in fiction) and lives in Perth, WA, with her husband, two daughters, three cats, Luna the cavoodle and Sunny the bearded dragon.

Follow Sara on Substack at Story Matters (for readers) and The Resilient Author (for writers). Or visit her website: www.sarafoster.com.au

Reviews

[Susan May · Rating 5 out of 5]

"DEEP CONNECTIONS"
“It’s about connections, across difficult boundaries,” comments Sara Foster, in describing her third novel SHALLOW BREATH. And there are so many extraordinary connections over the twenty year span of the story that your head will spin; but spin in a good way where you keep wondering what impact did this character have on this one. Even the animals in the book are connected and their impact on the human characters is also long-ranging.

If you have ever visited or lived in Western Australia you will also find the factual component of SHALLOW BREATH fascinating and well-researched, as Foster skilfully weaves a tale of intrigue surrounding the main character, Desi, who once worked in the real-life "Atlantis Marine Park" outside Perth which closed in the nineties.

The story begins with just-released-from-jail, Desi Priest, returning to her home by the Indian Ocean to hopefully reconcile with her teenage daughter Maya. All we know is that Desi did something unthinkable and inexplicable and Maya is finding it difficult to understand and forgive her.

Told in five parts via multiple points of view, Desi recounts her life in the nineties whilst working at Atlantis just as it is closing. It was there she met AmericanConnor, a passionate marine biologist, with whom she develops a friendship which takes them further than she ever expected.

In present day, a stranger, Kate, arrives in town and it is clear she is more than a visiting tourist. She has a dangerous agenda that is only revealed at the end of the book. There are many secrets kept by each character and slowly the pace builds as the character perspectives flow back and forth to reveal how each character connects with Desi’s past and will impact on her future.

For those who love a psychological mystery, SHALLOW BREATH will see you turning the pages into the wee hours of the morning. Along the way, there are some fascinating insights into animal conservation, dolphins and even orang-utans as the story travels from Western Australian to many countries. Whilst it doesn’t beat you over the head with its conservation issues it certainly takes you to places where you will feel angered by the brutality but also encouraged by the bravery of those who fight against that cruelty.

SHALLOW BREATH is a modern Australian saga, written by an author who knows how to breathe life into characters. The story reaches through the pages pulling you into its watery depths and when it is over the characters will stay with you as if you’ve connected deeply with new friends.

More reviews and author interviews at www.susanmaywriter.com

[Lauren Keegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shallow Breath is the third psychological suspense novel to be released by Australian author, Sara Foster. It’s a slow-building story that explores worldwide issues of animal cruelty and the conservation efforts of those who dedicate their lives to protecting animals. It looks at issues pertaining to five different species of animals including sharks, dolphins, elephants, kangaroos and orangutan and though set primarily in Western Australia it does span five continents.

Shallow Breath switches viewpoint between six connected characters through short chapters that are all associated with various animal causes. There’s Desi who worked with and researched Dolphins. She’s just been released from a 15 month gaol sentence and hopes to reconnect with her eighteen year old daughter Maya. She’s been caught up in a horrific situation where kangaroos are being murdered and beaten, leaving their joeys orphaned and sometimes injured. Along with Maya’s friend Luke, they try to save these kangaroos and attain evidence to stop these cruel acts. Connor is Maya’s deceased father whom Desi is still grieving. His ex-partner Elizabeth is an activist for elephants while his best mate Pete works with orangutans. Desi’s brother Jackson works with sharks. It was fascinating how each member of this extended family were involved in working with and protecting animals- if not a little convenient for the story to cover such a broad coverage of conservation programs.

I’ve enjoyed Foster’s last novel, Beneath the Shadows so when the opportunity to read Shallow Breath became available I was really excited. It’s got such an interesting premise and I’ve read some really raving reviews for this story, but I was a little disappointed.

I appreciate the research and the underlying messages in the story but I feel it’s execution was a little weak which came as a surprise to me after reading so many 4 or 5 star reviews for it. I’m afraid I’m that of an outlier in my review of Shallow Breath.

