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Coming Up for Air
Three extraordinary lives intertwine across oceans and centuries.
On the banks of the River Seine in 1899, a heartbroken young woman takes her final breath before plunging into the icy water. Although she does not know it, her decision will set in motion an astonishing chain of events. It will lead to 1950s Norway, where a grieving toymaker is on the cusp of a transformative invention, all the way to present-day Canada, where a journalist battling a terrible disease, drowning in her own lungs, risks everything for one last chance to live.
Moving effortlessly across time and space and taking inspiration from an incredible true story, Coming Up for Air is a bold, richly imagined novel about love, loss, and the immeasurable impact of every human life.
On the banks of the River Seine in 1899, a heartbroken young woman takes her final breath before plunging into the icy water. Although she does not know it, her decision will set in motion an astonishing chain of events. It will lead to 1950s Norway, where a grieving toymaker is on the cusp of a transformative invention, all the way to present-day Canada, where a journalist battling a terrible disease, drowning in her own lungs, risks everything for one last chance to live.
Moving effortlessly across time and space and taking inspiration from an incredible true story, Coming Up for Air is a bold, richly imagined novel about love, loss, and the immeasurable impact of every human life.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published March 3, 2020
82 people are currently reading
1681 people want to read
About the author
Sarah Leipciger
7 books123 followersSarah Leipciger was born in Peterborough, Canada. She spent her teenage years in Toronto, later moving to Vancouver Island to study Creative Writing and English literature at the University of Victoria. Leipciger left Canada in 2001 for Korea and South East Asia, and currently lives in London with her three children, where she teaches creative writing to men in prison. She is also a Creative Writing tutor at CityLit, and a pursuing a PhD in Creative Writing at Goldsmiths University.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 250 reviews
April 30, 2020
Sarah Leipciger writes a beautifully imagined novel of life, love, loss, grief, sorrow and despair, intertwining the themes of air, the precious breath of life itself, water, death, and mortality. She weaves fact and fiction into her delicate connections between the L'Inconnue de la Seine, the unknown young woman who commits suicide in the River Seine in 1899, a Norwegian toy maker working in soft plastics in the 1950s, Pieter Akrehamn, hollowed out by grief from the loss of his beloved little boy, Bear, and the more contemporary collector of stories and journalist, the Canadian Anouk, born with Cystic Fibrosis, drowning in her own lungs, living a life of restrictions and limitations, in constant danger, managing to exceed the expectations of her life span to face the risks of undergoing a lung transplant at the age of 40 for the chance to really live and breathe. They are the rivers, the seas, the salt, the lakes, the breath, in the inextricable circles of life and death, where drowning is a quiet, private and unremarkable affair.
This story shifts from past and present in a non-linear narrative, recounting the making of the death mask of the L'Inconnue, a mask of a young woman transcending time and death to serve as a muse to countless writers. Her mask goes on to serve as the inspiration, she is to be kissed by millions in the future, used by and the source of Pieter's Rescuci Anne, the doll used to train people for lifesaving CPR, commissioned by two Baltimore anesthetists, responsible for going on to save an enormous number of individuals globally. The author provides a backstory for L'Inconnue, a life of doomed love, blackmail and shame, a birth that meant death for her mother, with flashbacks of her childhood. She takes up a position in Paris as a companion to the paranoid Madame Debord, suspecting everyone of being a thief, weighed down by a history of 7 pregnancies, all lost. Anouk is the wild river girl, willing to risk all to swim, cared for by mother, Nora, homesick for Toronto, and her father, Red, who dies when she is 19 of pancreatic cancer.
Tinged with a sense of melancholy, Leipciger captures with skill the characters she creates, drawing on actual events and history for her compelling and tantalisingly timeless storytelling of the waters of life and death, the necessity and fragility of breath. She immerses us in the lives of L'Inconnue, Pieter, Anouk and Rescuci Anne, culminating in the final connection of Camille Debord. Amidst the background of the landscape of rivers and the sea, so fundamental to humans, Leipciger animates her characters lives with her rich and melodic descriptions and artful prose so beautifully. A wonderfully riveting read that I recommend highly. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.
