Breathing Under Water

by Jacqueline Friedland

"Breathing under Water combines the intrigue of Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies, the pacing of Lisa Jewell’s The Family Upstairs, and the glimpse inside the elite athletic world of Alena Dillon’s The Happiest Girl in the World.” —STARRED BOOKLIST REVIEW

"A touching novel about unexpected connections and found family. Leo’s growth and change are paramount, and he feels like a real person, not a token.” —Kirkus Reviews

A Zibby Owens Most Anticipated Book of Summer 2026

The current is threatening to pull them under.

Berry thought she had it figured out—juggling her vice principal role while raising her sixteen-year-old autistic son, Leo. But when a promotion opportunity collides with her family's deepest needs, she must confront whether she's been fighting the wrong battles all along.

McKenna is drowning. Between caring for her grandmother with dementia, losing her swimming scholarship, and facing homelessness, the college student's carefully constructed world is crumbling. Her only lifeline? Teaching swim lessons to children with autism—including Leo.

As these two women's paths converge in the most unexpected way, they discover that sometimes the people who need saving the most are the ones who end up saving you.

Genres: Fiction, Literary Fiction, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Summer, Contemporary

384 pages, Paperback

Expected publication August 4, 2026

About the author

Jacqueline Friedland is the author of award-winning novels Trouble the Water and He Gets That From Me. A graduate of The University of Pennsylvania and NYU Law School, she practiced as an attorney before returning to school to receive her MFA from Sarah Lawrence College. She lives in New York with her husband and four children. For contact info, tour dates, and book clubs please visit www.jacquelinefriedland.com and Instagram @jackiefriedland

Her new novel, Counting Backwards, will be out on March 11, 2025.

Reviews

[Liana Gold · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5!
Sometimes the people who need saving the most are the ones who end up saving you.

.. and the most quiet, autistic child becomes the hero of the story.

FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW.




Two women, two different paths that converge, one unexpected connection. This is a touching novel about how life sometimes pulls us under but we might be saved by people who enter our lives unexpectedly.

Bonus points because it talks lovingly about autistic children!






Many thanks to NetGalley, Harper Muse and the author, Jacqueline Friedland for one early ARC.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for an early ALC!

Narrator: Cassandra Campbell, Annalee Scott
Duration: 10 hours 5 minutes
Speed: 1.75x



Publication date: August 4, 2026

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

A big thank you to Harper Muse for the chance to read an advance copy of Breathing Under Water by Jacqueline Friedland! I think this will be among my top reads of 2026.

The story is told by two women, Berry and McKenna, both of whom are facing challenges in their lives, and I fell in love with both of them. Among the main themes are autism, the pressure on elite student athletes, housing and food insecurity among college students, dementia, marriage and communication, and more. All this with an engaging story.

We meet two families living on current day Long Island, New York. One is the Becker family, and Berry is the mother. She is an assistant principal at a private elementary school and her major focus outside of her job is her 16-year-old younger son Leo, who is autistic. McKenna is a local college student who is a star swimmer at the nearby college. McKenna is under a lot of stress from the requirements of her scholarship along with the substantial work for her intended nursing degree, piled on top of all the hours she spends training in and out of the pool. On top of all that, she lives alone with her beloved grandmother, who is showing signs of dementia. Whew!

How these two come together because of Leo is the heart of the story. Leo needs better social skills. McKenna needs money and her scholarship requires community service. While working at a country club over the summer, she starts a swim class for autistic children. Leo is suggested as an assistant to her. During one of the classes, an event happens that derails both McKenna and Leo. And then something awful happens (no spoilers!) that truly derails McKenna’s life.

I loved how McKenna quickly figured out how to best communicate with Leo, without overwhelming him (with too much direct eye contact, for example). Their relationship was a highlight of the book for me.

The book gradually became a real page-turner for me, not in the thriller sense of page-turner, but I really, really wanted to see how things were going to turn out for everyone!

There's a smidge of Jewish representation here, not a main theme. It was just "matter of fact", which was nice, like the mentioning of having needed a special tutor for Leo's Bar Mitzvah.

There's a lot to discuss here, so this would make a great book club book. Don’t miss the author’s note at the end.

[Sarah Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to first thank NetGalley and the author for gifting me this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Such an amazing, hopeful, heartfelt, inspiring story! I didn’t know what to expect from this story. There was some heartbreaking moments, I shedded some tears, some happy and some sad! This is a story about caregiving, autism, independence, identity, and an unexpected connection. The story follows the life of a vice principal who is juggling her career and the needs of her autistic son and the life of a NCAA swimmer on a scholarship with a grandmother who has Alzheimer’s and who lost her mother from cancer at a young age. She loses it all due to false accusations, and endures financial instability. Their lives intersect through Leo’s swim lessons and they form an unlikely bond that reshapes him, his mother, and McKenna. The dual structure allows you to see both their stories side by side and gives the story emotional depth. The resilience all the characters possess is remarkable. This is a very heartwarming story and even the backstory on the author is remarkable. Definitely recommend! Perfect read for my current mentality!

[Abby | Life-Giving Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Berry, a high school vice-principal and mother to a sixteen-year-old autistic son, Leo, is barely keeping her head above water. She is finally up for a promotion at work, but her marriage is struggling, and she and her husband disagree about the best way to help Leo.

McKenna, a college athlete, is also drowning in the responsibilities she is facing. Between caring for her grandmother diagnosed with dementia, meeting the requirements to keep her swimming scholarship, and working full-time, she feels as though she's barely surviving. Her only glimmer of hope is her job teaching swim lessons to kids with autism, including Leo.

This was such a refreshing read! I especially loved the unlikely friendship between Leo and McKenna. I enjoyed reading about the way McKenna learned how to better communicate with Leo, but I equally loved the care he had for her in return. In fact, while the story is centered around the two women, Berry and McKenna, I would have loved to read more about Leo or even have had a few chapters from his perspective. He was the star of the show for me, and I found myself wanting more of his character.

While I appreciated that this was a quick read, I did feel like the pacing was a little too fast in a few sections. In particular, the tension between Berry and her husband was palpable throughout the first 70% of the book, then it was resolved in a page or two. I would have liked to see that unpacked a bit more thoroughly. The wrongful accusation of McKenna and the resulting consequences also felt a bit rushed and unrealistic when there was no proof of her committing the crime.