The pacing of the story is quite slow, which at first really worked for me as each of the characters viewpoints began to unfold. However, the suspense that I expected from this novel didn’t really make its mark until the final quarter of the story. The majority of the novel is focussed on the past, through flashbacks and memories in each of the character viewpoints over a twenty year period. The two major secrets, that of why Desi tried to run down her best friend’s dad and why Kate (Desi’s belated boyfriend’s daughter) has come to see her, when they were unveiled it was a bit of an anti-climax. I expected some kind of emotional response from various characters but the truths seemed to be accepted relatively calmly. The last part of the story is quite rushed with all the characters coming together to fight for a single cause- which I admit was very brave and courageous- and the ending left many things unresolved.

While I appreciated what this story set out to do and I was fascinated, confronted and admiring of the conservation work that takes place within Australia and abroad, I did feel the slow-pace of the story, lack of suspense and anti-climax associated with character conflict let the story down. Shallow Breath is an ambitious story exploring five different animal species and spanning five continents and certainly made me think about the extent of animal cruelty that still exists in this day and age. I encourage you to check out other reviews by readers who speak highly of Shallow Breath before deciding whether to give this one a go or not.

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I found it interesting, I found this a hard book to read for several reasons. The first is the way it is structured. The chapters jump around from one character to another and then to complicate matters from one time period to another so it never really gelled as a story for me. Just as I was settling down with Maya, Desi's daughter or Desi, recently released from prison, I was hauled off to another of the several characters. This meant I never actually felt greatly emotionally connected to any of them. All the strands came together in the end and the connection between the characters and events of the past explained but even the ending I found left me feeling very flat.
The second reason it was hard to read was the subject matter. I don’t deal well with reading stories about domestic abuse and physical violence of one person to another or with reading about the violence of people to animals. The scenes with the kangaroos and their joeys, I found particularly hard as these creatures are regular visitors on our front lawn. Similarly with the dolphins and the inhumane treatment they are subjected to, when I look out at wasters nearby and see these sleek gentle creatures. So I found myself skimming and skipping bits because I couldn’t bear to read them. So while it is interesting and a lot of research has gone into it and it has a lot of worthwhile information to convey I didn’t find it as satisfying or engaging a read as I expected. Others may react differently.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewing one's own book always feels a little, er, wrong - and now with the recent furore over authors secretly high-fiving themselves with maximum star allocations, I'm not sure this is PC at the moment! However, I hope you'll forgive me this one five-star review, because I love this book just as much as my two previous ones and want to cheer it on its way. I work extremely hard on all my books, but this one was particularly intense - I lived and breathed everything about it for a year, and I'm passionate about the conservation themes that form the backdrop to the family story. I hope that readers enjoy the suspense, become engaged with the wider issues, and feel these characters come to life as much as I did. I am really missing them right now, so perhaps there will be a sequel!

[Shallow Breath will be out in December 2012]

[Shelleyrae at Book'd Out · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bestselling author Sara Foster presents her third novel, Shallow Breath, a compelling story of loss and love.

After two years of incarceration, Desi Priest is finally free to return home and begin making amends for the impulsive act that destroyed her family. While her long term friend, Pete, welcomes her back with open arms, her teenage daughter, Maya, will barely talk to her, neither her father or he brother, Jackson, can look her in the eye and her best friend, Rebecca, may never be able to forgive her.

Unfolding through multiple perspectives, Shallow Breath moves between the past and the present while roaming over five continents. It's an ambitious range that Sara Foster manages well, building a comprehensive picture of her characters and their passions.

As Desi contemplates her future she recalls her past, her short lived career working with the dolphins of the Atlantis Marine Park, her relationship with Maya's father, Connor, an American marine biologist who was tragically killed before Maya was born, the dreams she gave up to raise her daughter and the tragedy that led to her prison term.
Meanwhile Pete continues to try and protect Desi from some harsh truths, abandoning his own dreams to support, Maya rebels against her mother's concern, and Jackson is distracted by the enigmatic Kate, whose secret has the potential to destroy them all.