This story shifts from past and present in a non-linear narrative, recounting the making of the death mask of the L'Inconnue, a mask of a young woman transcending time and death to serve as a muse to countless writers. Her mask goes on to serve as the inspiration, she is to be kissed by millions in the future, used by and the source of Pieter's Rescuci Anne, the doll used to train people for lifesaving CPR, commissioned by two Baltimore anesthetists, responsible for going on to save an enormous number of individuals globally. The author provides a backstory for L'Inconnue, a life of doomed love, blackmail and shame, a birth that meant death for her mother, with flashbacks of her childhood. She takes up a position in Paris as a companion to the paranoid Madame Debord, suspecting everyone of being a thief, weighed down by a history of 7 pregnancies, all lost. Anouk is the wild river girl, willing to risk all to swim, cared for by mother, Nora, homesick for Toronto, and her father, Red, who dies when she is 19 of pancreatic cancer.
Tinged with a sense of melancholy, Leipciger captures with skill the characters she creates, drawing on actual events and history for her compelling and tantalisingly timeless storytelling of the waters of life and death, the necessity and fragility of breath. She immerses us in the lives of L'Inconnue, Pieter, Anouk and Rescuci Anne, culminating in the final connection of Camille Debord. Amidst the background of the landscape of rivers and the sea, so fundamental to humans, Leipciger animates her characters lives with her rich and melodic descriptions and artful prose so beautifully. A wonderfully riveting read that I recommend highly. Many thanks to Random House Transworld for an ARC.
March 16, 2020
Next time I go to update my CPR certificate I will look at the resuscitation dummy in a totally different way. Who knew that her face is derived from the death mask of an unknown suicide victim in Paris in 1899. Fact - and her fictional story is just part of this beautiful book.
Three stories are told in all, each loosely linked by the themes of water and drowning. As well as the imagined life of the beautiful French girl we read about a toymaker in Norway who, in the 1950's, used her death mask to create the very first dummy he called Resusci Anne. He had a very personal involvement in the need to teach everyone how to resuscitate someone who has stopped breathing. That teaching still goes on to this day and it must have saved many lives.
The third story is of a Canadian journalist in modern times who has Cystic Fibrosis and practically drowns in her own lungs. I have no personal knowledge of this disease but feel that the author had done her research and the details are spelled out painfully but also sensitively.
The writing is beautiful. The changes from one story to another are smooth and clear. All three stories are equally compelling reading. There are many sad moments and there are also uplifting ones which give us hope. I thought this was a lovely, lovely book.
My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
Three stories are told in all, each loosely linked by the themes of water and drowning. As well as the imagined life of the beautiful French girl we read about a toymaker in Norway who, in the 1950's, used her death mask to create the very first dummy he called Resusci Anne. He had a very personal involvement in the need to teach everyone how to resuscitate someone who has stopped breathing. That teaching still goes on to this day and it must have saved many lives.
The third story is of a Canadian journalist in modern times who has Cystic Fibrosis and practically drowns in her own lungs. I have no personal knowledge of this disease but feel that the author had done her research and the details are spelled out painfully but also sensitively.
The writing is beautiful. The changes from one story to another are smooth and clear. All three stories are equally compelling reading. There are many sad moments and there are also uplifting ones which give us hope. I thought this was a lovely, lovely book.
My thanks to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book.
March 28, 2020
‘How to breathe. How to save. Everyone knows this face. It’s always been her and it will always be.’
I have been so moved by this novel. Though each of the storylines dealt with difficult situations there was always an underlining feeling of hope. I never found myself rushing through one story to get to the next, because they were equally engaging. I was really looking forward to seeing how the stories converged and think it was done remarkably well. Leipcigars writing was beautiful and I look forward to reading more. Highly recommend. 4.5 stars.
I have been so moved by this novel. Though each of the storylines dealt with difficult situations there was always an underlining feeling of hope. I never found myself rushing through one story to get to the next, because they were equally engaging. I was really looking forward to seeing how the stories converged and think it was done remarkably well. Leipcigars writing was beautiful and I look forward to reading more. Highly recommend. 4.5 stars.
March 14, 2020
Coming Up for Air is Ms Leipcigar’s sophomore novel and is a masterfully crafted piece of historical fiction, inspired by a true story, that thematically links the lives of three people who had no idea of each other’s existence. Connected by water and breathing the narrative spans a century and begins in 1899 when an unidentified woman is pulled from the River Seine in Paris, France, having drowned after jumping in a successful suicide bid; she became known as L’Inconnue de la Seine. She was found to be so strikingly beautiful in death that a pathologist was inspired to create a death mask modelled on her face. Many years later it went on to become the face for the resuscitation mannequin named Resuscitation Annie. Leipcigar goes on to create a fictional narrative of how the enigmatic woman might have lived as she has never been identified despite a concerted effort to find out about her.