All in all, I found this to be a wonderful story of found family and unlikely friendship. I would definitely recommend.

The Life-Giving Factor: This story reminded me that we are all made in the image of God. Those who are different from us or those we struggle to understand are worthy of respect and love, because they are image-bearers and therefore have deep value.

Content Considerations:
-Moderate use of strong language
-Descriptions of dementia

[Holly Dalbec · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.25⭐️ rounded all the way up. I loved the relatability, the rawness, and the uncomfortable flaws in the pursuit of trying our best.

I almost DNF’d when it felt too painfully familiar, specifically receiving a call from school for yet another ‘something happened’ talk. My anxiety spiked as my memories came flooding over me. Back to when I felt like we were drowning in what can we do scenarios, aka Breathing Under Water.

I’m so glad I stuck this one out, a painful yet powerful experience.

I’m torn on how to recommend this one. Read this if you are a parent. Read this if you feel like your wheels are spinning. Read this is you constantly look through a lens of risks and rewards. Read this if you can’t relate but seek to understand.

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breathing Under Water by Jacqueline Friedland. This one sounded like something I would enjoy. Thought provoking, kindness, friendship and struggle. I am a big believer in treating everyone with kindness no matter the situation. As well as understanding people where they are. Friedland did a fantastic job in creating McKenna, a girl who has her own life struggles when she befriends a boy with autism and the friendship along with trust that is easily built between them. The other story lines and characters such as the boy Leo's family flowed right along with the friendship growing because it was so real. I have seen things like this first hand where lives are changed because someone takes the time. The authors note at the end allowed me to see that she also has seen a lot of difference made from people understanding one another and letting others into their lives.
The story was great and I really enjoyed this book.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Susan's Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novel gives a reader the birds eye view of many socially relevant topics: autism and how schools and society view and treat people with special needs; scholarship demands and the unrealistic expectations put on the time of the scholarship recipients, especially in the sports field; student homelessness and the lack of support for seniors suffering from demential.





Like reviewer, Ches I, I was irritated by Leo's lack of a personal say or "voice" in his own narrative. His point of view is strangely missing from this story. But despite this over-sight, McKenna's homelessness and the loss of her scholarship was a devastating blow and kept me glued to the page.

I felt that McKenna's back to back disasterous temper tantrums were a tad contrived: McKenna seemed capable of infinite patience when she dealt with her special needs swimming students, but she blows her emotional gasket not once, but TWICE - resulting in the loss of her scholarship and her student housing. I began to wonder what kind of nurse McKenna would be if she was incapable of controling her temper during emotionally fraught moments. (McKenna also went from "zero to Insta-expert" - rather too quickly - regarding her ability to communicate with Leo and other autistic children.)



It was interesting to see how Leo went from a coddled child genius to the hero of this story, somehow navigating complex train and bus transfers - all to help his friend and mentor, McKenna. And, now that we are on the subject of strange or unexpected "doings" - how did Leo manage to get up the nerve to make that veledictorian speech? He runs away from a girl asking him to be her date, but somehow he was able to face an entire auditorium AND give a long spech. I'm still puzzling over Leo's mastery of bus and train schedules, not to mention his being able to even hear himself thinking, over all the noise and bustle of all those unfamiliar bus depots and train stations. The sheer volume of noise alone must have been triggering for young Leo.



Berry and McKenna started sharing personality traits: both could be insistent and a tad annoying. Berry was a veritable sledgehammer whenever it came to her personal views on Leo's needs and how to meet them. Leo's personal input was always missing from Berry's grand schemes for her special needs son.

(By the way, Grandmother Glory's reverse mortgage had me seeing red. So few people understand the legalities and actual consequences of this type of loan. Interest compounds on itself until all of the equity in a home is completely gone and the borrower's heirs receive little or nothing at all once the property is sold and the loan is repaid. This was only lightly touched upon in this novel.)



As for McKenna, her character almost faded right out of the picture once she received the paltry offer a free housing in return for mentoring the other resident students. (McKenna should have lawyered up. She deserved all kinds of financial compensation, as well as a published written apology. ) I felt that this settlement meeting was botched: the school administrators should have offered to pay her legal fees for separate legal representation. They compounded their wrongdoing and the egregious conflict of interest by taking advantage of McKenna's poverty and her ignorance of her rights. I was livid, but maybe McKenna's character had stopped believing or hoping for any justice for herself.



McKenna was thrown under the Blame Bus and the author heaped injustice upon injustce on the poor girl. I am not fond of the "pity me" game, which is why I wished that the author had used her legal degree and had her client lawyer -up and wipe the floor with that sorry lot of college administrators.

As for Phil's financial woes: I saw that plot twist coming right from the very start.



I did enjoy Leo's journey and McKenna's liberation from her demanding sports scholarship, but I was totally "thumbs down" regarding any revival of a relationship between McKenna and Harrison. (Game over for THAT rat deserting the sinking ship!)

I'm rating this engaging story a 3.4 out of 5 stars. The writing was decent, the subject matter was socially relevant, and the characters' various crises kept me turning the pages to the very end.

My thanks to the author, her publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

[Sarah Hyatt · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I never read another book where a disabled person is used as a plot device, it will be too soon.

The premise caught my attention -- I would love and deeply relate to a book about juggling motherhood and professional advancement, particularly when raising a disabled child. It also caught my attention because I was (rightfully) wary, but it's 2026! Maybe there will be some pleasant surprises. (There were not).

What I can say for this book is that writing-wise, it's readable. The actual reading part of this book was enjoyable.

The content, on the other hand... whewwww, what a mess.

The book begins with the perspective of Berry, a mom of two teens, Harrison and Leo. Leo is autistic and in 10th grade. Within the first chapter we get references to the difficulty posed by "Leo's neurodiversity" (that's not even how that word works! One person does not contain diversity), his "special needs", his "struggles with autism" (girl, who is struggling? Some of us are very good at it).