The author's passion for animal conservation is a central issue in Shallow Breath, which explores the abuse of kangaroo's, the horrors of dolphin slaughter in Japan, the threats to the orangutan-tan in Sumatra, the diminishing population of whale sharks off the coast of Galapagos Islands and the hunting of elephants in Africa. Though I felt at times the information crowds the story, the information is thought provoking and inspires compassion for these threatened creatures.

One of the settings of the novel that particularly appealed to me was the West Australian town of Two Rocks where the the Atlantis Marine Park once stood. I have fond memories of visiting the attraction regularly as a child and remember well my delight at seeing King Neptune towering over the entrance on our approach. My family moved to New South Wales in 1988 so I wasn't aware that the park was closed just a few years later and I was saddened to learn of it's demise.

An engaging novel that is sure to haunt you, this is an absorbing read. Dive into Shallow Breath - you won't regret it.

[Amber · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars This book ended up taking a different turn than I expected and while the conservation and protection of wildlife is something vital , it was not what I initially thought Shallow Breath would be about

[MarciaB - Book Muster Down Under · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best-selling psychological suspense writer Sara Foster took months to work up the courage to watch The Cove, an infamous documentary exposing Japan’s dolphin hunting culture, and when she finally did she wept for much of the film. A long-time animal lover, Sara couldn’t turn away from what she had seen. A year later, she visited “the cove” for herself, determined to write about it.

Shallow Breath is Sara’s “love letter to the ocean”. A deeply touching novel highlighting both the atrocious acts of animal cruelty and the breath-taking efforts of conservation in Australia and worldwide.

The Blurb

“Two years ago, Desi Priest made a horrific mistake and destroyed her family.

Now, she is coming home to make amends: to her daughter, Maya, who’s nurturing her own dangerous plan; to her brother, Jackson, who blames himself; and to her close friend, Pete, who has spent years shielding her from a devastating truth.

But as Desi returns to her beloved house by the ocean, there is a stranger waiting for her. Someone who needs her help. Someone whose arrival will reveal a chain of secrets hidden for over twenty years.

And one by one the family will be forced to confront the possibility that they have somehow got things terribly, tragically wrong …

Set across five continents, Shallow Breath, is a compelling novel of dashed dreams and second chances. But most of all it is a story about love, and what it really means to be free.”

Overview

A fractured family … secrets … lost chances … but mostly, the power of fighting for what you believe in, consequences be damned!

Just as the Joeys’ life-giving threads are severed from their mothers in this haunting tale, so, too, is the thread that once bound a mother and daughter, but unlike that of the Joey, which can never be healed, will these two damaged souls manage to cross the chasm that separates them?

In this awesome tale of psychological suspense, we see Desi Priest arriving home to her beloved ocean after spending 15 months in prison for committing an impulsive act after being driven into a rage, the reasons for which had smouldered beneath her calm veneer for many years – the final igniting factor, a conversation with her brother Jackson. Unfortunately the actual memory of carrying it out is forever lost to her, but the reasons are not!

But if Desi is feeling desolate, her daughter, Maya, who has grown up in the months since she was imprisoned, is even more so. Having been taken in by her somewhat bitter and distant grandfather after her mother was incarcerated, she still harbours a lot of anger towards Desi for the repercussions of her actions and doesn’t know whether she will ever be able to forgive her.

While Pete, Desi’s long-time friend and the only father-figure Maya has ever known, still holds a torch for Maya, he is apprehensive about Desi’s release, knowing that he needs to grasp this opportunity to finally purge the secrets he has been keeping from her for the last twenty years.

And then there’s the stranger, Kate, who arrives in town, with her own secrets and dangerous agenda.