Fast forward to the mid-twentieth century and we meet Norwegian toymaker Pieter Akrehamn who creates the prototype of the resuscitation doll. He lives by the riverside with his wife and family and regularly enjoys taking his young son fishing. But he is now so haunted and torn-up by a loss that he doesn't really live he merely survives. But the tragedy that has befallen him will eventually lead to countless lives being saved in the future. The third story takes place in the 1980s right up to the present day and tells the tale of Anouk, a Canadian journalist who is awaiting a lung transplant that will save her life as she suffers from Cystic Fibrosis and is slowly drowning in her own body. She finds solace in open-air swimming but if she doesn't receive a pair of healthy lungs soon her demise will not be far away. It's very much a race against time.
This is a moving, richly imagined and profoundly emotive read and the thought-provoking stories of these three individuals makes you consider your own mortality. The way each of their stories are tied together is compelling and I was completely absorbed and immersed in the plot from the beginning. The characters are so vivid and engaging that they bound off the pages and into your heart with ease and the writing is nothing short of exquisite. It's spellbinding and the fact that it is based on true events made it all the more remarkable to me. I loved the structure of the book as the three stories being intertwined so beautifully is refreshingly original and served as a reminder that our lives can impact others through the ages. This is a powerful, melancholy story and the use of water and air as connecting themes was poetic and an ode to life as well as death. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Doubleday for an ARC.
Fast forward to the mid-twentieth century and we meet Norwegian toymaker Pieter Akrehamn who creates the prototype of the resuscitation doll. He lives by the riverside with his wife and family and regularly enjoys taking his young son fishing. But he is now so haunted and torn-up by a loss that he doesn't really live he merely survives. But the tragedy that has befallen him will eventually lead to countless lives being saved in the future. The third story takes place in the 1980s right up to the present day and tells the tale of Anouk, a Canadian journalist who is awaiting a lung transplant that will save her life as she suffers from Cystic Fibrosis and is slowly drowning in her own body. She finds solace in open-air swimming but if she doesn't receive a pair of healthy lungs soon her demise will not be far away. It's very much a race against time.
This is a moving, richly imagined and profoundly emotive read and the thought-provoking stories of these three individuals makes you consider your own mortality. The way each of their stories are tied together is compelling and I was completely absorbed and immersed in the plot from the beginning. The characters are so vivid and engaging that they bound off the pages and into your heart with ease and the writing is nothing short of exquisite. It's spellbinding and the fact that it is based on true events made it all the more remarkable to me. I loved the structure of the book as the three stories being intertwined so beautifully is refreshingly original and served as a reminder that our lives can impact others through the ages. This is a powerful, melancholy story and the use of water and air as connecting themes was poetic and an ode to life as well as death. Highly recommended. Many thanks to Doubleday for an ARC.
March 11, 2020
More like a 2.5 I think? This just didn't grab me. RTC.
March 31, 2021
„Skendimas labai asmeniškas reikalas. Niekuo neypatingas. Tylus.“
3.5/5
„Prieš įkvepiant“ istorijos teka lengvai, aiškiai ir greitai. Kaip vanduo. Vanduo jas sieja, vanduo išskiria. Vanduo sujungia, bet ir išdrąsko. Šeimas. Ar širdis. Kartais tai – vienas ir tas pats. Visos istorijos, pasirinktos pasakoti lengva, nepretenzinga maniera, siejasi labai aiškia, iš anksto skrupulingai apgalvota linija. Ar visos vienodai įdomios? Nepasakyčiau. Bet knyga neprailgsta nė akimirkai, randa būdų nustebinti ir nebus pamiršta per artimiausią savaitę. Galima verkti, jei norisi, galima užvertus pamiršti, bet labai prie kažko dramatiškai prikibti beveik nėra.