We don't see any real good side of Leo. We don't really see Leo at all. Leo has a meltdown over a CPR class, one that the nurse isn't "trained to handle" -- y'all. I am WEARY. I am SO TIRED. This is a human child. With respect to the fact that some people, some school staff, definitely escalate situations with kids (both disabled and nondisabled, both autistic and not autistic) all day long, there is no magical, special training that a person needs in order to interact with, console, or be a supportive presence to an autistic human. That's a human being. I am so unbelievably tired of the discussion of training, as if a human teenage boy were a complex object that requires a specialized degree, and not a literal human child.

The other teen, Harrison, is described by Berry as having borne the burden of being a brother to Leo. They've asked too much of him. He needs to be free. Dude. That's his literal brother. Harrison, it seems, is also objectified, forced to play the imaginary role of neglected "glass child" to his sibling's disability. Harrison gets no agency either. But to Harrison's credit, he's not the one that the narrator talks about as if he's only a burden and "no one could understand what it's like."

This book is not doing anything beneficial. As a family for whom autism is an integral, important, and overall highly positive part of our identity, nothing could be further from our experience. The author's viewpoints seem unfortunately limited to outdated martyr narratives from self-proclaimed "Autism Moms", with a few updated buzzwords thrown in (albeit incorrectly).

The market is already saturated with this tragic narrative already. We certainly don't need more. There are too many decent books by autistic authors that provide better insight and a more accurate perspective on autism and disability.

This is definitely one to skip.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC. All opinions in this review are (quite clearly) my own.

[Caz (Underlined) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ Breathing Underwater by Jacqueline Friedland is a moving and deeply compassionate contemporary fiction novel that asks what it truly means to be understood, while exploring autism, family, acceptance, and finding your place in the world.

The story follows Leo, a young autistic man who has always found life challenging. He has very few friends, just one to be exact, and often feels isolated and misunderstood. Things begin to change when he is offered a job as an assistant to McKenna, a talented swimmer, helping with a small group of children with additional needs during their swimming sessions.

During one session, McKenna suddenly changes the plans, and everything quickly becomes overwhelming. Children are screaming, whistles are blowing, and chaos unfolds. After a complaint is made, the swimming sessions are permanently cancelled. This moment really highlights how important routine, patience, and understanding are, especially for children who need that extra support.

What stood out to me most was how honestly Jacqueline Friedland showed the everyday struggles that autistic people and their families face. The judgement, the worries, the isolation, and the constant challenges are all portrayed with such care. We also get to see things from Leo’s perspective and understand how difficult it can be feeling like you don’t quite belong or that people don’t understand you.

I especially loved seeing Leo’s passion for planes. When he talks about them, you can feel his excitement and how much knowledge he has. He could tell you every detail inside and out, and I loved how the story showed that his autism wasn’t just about the challenges he faced, but also about the amazing things that made him who he was.

The book also beautifully shows the love and patience within families, including what siblings go through when their brother or sister’s needs sometimes have to come first. Watching Leo grow, gain confidence, and become more independent was one of my favourite parts of the story. Jacqueline Friedland also included dementia within the storyline, which was handled with the same sensitivity and understanding.

Jacqueline Friedland has written this story with so much warmth and empathy. She tackles difficult subjects honestly but with kindness, allowing you to really connect with the characters and understand their experiences. This is a story that encourages compassion and reminds us to look beyond what we see on the surface.

I listened to the audiobook and also had the eBook, and both formats worked beautifully together. The audiobook was narrated by Michael Crouch, Saskia Maarleveld, and Caroline Hewitt, who all brought the characters to life with wonderful emotion and warmth. Their narration made it easy to become fully immersed in Leo’s story.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Muse, and Jacqueline Friedland for providing me with both the ALC and ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Publishing date: August 4th, 2027.

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨💧𝙱𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚄𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚆𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛 by 𝙹𝚊𝚌𝚚𝚞𝚎𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚍𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚍 | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ (4.5/5) | Gifted ARC 💧✨
📚 Genre: Literary Fiction | Autistic Spectrum Disorder | Contemporary | Summer
🗓️ Expected Publication: 𝑨𝒖𝒈𝒖𝒔𝒕 4, 2026

Some books ease you in. This one pulls you under from the very first chapter and doesn't let you resurface until the last page — and I mean that in the best possible way.

Told through the alternating perspectives of two women who could not be more different on paper, Breathing Under Water is a story about what happens when two people who are each barely keeping their heads above water find, almost by accident, a reason to swim toward each other instead of away.

Berry is a vice principal balancing a career she's worked hard for, a marriage that's quietly fraying at the seams, and raising her sixteen-year-old autistic son, Leo, in a world that doesn't always make room for him. McKenna is a college swimmer whose scholarship, her only lifeline, is hanging by a thread while she cares for her grandmother's advancing dementia and tries to hold together a life that keeps slipping through her fingers.

What made this book truly shine for me was the crossover between Berry and McKenna. Their worlds collide because of Leo, when McKenna begins teaching swim lessons to children on the spectrum and Leo is brought in to assist her. What starts as a practical arrangement becomes the emotional center of the entire novel. Watching McKenna learn to meet Leo where he is, without trying to fix or minimize him, while Berry slowly learns to loosen her grip and trust her son's growing independence, gave the book a layered, generous heart. These two women needed each other long before they realized it, and Friedland lets that realization unfold naturally instead of rushing it.

Leo himself is the soul of the story. He's written with so much specificity and care that he never once feels like a plot device or a lesson for the reader to learn. He feels like a real sixteen-year-old boy, full of contradictions and quiet strength, and his growth over the course of the book is genuinely moving to witness.

Friedland doesn't shy away from heavy themes: caregiving, dementia, financial insecurity, the pressure placed on young athletes, and the exhausting, invisible labor of parenting a child the world often misunderstands. But the book never feels like a checklist of issues. It feels like life, messy and overlapping, the way real hardships tend to stack on top of each other.

This is a story about resilience, about the unexpected people who end up saving us, and about learning that needing help doesn't make you weak. It's the kind of summer read that sneaks up on your heart. Highly recommend for fans of found-family stories with real emotional weight.

Thank you to the publisher for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

[Ches (Ches Is Hyperfixating) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Breathing Under Water gave me one of the most complicated reading experiences I’ve had in a while.

Like Leo, I am diagnosed autism. Like Leo’s mum, I have an autistic son. This should mean I relate to both characters, but I found myself almost exclusively relating to Leo and found the mother’s POV to be frustrating to read.