With Desi trying to repair her relationship with Maya whilst still emotionally battered by painful memories and unanswered questions of her own, Pete seeking the right time to purge his long-kept secrets, Kate finally revealing the real reason for her visit, Jackson trying to come to terms with his past guilt and present feelings and Maya becoming entangled in dangerous activities, they are all brought together by a common passion, which is bound to have far-reaching consequences, ultimately bringing them all together or, once again, tearing them apart.

My Thoughts

It is not enough to be compassionate – you must act! His Holiness, the Dalai Lama

Whilst this novel is largely about conservation and based on fact, the meaning of it all runs deeper as the story is told over a twenty year span from the perspectives of eight fictional characters. Alternating between past and present, Sara Foster has created this love letter to the ocean with her emotions and passions shining through the characters she has created and being put on display for all to see.

I must admit that I found the animal abuse in this novel to be quite confronting, and during one particular scene, I found myself considering putting the book aside. However, I trundled on and thankfully so, because this is a story which needs to be told in order to get people talking, thereby making us more aware that animal conservation is absolutely imperative for the survival of our world – one part of the food chain disappearing can cause unprecedented damage to those parts left behind!

Although the novel explores many avenues of conservation and animal abuse, from the plight of the Orang-utans in Sumatra to the cruelty to animals such as the poaching of the African Elephant in Zambia, as well as the Kangaroos who reside on our own doorstep, Dolphins have always held a special place in my heart and one of the scenes in this novel which touched me the most was where Marie experiences Dolphin contact for the first time.

Whilst I have always been drawn to the dolphin attractions at theme parks (both here and in South Africa) and my love for these graceful creatures stems from having lived all my life within 10 minutes drive of the beaches in my suburb on the East coast of South Africa, with the Indian Ocean being home to the Bottlenose Dolphin, I had honestly never given a second-thought to how these mammals could have been captured in order to provide a few hours’ entertainment to scores of human beings. Sara Foster, through writing this novel, has provided me with some insight into the cruelty behind the capturing of these very intelligent, gentle and sensitive creatures and prompted me to do my own research into the cruel practice that is Taiji.

Thankfully, the theme parks which I have had the pleasure of visiting, both here in Australia and in South Africa, adhere to strict Codes of Ethics and in no way support the Taiji fisherman nor any other program where gross abuse of animals for human gain is promoted. I was pleased to learn that uShaka Marine World (in South Africa) belongs to the Pan-African Association of Zoological Gardens, Aquaria and Botanic Gardens (PAAZAB) with Perth Zoo being a PAAZAB Member Sponsor to Munda Wanga Environmental Park, Zambia. PAAZAB is the only African regional zoo association recognised by the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA).

Inspired by her own amazing encounters during her many travels around the world, as well as a 2009 documentary film entitled The Cove which analyses and questions the dolphin hunting culture in Japan, Sara has created a fabulous novel of suspense with substantial research and, in blending fact with fiction, has indeed created a complex plot and characters with extremely strong voices capable of leading us to ask the question - how far would we go in order to stand up and fight for what we believe in?

Compelling, emotional and graphic, each character has their own story to share, seamlessly combining to create an authentic plot that will make you question the true meaning of freedom and hopefully inspire you to stand up and allow your voice to be heard.

A Little Extra Info

In doing my own research on the Taiji Dolphins after reading this novel, I came across an Infographic which can be imbedded on your website. And, whilst you may think this is a very minor thing which could possibly never muster the impact and change we wish to see, in the spirit of Mother Teresa, bear in mind that “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples”

Should you be interested, please don’t hesitate to visit http://www.takepart.com/cove, copy the code and do your bit, however small, towards conservation – I have!

For further information on The Cove’s Ric O’Barry and his fight to save the Taiji Dolphins, please visit http://savejapandolphins.org

[Lara Cain Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shallow Breath is the hotly anticipated new novel by Western Australian suspense writer Sara Foster. It is a gripping tale of love and loss in the context of environmentalism. It is said to be Foster’s ‘love letter to the ocean’ highlighting animal cruelty in Australia and around the world and the extreme measures conservationists are prepared to go to help prevent those atrocities. Foster forces the reader to question the perceived superiority of the human race; to decide who, in our world, are the real ‘animals’. Water, as depicted on the cover, makes a powerful symbol, and it is used to great effect throughout the novel to emphasise the human experiences of emotional depth, peacefulness, suffocation and fear.