Didžioji dalis knygos man priminė Picoult romanus: sergantis vaikas, dėl jo gerbūvio kovojantys tėvai, aplinkinės problemos, kurių gijos vis tiek susiveda į bendrą šeimyninį skaudulį. Kasdienė ligos realybė ir rutina. Rodos, vien šios istorijos pakaktų, tačiau autorė pabando viena sėdyne apsėsti ypač daug kėdžių. Kai kurios lieka stovėti čiut kreivai: istorija apie tėvo netekusį vaiką graži, meniška, poetiška, tačiau įsivažiuoja sunkiai ir lėtai, o ir yra veikiau laiškas, nei kad būtina knygos dalis. Suprantu jos reikalingumą bendram istorijos gijos kontekste, tačiau nelikau iki galo įtikinta – truputį per daug paviršiumi, per greitai, per trumpai, visiškai nepalaikant balanso su kitomis dviem istorijomis: nei įsijautimo į istoriją, nei jos išplėtojimo prasme. Kita vertus, žymiausios paskenduolės nuo pat Ofelijos laikų istorija, pasakojama 19-ojo amžiaus Paryžiuje, tokia pat įtikinanti, išplėtota ir pilnavertė, kaip ir cistine fibroze sergančiosios Anuk. Tiesa, dera jos taip šiek tiek klišai, truputį kaip kepsnys ir šokoladas, bet balai už išradingumą ir gerus norus, o ir vertinu tai, jog autorė sugeba įtikinti, jog visos knygos metu girdėjau tris aiškiai skirtingus pasakotojų balsus, skaičiau tarsi atskiras knygas. Balsai nesimaišė tarpusavyje, išliko harmoningai nepanašūs nei stiliumi, nei istorijomis. O ir juos jungianti gija ir problematika nepasirodė pritempta – viskas tvarkingai, truputį pasakiškai patogiai, tiek giliai, kiek giliai neria penktadienio vakaro filmas visai šeimai, bet ne per saldžiai, ne cukraus vata.
Skirtingų perspektyvų ir skirtingų istorinių linijų romanų kontekste, „Prieš įkvepiant“ žiūrisi solidžiai: tiek autorės stiliui, tiek veikėjų plėtojimui beveik neturiu jokių priekaištų. Tai nėra romanas, kuriam garantuočiau nepajudinamą vietą savo bibliotekoje, bet tikrai tas, kurį nebūtų baisu rekomenduoti beveik bet kam: ar bėgančiam nuo rimtesnės literatūros, ar tiesiog ieškančiam pagavios istorijos. Yra vietos ir paverkti, ir susimąstyti, ir kažką naujo sužinoti. Ne amžiams įsimintinas, bet tiesiog tvarkingas.
3.5/5
„Prieš įkvepiant“ istorijos teka lengvai, aiškiai ir greitai. Kaip vanduo. Vanduo jas sieja, vanduo išskiria. Vanduo sujungia, bet ir išdrąsko. Šeimas. Ar širdis. Kartais tai – vienas ir tas pats. Visos istorijos, pasirinktos pasakoti lengva, nepretenzinga maniera, siejasi labai aiškia, iš anksto skrupulingai apgalvota linija. Ar visos vienodai įdomios? Nepasakyčiau. Bet knyga neprailgsta nė akimirkai, randa būdų nustebinti ir nebus pamiršta per artimiausią savaitę. Galima verkti, jei norisi, galima užvertus pamiršti, bet labai prie kažko dramatiškai prikibti beveik nėra.
Didžioji dalis knygos man priminė Picoult romanus: sergantis vaikas, dėl jo gerbūvio kovojantys tėvai, aplinkinės problemos, kurių gijos vis tiek susiveda į bendrą šeimyninį skaudulį. Kasdienė ligos realybė ir rutina. Rodos, vien šios istorijos pakaktų, tačiau autorė pabando viena sėdyne apsėsti ypač daug kėdžių. Kai kurios lieka stovėti čiut kreivai: istorija apie tėvo netekusį vaiką graži, meniška, poetiška, tačiau įsivažiuoja sunkiai ir lėtai, o ir yra veikiau laiškas, nei kad būtina knygos dalis. Suprantu jos reikalingumą bendram istorijos gijos kontekste, tačiau nelikau iki galo įtikinta – truputį per daug paviršiumi, per greitai, per trumpai, visiškai nepalaikant balanso su kitomis dviem istorijomis: nei įsijautimo į istoriją, nei jos išplėtojimo prasme. Kita vertus, žymiausios paskenduolės nuo pat Ofelijos laikų istorija, pasakojama 19-ojo amžiaus Paryžiuje, tokia pat įtikinanti, išplėtota ir pilnavertė, kaip ir cistine fibroze sergančiosios Anuk. Tiesa, dera jos taip šiek tiek klišai, truputį kaip kepsnys ir šokoladas, bet balai už išradingumą ir gerus norus, o ir vertinu tai, jog autorė sugeba įtikinti, jog visos knygos metu girdėjau tris aiškiai skirtingus pasakotojų balsus, skaičiau tarsi atskiras knygas. Balsai nesimaišė tarpusavyje, išliko harmoningai nepanašūs nei stiliumi, nei istorijomis. O ir juos jungianti gija ir problematika nepasirodė pritempta – viskas tvarkingai, truputį pasakiškai patogiai, tiek giliai, kiek giliai neria penktadienio vakaro filmas visai šeimai, bet ne per saldžiai, ne cukraus vata.