Although Leo is central to the plot, we never get his POV. Instead, we see him through the eyes of his mother and his swimming instructor. Both care about him, but they frequently interpret his behaviour, assume limitations, or underestimate what he understands - especially his mum.

One of the most interesting and frustrating aspects of the novel was that I often felt I understood Leo’s motivations long before the adults around him did. Moments that were framed as social deficits frequently felt, to me, like reasonable responses to past experiences and simple differences in communication style.

At times Leo’s family would even give him implicit instructions and then act as though he had done something wrong when he followed them. For example, this phone call:

Mother: “We can hang up now.”
Leo: “okay” hangs up
Mother: We need more work on phone etiquette.

…Huh? You literally told him to hang up!

Leo’s mother also frequently assumes his communication difficulties are a major barrier to relationships. This is very ironic since her and her husband suck at communicating, despite both being neurotypical. She lies next to the man she’s married to, failing to communicate her needs clearly enough for him to understand thereby causing a rift in their relationship. Meanwhile he fails to communicate his problems to her thereby causing a rift in their relationship. Neither ever realises how much they could learn by watching how clearly and directly their son communicates.

Thankfully Leo’s family begins to recognise how capable he really is, but it takes the entire book to get there. In many ways, the story is about them learning to see him more clearly, which is actually quite beautiful. My difficulty was that, as a reader, I had already reached that conclusion much earlier, and spent much of the book waiting for the characters to catch up.

I appreciate that this book doesn’t view autism as something needing to be fixed and that Leo is instrumental in helping those around him. However, I couldn’t help wishing Leo had been given a voice of his own. I suspect that hearing his thoughts directly would have transformed my experience of the book.

Ultimately, this was a compassionate and clearly well-intentioned book with some touching moments, but I also found it frustrating at times.


Thank you so much to the author, the publisher and to Netgalley for the eARC.

[Kayla Kopke · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an easy read, though it starts off a bit slow as it takes time setting up the characters and their situations. The writing style felt somewhat juvenile at times, both in the narration and in the dialogue. There’s a noticeable amount of slang and swearing, some of which felt unnecessary or distracting.

The story follows McKenna, a talented swimmer from a difficult background, attending school on scholarship after losing her mother, never knowing her father, and caring for her Grandma who is navigating dementia. We also follow Berry, an assistant principal balancing her career ambitions, a struggling marriage, and raising two boys, one of whom, Leo, is on the autism spectrum.

The first half didn’t fully grab me, but the second half was a completely different experience—it was emotional, engaging, and genuinely moving. McKenna’s life begins to unravel in heartbreaking ways, and watching her world fall apart was difficult, especially because she is so undeserving of it.

One of the strongest elements of the book is its portrayal of autism. Leo’s character is handled with care and authenticity, and his relationship with McKenna is a highlight of the story. Their connection develops through a swim program for children with autism, where Leo becomes her assistant. Although the program itself faces setbacks, the bond they form is meaningful and well-developed. The book also does an excellent job showing the challenges faced not just by children with autism, but by their parents—especially the tension between wanting to protect your child and preparing them for independence.

Berry’s storyline adds another layer, particularly as she navigates fears about her husband’s behavior, and as her and her husband have many disagreements about the best way to prepare Leo for his future.

Overall, while the tone and writing style may feel a bit young at times, the emotional depth of the second half more than makes up for it. This is ultimately a touching story about resilience, connection, and overcoming obstacles. Several moments brought me to tears, and the relationships, especially between McKenna and Leo, felt authentic and heartfelt. It’s a beautiful and empathetic look at challenges that many families face, and it’s clear the author writes from a place of personal understanding.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a beautiful story with a little bit of everything sprinkled in. A book about two women, each facing challenges, connected by one special boy.

Berry is a working mother with the opportunity for a huge promotion at work and at home, a husband who has been acting strangely and seems to be keeping something from her. While juggling this she is also very active in caring for her autistic youngest son, Theo. A very protective mother, Theo is now at an age where, just like any teenager, it is time to give him a little more freedom, and she is struggling with that.

McKenna is attending college on a swimming scholarship as well as caring for her grandmother who has been diagnosed with dementia. To make some money, she takes a summer job at local country club where to satisfy the community service requirement for her scholarship, she starts up a swimming class for autistic children. Leo is brought on to be her assistant. The two build a very special relationship until one bad day sends everyone’s worlds spiraling.

There are so many things I could say about this book. The author does a wonderful job of creating characters that are so relatable while keeping the story fresh and interesting with bits of suspense, drama and so much love. There are so many teachable moments that are so carefully and masterfully written. For me it was the bond between McKenna and Theo that made the book. The way that McKenna works to understand and navigate Theo’s challenges so she can communicate in a way that fits his needs…and in return, how Theo responds and the chain of events that occur showing how much she has truly impacted him and his life…..As someone who has worked with special needs children, seeing this unfold was truly beautiful!

A story about growing up, relationships, challenges, family, letting go, and second chances, this book made me laugh and cry while having moments of anger, worry, joy and a plethora of other emotions. Breathing Under Water is a book that will fuel your soul.

Thank you to Harper Muse Audio for the gifted copy of this audiobook. Narrators Cassandra Campbell and Annalee Scott and the production team did an exquisite job bringing this story to life. I could not put it down! This would be the perfect kind of book for a book club.

[Chelsie Potter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breathing Under Water is a story of overcoming adversity and finding connection in the most unlikely of places.

McKenna is a college athlete balancing her rigorous swimming schedule, caring for her grandmother with dementia, and finding time to work and earn volunteer hours to support her scholarship. Her grandmother, the only family she has left, is becoming more cognatively distant each day, and the weight of responsibility weighs heavily on her shoulders.

Berry is a vice-principal with a promotion within reach, but she's also navigating a strained marriage and the challenges that come with parenting her autistic teen son, Leo, and his older brother. The push and pull of setting her son up for success versus wanting to protect him from life's difficulties has a choke-hold on her and the choices she's facing.

The common thread between them? Leo.

These two women couldn't be more different, but their paths soon cross when a perfect volunteer opportunity presents itself to both McKenna and Leo. McKenna begins teaching autistic kids how to swim, but she can't do it without the help of someone who understands neurodiversity from personal experience. Though they quickly form an unlikely bond, it's not long before McKenna faces even greater hardship, and everything she's worked for hangs in the balance.