Shallow Breath is not for the faint hearted, especially if you are an animal lover, but the conservation subplot is original and informative without being overly didactic. Foster drew inspiration from the infamous documentary about Japanese dolphin hunting, The Cove, and went on to travel widely and thoroughly research the animal welfare issues at stake in this book. The graphic and troubling incidents range from plight of the Sumatran Orang-utans to African elephants, right through to kangaroos on our own doorstep. It is uncomfortable reading, but these are stories that must be told. There are author’s notes, acknowledgements and suggested reading group questions at the end of this book to stimulate discussion on these matters. I note that a percentage of royalties is going to animal charities, too.

But Shallow Breath is by no means a dry lecture on animal rights. The opening pages offer one of the most gripping introductions I’ve read in some time. The protagonist is deep sea diving and her tank is caught on a thick piece of netting. She has five minutes of air left. If she cuts herself free from the equipment, will she be able to push herself to the surface and breathe? Or will one of the ocean’s other inhabitants intercept her on the way? From this tantalising starter, the novel continues apace with smart, evocative writing. I caught myself reading and re-reading phrases admiring how cleverly they revealed details of the characters’ lives without spoon feeding the reader. This is the first of Foster’s novels I’ve read, but I’ll be seeking out more of them simply to watch the evolution of her writing style.

The initial intensity of Shallow Breath soon gives way to a more tidal pattern; it ebbs and flows between different narrative voices, the past and the present. Fresh out of prison, Desi Priest returns to her home in coastal WA to begin reconnecting with her family and friends. Each of the key players in her life – daughter Maya, brother Jackson, father Charlie and best friend Rebecca – has a different way of responding to her crime and to her potential reintegration into their lives. Her long term friend, Pete, is trying to protect her from some harsh truths; while Jackson is falling for the charismatic Kate – the niece of Connor, Maya’s deceased father. Each has their share of secrets as well as their particular passions. Needless to say, the steady unveiling of all that lies below the surface is suspenseful, complicated and deeply mired in oceanic metaphors. Foster shows us how closely related we are to the animal world by placing her characters in the same predicaments as hunted animals – suddenly separated from their parents, for example, or fearfully trapped underwater. The feeling of suffocation was palpable through the novel, whether it be from immersion or from the unspoken words seemingly stuck in people’s throats.

Foster is a gifted writer who has much to teach us in amongst this intriguing family saga.

This review can also be viewed at http://thischarmingmum.com

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Desi was on her way home with Pete, from the prison where she had spent the last almost two years of her life. The mistake she made devastated her family, her impressionable teen daughter Maya, her brother Jackson and her surly father…along with her dearest friend Rebecca and her family. She needed to make amends to Maya, but she wasn’t sure where to start.

When Desi was young, a teenager herself, her love and passion for the ocean and all creatures within it, came into being. She especially loved the dolphins and found she had an affinity to them. The marine park in the small town in Western Australia became her second home, while she worked with the beautiful creatures. This love also led to her meeting up with Connor, their exciting work at Monkey Mia together, and where she met Pete first. But when tragedy struck, Desi was left lost and broken…adrift. …

With Desi having trouble re-connecting with Maya, who was angry with her mother, and in no mood to forgive her, and the appearance of a total stranger, who seemed to know a lot about the family..to Jackson’s unexpected feelings for this stranger, plus his guilt and problem with his drinking, the action was full on.

But I struggled to connect to some of the characters in this novel. There were quite a number to keep track of and the story jumped from one person to another, with the past and the present going back and forth. The connections seemed confusing at times but everyone came together in the end, so even though I enjoyed it, I was a little disappointed.