This was an easy story to become immersed in. It was full of struggle, highlighted some important socialital issues, and reminded the reader of the importance of looking past the surface. However, I struggled with the perspectives in this story. I love dual POV, and I felt like McKenna's chapters made me feel empathy for the (seemingly endless) struggles she was facing, but Berry's chapters didn't carry the same weight. Leo was such a central part of the story, but it didn't feel like he had enough of a voice. Too much was ABOUT him, and not enough OF him, which made it feel like something was missing.

Overall, I thought it was a good story with an important message. Friedland is an excellent writer and does a great job of drawing you into the story. I enjoyed the character development, and how the pacing became more frantic in line with what they were each experiencing.

Huge thank you to BookSparks and Harper Muse for providing me with an ARC of this novel.

[Lindsay Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathing Under Water is an uplifting and engaging novel tackling several family drama issues: caring for a family member with dementia, helping a family member with autism, college athletic ethics, surviving homelessness and loss, and learning to stand up for yourself and recognize there are no bad days. The way the author weaved these issues together through relatable, believable characters was outstanding!

Quick Plot Summary: Leo is an autistic teen who doesn't know how to swim. His mom, Berry, found an opportunity for him to learn to swim while assisting the country club swim instructor, McKenna. McKenna is a college swimmer who needs community service hours and has found herself teaching swim lessons to a group of special needs kids. Through this experience, both Leo and McKenna teach each other valuable lessons that help with the trials each of them are encountering in their lives.

What I loved: As a mom to an autistic adolescent, I truly appreciated the representation of an autistic boy, Leo. I found the trials his parents endured to be true to my experiences and I empathized with their desire to help him grow toward independent living. I loved McKenna's character too, and the care she showed toward Leo and chose to learn how to help him. The romantic thread with Beck was sweet and hit just the right tone. The book was well paced also and never dragged. The perspectives of the different characters made the book well-rounded and kept it interesting.

What I did not like: The mention of the assistant coach's potential affair was never resolved to my knowledge, and didn't add to the plot in my opinion. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book.

Bottom Line: This is a book I will highly recommend to readers who appreciate family drama novels, women's fiction, and neurodiversity representation.

Notes on audiobook: I found Berry's voice a little grating, but McKenna's voice was excellent. Overall it was very easy and enjoyable listen!

Content Considerations: Mild frequency of strong profanity, no spice.

Thank you to Harper Muse Audiobooks and NetGalley for the complementary copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. My review is my own opinion and is in no way influenced by the author or publisher.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.75⭐️

This book is exceptional.

It is rare for an author to take on a multitude of heavy issues in one book and do them justice. Jacqueline Friedland has pulled off that incredible feat and simultaneously crafted some of the most realistically flawed and beautiful characters.

BREATHING UNDER WATER is an example of the type of full circle book I adore. One where unrelated character arcs move through the story and converge organically.

Let’s talk about these characters. They are rendered as multidimensional, highly nuanced parts of the story. None of them is one thing. Not a single one is without flaws. They all go through the range of emotions you would expect in real life scenarios. The three main characters are standouts. Berry is exhausted, worried, over protective, and constantly questioning her choices—exactly what you would expect from a working mom of a special needs child whose marriage is under stress at the same time she is facing challenges at work. McKenna is frightened, overwhelmed, and feeling helpless which is no surprise since she is a college student juggling school, work, and community service obligations all while grieving her mother’s death and grandmother’s rapid decline due to Alzheimer’s AND dealing with the pressures of being a competitive athlete. And then there’s Leo. Leo is the heart of this story. Leo is not an autistic teenager. He is a teenager with autism. And that person first framing makes all the difference. Friedland writes Leo’s character with sensitivity and a genuine understanding of the fact that autism is a spectrum. It is not one single thing and neither is Leo.

BREATHING UNDER WATER is a gift. The problems are huge and Friedland does not insult the reader with easy solutions or quick fixes. What she does is take us through scenarios where decisions and their consequences feel authentic. The storytelling is masterful.

I paired the physical and audiobooks and the dual narration by Cassandra Campbell and Annalee Scott is sublime. Where it truly shines is in voicing Leo. His verbal patterns are executed to perfection.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Muse, Book Sparks, and HarperMuse Audio for the gifted advance and finished copies. All opinions are my own.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summary:
Berry is a wife, mother of two boys, and an educational administrator. Balancing all of these roles is no easy task. In addition to her many responsibilities, she is devoted to supporting her youngest son, Leo, a sixteen-year-old with autism.

McKenna is a 20-year-old college student who feels overwhelmed by the demands of life. She is currently caring for her grandmother, who has dementia, while balancing her college courses, swim team commitments, community service, and a job. When she begins teaching swimming lessons to children with autism, she forms a special bond with Leo. However, as unexpected challenges arise, McKenna’s life begins to unravel, forcing her to confront difficult decisions and navigate overwhelming circumstances.

Both of these women’s lives collide together due to Leo.

Thoughts:
•Breathing Under Water is an amazing, heartfelt, hopeful, and inspiring story. While the novel touches on many aspects of life, its primary focus is autism. I was immediately drawn to this book after reading the synopsis and learning that it centered on a mother pursuing an administrative position while raising a son with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). As a special education teacher, I am always deeply moved by stories like this, and I knew from the very beginning that this book would be no exception.

•I work with autistic children between the ages of 3 and 5, so I rarely get the opportunity to see what their educational journey looks like during their high school years. This story gave me a meaningful glimpse into what life can be like for these families, and it was truly eye-opening.

•There were so many moments in this story that made me want to rage. My heart ached for both McKenna and Berry as they navigated one difficult challenge after another. Despite everything they endured, they never gave up. Their resilience and determination to keep moving forward were both inspiring and deeply moving.

•Leo. I absolutely adored him, and he has become one of my favorite characters from any book I’ve read this year. His character was unforgettable and left a lasting impression on me.

[Amber (amberreadsitall) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
Format: Audio 🎧
Pub date: Tuesday, August 4, 2026

Breathing Under Water by Jacqueline Friedland is a novel about two women, Berry and McKenna, whose lives intersect through Berry's autistic son, Leo.

Berry is an assistant principal, who is vying for a promotion at work, while juggling the demands of motherhood, an unhappy marriage, and helping her 16 year old autistic son, Leo, learn to be more independent.

McKenna is a college student on a full ride, swimming scholarship. She lives with her grandmother, who has dementia. McKenna is trying to juggle her swimming demands, her grandmother’s health care, work, and the need to get in community volunteer work requirements for her scholarship.

The two women’s lives intersect when McKenna begins giving swim lessons to children on the spectrum, with Leo as her assistant.

This story explores themes of motherhood, marital strife, caregiving, autism, friendship, and found family. It's a heartfelt story about resilience, sacrifice, love, and forgiveness.

I don’t want to give too much away, but McKenna’s story line and the way her life intersected with Leo’s added so much depth to the story. You can’t help but root for McKenna, Berry, and Leo along the way, as they all navigate various challenges.

I really enjoyed this story. Having a child on the spectrum myself, I am always interested in books that provide representation for this diverse population. The author represented a child on the high to middle level of the spectrum well. It is important to remember that all individuals on the spectrum are unique and different. While my son is on the more severe side of the spectrum, I could still relate to many of Berry’s worries, thoughts, and feelings about doing what is best for her son, regardless of others’ opinions.

I listened to the audio version of this story and enjoyed the narration very much. The audio was performed by Cassandra Campbell and Annalee Scott. The narrators did a wonderful job of bringing the story to life.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for the advance copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Harper Muse for the ARC and ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Berry is struggling. She's juggling a career that's seemingly stuck in a vice-principal role, a strained marriage, and the challenges of raising her 16yo autistic son Leo. McKenna is also struggling. She's drowning under the weight of a demanding training schedule to maintain her college swimming scholarship, caring for her grandmother's advancing dementia, and looming financial insecurity. The two women's paths converge when McKenna begins teaching swim lessons to children with autism, with Leo brought on as her assistant. What starts as a practical arrangement grows into an unexpected bond that reshapes both of their lives, as each woman discovers that the person who seems most in need of saving might just be the one who saves her.

This book surprised me in the very best way, I absolutely loved it! Having very little experience with or exposure to autistic children I was not sure how I would connect with this story, but Leo's character was the standout star and the heart of the book. His character was developed so well that it was easy to understand his challenges in a way that didn't belittle him or make him seem difficult, he was just a human being who needed a little extra understanding from the people around him. Berry and McKenna both felt so realistic in their struggles and I was able to relate to both of them equally. The dynamic between McKenna and Leo was outstanding and it was masterfully written in the way that it brought so many parts of the story together without feeling overwrought.

Cassandra Campbell and Annalee Scott gave exceptional performances as the narrators of the audiobook. The dual narration made it easy to stay immersed in the story and captured both women's perspectives very well. Leo's speech patterns and the pacing of the story were also done extremely well. I think having the audio really elevated the emotional impact of the story, but I am glad that I had the digital copy to follow along as I read.

I am so glad I read this book!

[halfserious · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is there an award for authors who know how to hit the sweet spot of just enough descriptions amidst the dialogues in the stories they’re laying out on the page? If there isn’t, there should be one, and Jacqueline Friedland has my vote as the first laureate. I cannot even begin to explain how satisfying it is to know all that is required about the characters’ surroundings to be able to properly imagine them, without being drowned in unnecessary details; in this regard, as well as many others, this book truly is a gift that keeps on giving.

It’s been a while since I’ve been so invested in the lives of the characters in a story, even though the world of competitive college swimming and the nuanced layers of autism colliding in this novel are not something I was particularly familiar with before I embarked on this adventure with McKenna and Berry, two women of different generations with more than their fair share of hardships and heartaches who are trying to navigate their precarious circumstances as best they can without upsetting the fragile balance they’ve worked so hard to maintain over the years. I appreciated that the author, while clearly invested in depicting both topics in all their complexity, didn’t try to hammer the points home as insistently as I’ve seen some other authors do in my recent readings.

At its core, this novel explores the power of forgiveness, whether extended to others or to ourselves, and I have rarely felt so many complicated emotions when reading about a life of fictional strangers. A wonderful bonus of this literary foray into the world of an author I was previously unfamiliar with was discovering another one of her books, Counting Backwards, that I intend to devour as soon as I can get my hands on a copy. If you only have time to read one book amidst the end-of-summer blues, Breathing Under Water is the one!

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Muse and Jacqueline Friedland for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Chelsie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Always authentic and touching stories, with characters you relate to and are rooting for through the entire story. Breathing Under Water touches on the struggles of understanding someone who may not be like the average person, or have had the opportunities many have been lucky enough to have had in life. McKenna doesn't know how much more she can stretch herself. School, keeping up with swim, working to afford food and taking care of her grandma who is slowly losing her memory. Her boss reminds her of the community service hours she has to get in yet also so her scholarship doesn't get taken. How much do they think one person can do, just to prove they are worthy enough of something? McKenna with some help gets together a small group of neurodivergent kids to work with at the country club for her community service, but after a frantic chaos lesson, it gets the boot. Her anger gets the best of her and after getting accused of a crime she loses everything, literally! No one believes she wouldn't do what she is being accused of and the guy she had been kind of sweet on tells her to stay away from him and his brother who was in her swim group. Having had a connection with Leo, she can't just ignore him when he reaches out to her weeks later about minor things. She is glad to have at least one friend in this unforgiving place. When Leo goes missing, she knows she will do everything in her power to help find him. She also realizes just how much those kids taught her about herself and what really matters for her future. This was such a heartfelt story and had so much depth to the various characters. I enjoyed how this all played out and really learned a lot about neurodivergent, and how they think about things and work through problems. It was very eye opening and I enjoyed reading about children like this. Thank you to the author for the complementary novel and to Suzy Approved Book Tours for another invite for this author. Her novels are auto-reads for me! This review is of my own opinion and accord.

[Whatithinkaboutthisbook · Rating 5 out of 5]

Breathing Under Water by Jacqueline Friedland

This is such a wonderful story about overcoming adversity, family, motherhood and finding the people who truly see you. The characters are so vibrant and loveable that I couldn’t put this one down. I was completely invested in their lives and everything they were going through.