[Tanya Boulter · Rating 3 out of 5]

not sure about this one, read it quickly to find out what all the secrets were about.
mainly about animal conservation
written in jodi piccoult style, set in western australia

[Jen]

Warning: this book details animal cruelty and references domestic and family violence.

[Monique Fischle · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the press release:

Two years ago, Desi Priest made a horrific mistake and destroyed her family.

Now, she is coming home to make amends: to her daughter, Maya, who’s nurturing her own dangerous plans; to her brother, Jackson, who blames himself; and to her close friend, Pete, who has spent years shielding her from a devastating truth.

But as Desi returns to her beloved house by the ocean, there is a stranger waiting for her. Someone who needs her help. Someone whose arrival will reveal a chain of secrets hidden for over twenty years.

And one by one the family will be forced to confront the possibility that they have somehow got things terribly, tragically wrong…

This book sounded intriguing. When there is a secret that you can only find out by reading, I’m hooked from page one. This is exactly what happened with Shallow Breath, Australian author Sara Foster’s third novel.

Desi has just been released from prison after being in there for 15 months. Her daughter, Maya, isn’t excited about her mother returning home as she is still angry with her. Maya is currently living at the caravan park run by her grandfather Charlie. They aren’t close but it provides Maya with a somewhat stable environment. She is checked up on by her uncle, Jackson and her mum’s best friend/the only father figure she has ever known, Pete. There is still tension between Maya and Desi because she no longer feels welcome at the home of Rebecca, Desi’s childhood friend.

And that’s just the beginning.

To complicate matters further, there is someone waiting for Desi upon her return. Kate, the niece of Connor, Maya’s father, wants to talk to the woman her Uncle loved and to ask for her help. Covered in secrecy, Kate keeps her intentions to herself, not even telling Jackson who she develops a relationship with. She wants to ask Desi because she knows that she won’t refuse, but she’s asking for a lot.

Secondary to the people in the story, the undercurrent of Shallow Breath are all the animals. The characters are passionate about the conservation of dolphins, kangaroos, orang-utans and elephants. Desi has spent most of her adult life swimming with dolphins and studying their communication patterns with Connor and on occasion, Pete. Pete is passionate about the conversation of the dying breed of orang-utan. Elizabeth spent years in Africa protecting elephants from poachers. Maya has recently been helping a local boy, Luke, rescue kangaroos and their joeys after his stepbrother and his friends torture them.

Kate also has a passion to help dolphins which is where Desi’s help can be required.

You know from the beginning that Desi has (obviously) done something to wind up in prison and that what she did has affected the lives of many. This secret is slowly unraveled throughout the book, enough to keep you guessing and to satisfy your curiosity.

Separated into five different parts, written in third person from the perspective of eight different characters and taking place across five continents Shallow Breath was, pun intended, a breath of fresh air. It was written in such a way that I wanted to keep reading because there was always something to find out. There was a steady stream of suspense and the short chapters made it incredibly easy to read. At times I was uncomfortable with the mentions of animal cruelty, but I am the person who cries more when an animal dies in a film than when a person dies (usually). But I think Sara was incredibly smart to write about it, this is why:

What impact are you hoping the book with have on animal conservation in Australia and internationally?

My main hope is to get people talking. I would love to engage some of the people who look away from conservation issues because they are too distressing. I often hear the words,
‘I don’t want to think about that, or watch that, because it’s too depressing.’ And I think these are probably the people who would shout the loudest if they listened and witnessed some of these issues and realised that we can get behind all sorts of fantastic conservation groups and support them to make a difference. And that it’s imperative we do so quickly, because the world is changing at an unprecedented rate.

Even if it makes you uncomfortable and upsets you, read Shallow Breath, become aware of the reality of animal cruelty so that you can make a difference. The characters, the settings and the circumstances are enough to keep you interested. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and I’m keen to read Sara’s other books now.

Full review: http://moniquefischle.wordpress.com/2...