Told from two perspectives, the story follows Berry and her family, alongside McKenna. Berry has successfully juggled her job as a vice principal alongside the demands of raising Leo, her teenage autistic son, for years. But now her husband has become distant and secretive, she is being considered for a promotion to principal and she’s unsure how best to support Leo’s as he needs to become more independent. McKenna lost her mother to cancer and was raised by her grandmother. Swimming has always been her ticket out of poverty, earning a scholarship to college should be thrilling. Instead, the pressure and demands are overwhelming between her training schedule, classes and a requirement for volunteer hours. To make matters worse, her grandmother is showing signs of dementia.

Even before you know how these lives will intersect, you are immediately drawn into their stories. The characters feel authentic and fully realized and their struggles are relatable and deeply moving. Centered on relationships, the novel
explores friendships, mentors, marriage, motherhood with compassion, humour and insight. Friedland artfully examines each of these through a realistic lens that is both heartfelt and engaging.

The special relationship that develops between Leo and McKenna is one of the novels greatest strengths. Watching them grow, adapt, and develop genuine care and respect for each other is truly heartwarming. Fried land delivers a thoughtful and compassionate portrayal of neurodivergence, emphasizing the importance of assuming capability rather than focusing on limitations.

This is a deeply moving story filled with unforgettable characters who steal your heart and stay with you long after you put the book down.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author is a very good writer and I hope they continue, but I found this story to be too much of a mess to truly enjoy and, regrettably, it just wasn’t for me.

The first half of the book was a decent pace, almost slow at times, but well written. The dual POV is a mother (Berry) of an autistic teen boy and the second POV is the college D1 swimmer (McKenna) who befriends her son. I wouldn’t have have minded the slow first half if the second hadn’t been the compete opposite and started to give me whiplash. The author definitely needs to work on their pacing.

The second half of this book is not only one hardship after another thrown at McKenna with nonstop drama, it also has a lot of time jumps that then skip/gloss over the consequences of some of the drama the author has injected into the plot. If you’re going to make all those horrible things happen to your characters, at least follow through afterwards.

The story really started to lose me when McKenna suddenly has legal authority as a 20 yr old to sell her grandma’s house and the country club pool where she had been recently fired is vandalized. At this same time, on Berry’s end, suddenly her husband’s company is in bankruptcy and their conversation had me cringing while she’s yelling at him for confiding to his father and not her. Both main characters within pages have now been made out to be volatile train wrecks and I legitimately felt like my head was spinning. Both their stories fell off a cliff so quickly, that I had no idea where the story was headed at that point.

Overall, the author had some great ideas for the plot, and I absolutely enjoyed seeing a book addressing autism in a realistic way, but I think the author just went too hard on the drama to try and spin an engaging story. You don’t need to stuff everything into one book to make it exciting.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Authentic.Beautiful.Compassionate.

Jacqueline Friedland is a new-to-me author, and I was so impressed by her storytelling that I’m already looking forward to reading more of her books. I was completely drawn into the story from the very beginning. Her writing is absolutely beautiful, and there was something so effortless about the way she told it. It reminded me of the emotional depth and authenticity of Ashley Audrain and Emily Giffin’s books, which I love.

I appreciated how this novel explored motherhood, caregiving, sacrifice, and resilience with so much sensitivity. As a special education teacher who primarily works with students with autism, this story really hit home for me. At no point did the story feel overly dramatic. The two main characters, Berry and McKenna, were such layered, believable women, and I found both of their stories extremely relatable. On top of that, the entire cast was so likable, and I appreciated how the story raised meaningful questions about caregiving, ambition, disability, privilege, and family. I also loved the author’s note at the end, where she shared that her mom was a special education teacher and the lasting impact she made. Knowing that made the story feel even more meaningful to me. It gave me plenty to think about long after I finished listening. The audiobook narrators also did a stellar job bringing these characters and their emotions to life.

This is definitely more of a slower, reflective read, but that’s exactly what made it so impactful. I’d especially recommend it to readers who are moved by stories about families facing challenges, particularly those involving children with special needs.

Overall, I absolutely loved this touching novel. It was deeply sensitive, emotionally rich, and one that I know will stay with me for a long time. So much thanks to Harper Muse Audiobooks for the advance listening copy in return for my honest feedback. (Audio)

[Atlas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Harper Horizon for the ARC of Breathing Under Water by Jacqueline Friedland.

This is one of those books that sneaks up on you emotionally. It starts quieter and more character-focused, and then suddenly you realize you are deeply invested in these people and their lives.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The first half took me a little while to fully settle into, but once the emotional pieces started coming together, it really worked for me. McKenna’s storyline especially hit hard. Watching her try to hold everything together while her life slowly unravels felt genuinely heartbreaking at times.

What stood out most was the relationship between McKenna and Brody. Their connection through swimming lessons felt natural and really heartfelt, and the book did a thoughtful job showing both the realities of autism and the fears parents carry about independence, safety, and the future.

Berry’s perspective added another layer that I appreciated too, especially the tension between wanting to protect your child versus preparing them for the world. It made the story feel grounded and emotionally honest.

What I Loved
• The emotional depth in the second half of the story
• McKenna and Brody’s relationship
• The compassionate portrayal of autism and caregiving
• The themes of resilience, forgiveness, and connection
• The balance between emotional moments and hopeful ones

What Didn’t Work for Me
• The beginning felt a bit slow to fully hook me
• Some dialogue and narration felt younger than I expected
• Certain emotional moments leaned a little heavy-handed

Overall, this ended up being a really heartfelt and empathetic story about people trying to survive overwhelming situations while still finding connection and hope. It definitely pulled at my emotions more than I expected it to.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one.

I experienced Breathing Under Water as an audiobook, and Cassandra Campbell and Annalee Scott did a wonderful job bringing these characters to life. Their performances made it easy to connect with both Berry and McKenna, and I found myself wanting to keep listening.

This is a very character-driven story, and that's what worked best for me. Berry is trying to balance her career, marriage, and raising her autistic son, Leo, while McKenna is carrying more responsibility than anyone her age should have to. Watching their lives unexpectedly come together made for a heartfelt and emotional read.

Leo completely stole the show for me. Every time he was on the page, I was invested. I loved seeing the friendship that developed between him and McKenna, and those moments ended up being some of my favorites in the entire book.