[Eliza · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shallow Breath was an enjoyable book. Although the plot and the characters were interesting, I felt like there wasn't enough development regarding Desi's psychology and overcoming either her guilt or trauma caused by her past. I was also surprised to see the whole book was based around animal conservation - not that I minded, but it totally wasn't what I expected.

Basically in the story we find Desi, a mother, widow and dolphin-lover, out of prison, determined to make amends to her friend and rebuild a relationship with her daughter. Even though she made a mistake which "destroyed her family", and spent two years in prison for it, it didn't seem Desi was particularly troubled psychologically: she returns to her town, her home, and sets out to find forgiveness in those she hurt, as if the last two years did not have much impact on her psychology. She does not haunted or broken from what she did or her years in prison. I would have liked more focus on what was in her psychology at the present time, but all we get are flashbacks to what led her to be in prison. In the one hand, Desi' character could be interpreted as determined and strong, but to me it actually was more unrealistic.

I also found the book contained too much animal-related stuff. Every single character was passionate about saving animals (although which animal they loved the most differed between characters). Desi loves dolphins, Pete loves orang-utans, Jackson loves sharks, Elizabeth loves elephants ... There just seemed to be so much focus on the animals! And sure - animal conservation is important, but I think there was too much of that in the book - like it was out of balance. Although it was nice that the author had done research about animal conservation, I was a bit surprised when one of the characters listed out facts in their dialogue; I for sure would not be able to remember how many elephants die every year or how many are left in the world!

The characters were all related to one another in some way, which on one hand meant the characters formed a tight-knit group, but sometimes I had to think hard to remember how they were all related. Kate is Maya's cousin, Elizabeth's and Connor's daughter, Jackson's crush ... the relationships could get a bit confusing and it was hard not to get lost!

Apart from that, the book moved at a fairly good pace and the numerous flashbacks gave a comprehensive construction to each of the character's personalities and situations. It was quite well written but I thought there was often too much telling and not enough showing.

Overall I was a little disappointed by the lack of psychological insight into Desi. The majority of the plot was centered on animal conservation, which for animal lovers must be exciting and interesting, but for people like me, who do not feel as much passion for this issue as the characters, it can be a little of drag.

[Jacki (Julia Flyte) · Rating 3 out of 5]

When the book opens, Desi has just been released from prison and is returning to the small Western Australian town where she has lived her entire life. Desi's passion is the sea and particularly dolphins - a passion that she shared with Connor, the father of her now grown up daughter Maya. The book encompasses a large group of inter-related characters, all of whom seem to be harbouring some secret and all of whom share a deep love of wildlife, whether it's dolphins, whale sharks, elephants or orang-utans.

It took me a while to get into this book. It jumps around from one person to another and I was having problems sorting out who they all were and how they connected to one another. I also realised that while I love animals, I don't have the same passion for them that the author clearly does, and I got a little tired sometimes of being told repeatedly about the terrible things that are happening to animals around the world.

Its one of those books with multiple strands that don't all come together until the ending. It held my attention and I enjoyed it, but only moderately.

[Diane Luzar · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sorry, but I did not enjoy this book. The book description of the story mentioned nothing at all about wild life and saving them. As much as I love animals it's not my favorite genre to read in a fictional novel. I found it very hard to read since there were so many characters and every time a new name popped up I just thought, "oh no, another I have to try and remember". I got lost so many times I would have to go back and read over again what I had read the previous day. Too much jumping around, not only to different characters but back and forth in time. I don't mind the latter but in this book it was very hard to follow. I loved "Beneath the Shadow" so thought I would enjoy another Sara Foster novel. It definitely wasn't a story I looked forward to picking up to weed through.

[Natasha Lester · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought Sara's passion for conservation shone through in this book - I love to learn things when I'm reading a novel and I learned a lot about what happens to our animals in this story. The research that Sara must have had to wade through to write this book would be astounding, but the story never feels weighed down by detail. It all fits seamlessly into the plot, which is gripping. I was completely absorbed by Shallow Breath, its characters, the story and the setting.

[Gisela · Rating 1 out of 5]

A noble cause but a painful read. Slow building, lots of bouncing around, characters are poorly developed and strung together. I was surprised to see this book described as a psychological thriller. No thrills. I struggled to pick the book back up after putting it down, which is why it took me sooo long to read. I think this story could have been told more effectively in non-fiction. I'm happy it's over and that I can now move to a more engaging book.

[Tracey · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got bored. None of the characters spoke to me.

[Lynne Harwood · Rating 1 out of 5]

when I got to the part about the boys playing "football"with a baby kangaroo (joey) I stopped reading - wanted no part of it

[Rebekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living in West Australia where much of this story is set, I know the references throughout and visited the place I think Sarah created Lovelock Bay from. I left the same spot with the beginnings of a story, a very different story, blossoming in my mind. I went to Atlantis in my teen years and have avoided marine parks ever since. Feeling it was wrong to train these beauties to beg and dance for our entertainment.
I would love to see where the characters finish up…. But perhaps a few more paragraphs would have been forcing a neat and tidy ending, “just to entertain me.” Instead I am left to ponder potential endings that would have made this a much longer book.

An intense story with several themes relating to animal cruelty and conservation and about the full spectrum of human nature, from the arrogant and ignorant to the educated and selfless.

I’ll be sharing this book title around as I merely stumbled across it after reading The Hush. It should be promoted widely amongst West Australians and further afield. One of the best reads I’ve had for quite some time.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed Shallow Breath.
A heart breaking story of love, loss and family secrets.
As a born and bred Western Australian, it was fabulous to read about places that I have heard about, places I have been, and situations that I remember hearing about in local news reports.
Sara has done a wonderful job of taking the reader into the lives of the various characters, with each chapter devoted to one character. This enables you to slowly get to know each character, at the same time learning a little more of the story and the individual characters' piece of the final puzzle.
The final chapters unfold seamlessly, leading the reader deeper into what, for me, was a completely unexpected ending. I found myself reaching conclusions as to the final reveal, which was nowhere near the actual ending. I was, instead, led down a completely different path, which was by no means pleasant but sadly made sense for each character.

[Junipa · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this book at all. It took me weeks to finish and the only reason I ended getting stuck into it was that my borrowing period from the library was coming to an end.

The main thing I disliked about the book was that every chapter was told from the point of view of a different character. It made for a very disjointed book with no clear thread tying it all together. The fact that many of the chapters were also set at different periods in the past 20 or 30 years just irritated me more.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Sara Foster's writing and it was only simply by chance that I stumbled across her work as I'd gone to an author night at my local library for another author and picked up some of Sara's books as she was the other guests speaker. Years later and I still hunt out her books and have loved every single one. I'm usually a fantasy reader, but give me a Sara Foster book any day!
There's something special about reading a book which is set in your home city/state. Reading about places you've been to brings a whole new experience to transporting you into the book.

[Margot Hypnos · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like if you remember Atlantis near Yancep, Western Australia.

A good book. It's nice to read a book set in your own home town of Perth Western Australia. 99.9% of books I pick up are always set in the US, with an occasional UK book. It actually brought back good memories from my childhood.

If you like reading about endangered species this is a good book that merges non-fiction with fiction.
I think I will try to read more of Sara Foster's books/

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a powerful book! I was unable to put it down, and found myself flipping forward occasionally to cheat, to see whether this ends well. I won't say whether it did or not. This is a MUST READ, with a very important message included in a great story full of great characters.

[Julie Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very real story relating to the cruelty of animals and the wonderful strength of everyday people making a change in this terrible on going system of destruction. Sara you wrote a great story and so close to home!

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes me want to do more to protect wildlife, and also makes me want to visit Australia. The characters were very likeable, and I was invested in their stories from page 1. Not a very complex read, but highly enjoyable.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the story but found the ending a bit abrupt and hard to follow....left everything open....but great characters

[Kerri Jones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this novel and it definitely got more interesting toward the end but the premise was the rescue and conservation of endangered animals and the whole story had that agenda.