The story also touches on so many important topics, including autism, dementia, caregiver burnout, housing insecurity, and the pressures placed on college athletes. I appreciated that these themes felt woven naturally into the story instead of feeling forced.

The only reason this wasn't a five-star read for me was the pacing. It took me a little while to fully settle into the story, and there were a few plot points that wrapped up a little quicker than I expected. I also would have loved to have seen a few chapters from Leo's perspective because he was such a memorable character.

Overall, this was an emotional and uplifting story about family, friendship, resilience, and the unexpected people who come into our lives when we need them most.

This was my first book by Jacqueline Friedland, and it definitely made me want to pick up more of her work.

Thank you to Harper Muse for the advance listening copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Martine Foda-Harris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Author's Note: Breathing Under Water is ultimately a story about resilience, connection, and refusing to underestimate people, even (and especially) when they're struggling. It's about recognizing how much more we're capable of when someone believes in us, and how powerful it can be when we begin to believe in ourselves.

*spoiler free*

This is a story of a mom and wife (Berry) with a teen son named Leo who has autism. Simultaneously, this is a story of a young woman in college named McKenna who is a star swimmer on her college swim team who falls on hard times due to an incident.

Before the incident, McKenna gets an opportunity to teach swim lessons with Leo as her aide to young children with autism and through this they connect in a very endearing way that only builds throughout the book as they evolve and grow together in their respective life situations. Berry on the other hand is learning to let go and let Leo become more independent. She has always sacrificed for him and his needs but finds herself focusing more on her career and accepting the changes in her life including some in her marriage.

*I could relate so much at times with Berry given I am a married woman in the same age bracket with an almost 14 year old son who has mild autism and muscular dystrophy. At times my son is misunderstood or merely tolerated, even by family members and close friends, and it's hurtful. There are times I choose not to fight his battles so he can learn how to navigate social situations even though I want to be his defender at every turn. I support him, but I also challenge him to be independent and problem solve without me to set him up for success. It's a intricately choreographed dance that mom's of neurodivergent and disabled children have to learn and embrace.*

Thank you to BookSparks and
author Jacqueline Friedland for this gifted copy!

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you, Harper Muse, for the gifted Advance Reading Copy in exchange for an honest review.

BREATHING UNDER WATER, by Jacqueline Friedland, is an emotional juggernaut of a novel that had me invested in this propulsive story within the first chapter.
BERRY is married and mom to adult son Harrison and sixteen-year-old Leo, who is autistic. Berry is juggling all the responsibilities of career, marriage, and motherhood while trying to advance her career, save her marriage, and guide Leo to be as independent as possible. Berry is every woman.

MCKENNA is a struggling college student, mourning the recent loss of her mother, while being a caretaker to her grandmother who is struggling with dementia. One tragic incident brings her entire world to a precarious halt. The skills she uses as an athlete; stamina, endurance and strength, must translate out of the pool if she is to survive this next chapter of her life.

LEO is a bright, articulate sixteen-year-old who is autistic. He meets McKenna through a swimming program which provides unexpected opportunities and challenges for both. Leo serves as the bridge that intersects all the characters of this beautiful novel.

I loved this fast paced, tensely plotted, emotional rollercoaster of a novel that personifies how much harder it is to thrive without essential needs; connection, shelter, and attainable mental health support. The secondary characters were just as richly developed and interesting as the main characters.
The diversity of topics adds to the broad inclusive prose punctuated with an inspiring message: when grace and opportunity converge, there is a fighting chance for success. BREATHING UNDER WATER is available 8/4/26.

[Jenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breathing Under Water weaves together the lives of two women carrying more than anyone should have to carry alone. Berry is trying to balance a demanding career, a struggling marriage, and raising her autistic son, Leo. McKenna is juggling college, a Division I swimming scholarship, work, and caring for her grandmother with dementia. Their stories eventually intersect through Leo, and that unlikely friendship becomes the heart of the novel.

The relationship between Leo and McKenna was easily my favorite part of the book. Their interactions felt genuine, and I loved watching the trust between them develop. Leo quietly became the character I looked forward to seeing most.

The novel also tackles a surprising number of social issues—autism, dementia, food and housing insecurity, the pressures placed on college athletes, and family relationships. Despite covering so much ground, it remained an engaging, easy read that kept me wanting to know what would happen next.

That said, I found myself wishing Leo had been given a voice of his own. Because so much of the story revolves around him, I would have loved even a few chapters from his perspective instead of always seeing him through the eyes of others. I also thought the second half became almost relentless in the number of hardships thrown at McKenna. They certainly kept me turning the pages!

Overall, I enjoyed this one. It is an emotional story about resilience, compassion, and the unexpected ways people can change each other's lives. It also reminded me that sometimes the people we think need the most help have strengths that everyone around them has underestimated.

Thank you to NetGalley, Harper Muse, and Jacqueline Friedland for providing me with an advance listening copy in exchange for my honest review.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novel is told from the alternating points of view of two women. Berry is a middle-aged woman a bit overwhelmed by juggling her job as assistant principal (vying for promotion) at an elementary school, her increasingly unhappy husband, and the pull and push of parenting her 16 year old autistic son Leo who she both wants to help and encourage to be independent. McKenna is a 20 year old college student with so much on her plate - dealing with her grandmother developing dementia while struggling with the demands placed by her full ride college scholarship which is dependent on her swimming which she doesn’t even enjoy. The intersection between their stories is when McKenna, needing community service hours, begins teaching a swim class for kids on the spectrum which a former teacher suggests she does with Leo as her assistant.

This was such a moving one and I really couldn’t put it down! I was just so engrossed in both women’s stories and both worrying about and rooting for them as they face tough times - and rooting for Leo right along with them. As you can perhaps tell from the plot description, there were a lot of big issues in the book (and more I didn’t mention to avoid spoilers) but they are handled thoughtfully and sensitively and in a realistic way. This is the second book of Jacqueline Friedland’s I’ve read after last year’s Counting Backwards, and I loved this one even more!

Jackie is a local author to me and I’ve been lucky enough to get to know her a little over the past year or so - but still, what a wonderful surprise to find that she had thanked me in the acknowledgements! Good thing I independently loved the book, ha ha!

4.25 stars

Thanks to Harper Muse for my e-ARC (out 8/4/26); all opinions are my own.