Skirtingų perspektyvų ir skirtingų istorinių linijų romanų kontekste, „Prieš įkvepiant“ žiūrisi solidžiai: tiek autorės stiliui, tiek veikėjų plėtojimui beveik neturiu jokių priekaištų. Tai nėra romanas, kuriam garantuočiau nepajudinamą vietą savo bibliotekoje, bet tikrai tas, kurį nebūtų baisu rekomenduoti beveik bet kam: ar bėgančiam nuo rimtesnės literatūros, ar tiesiog ieškančiam pagavios istorijos. Yra vietos ir paverkti, ir susimąstyti, ir kažką naujo sužinoti. Ne amžiams įsimintinas, bet tiesiog tvarkingas.
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October 3, 2019Three fascinating and beautifully written lives that revolve round swimming, and come together with the mask of L'Inconnue - the woman who supposedly died in the Seine and whose death mask was used as the model for resuscitation dummies. Leipciger writes wonderfully about nature and especially wild swimming, and the details of people's lives. Tragic, moving and hopeful.
Thanks to the publisher for the proof.
Thanks to the publisher for the proof.
July 20, 2020
I was really intrigued by the concept of this book and liked the idea of the 3 stories being linked by water/a struggle for air. Sadly I found quite quickly that the story lines were quite stagnant, with long drawn out chapters about nothing in particular. That on top of a needlessly brutal and gratuitous section about a violent death of a deer, means a very rare 1 star from me.
May 3, 2024
Romanas, kuris buvo ilgokai “norų sąraše”, nes turėjo raktinius žodžius “cistinė fibrozė”. Tik vis neatsirasdavo laiko… Ir į knygų klubą nukeliauti vis nerasdavau laiko, bet šie du dalykai susijungė, kad ši knyga pagaliau pateko į mano rankas.
Romane susipina trys laikmečiai ir trys istorijos. XIX amžiuje nežinomoji pasakoja apie savo našlaitės ir kompanjonės gyvenimą Paryžiuje. Norvegijoje žaislų gamintojas pasakoja savo sūnaus istoriją XX amžiaus pradžioje, o Anuk Kanadoje gyvena su reta liga cistine fibroze jau šiais laikais, kur jai reikia kovoti, kad galėtų įkvėpti. Vanduo, kvėpavimas ir dar viena paslaptis susija atrodo nesusiejamus dalykus.
Šis kūrinys labai daugiasluoksnis. Rašytoja pasitelkdama kiekvieną veikėją nagrinėja vis kitą problemą. Pėterio lūpomis kalba apie meilę vaikams, tėvystę, netektis. Nežinomosios gyvenimas pasakoja apie vienišumą, meilę ir motinos auką. Na, o Anuk istorija man pasirodė labiausiai verta dėmesio.
Kas nežino, tai cistinė fibrozė reta genetinė liga, kuri pažeidžia tas kūno dalis, kur turi gamintis sekretai. Tradiciškai, sergančius žmones vargina plaučių infekcijos, kurios veda prie organo išsekimo ir kasos nepakankamumuas, kuris trukdo įsisavinti maisto medžiagas. Anuk pasakojime yra ne tik ji su liga, bet ir jos tėvai. Iš tiesų, rašytoja tikrai pasidomėjo ir ligą apibūdino itin tiksliai.
Susiduriu su pacientais, kurie turi vienokią ar kitokią lėtinę ligą dar būdami vaikai. Kaip ir Anuk. Žinau, kad daugumai norisi maištauti. Anuk tai irgi patyrė. Bet tiesa yra tokia, kad gyvenima su liga vis tik yra papildomas laikas (pavyzdžiui, reikia anksčiau keltis, kad sukvėpuoti vaistus). Taip pat ir vienišumas, nes daug laiko leidžiama ligoninėje. Man buvo įdomu ir tėvų santykių raida, kai vaikas turi lėtinę ligą. Vienus tai suvienija, kiti kaip tik pasiduoda… Nenoriu per daug išduoti, bet ir čia rašytoja dave peno apmąstymams.
Romanas man patiko. Nėra lengvas skaitinys, bet tokio ir nesitkėjau. Paliečia skaudžius dalykus, tačiau nepamiršta ir vilties. Knygų klube diskutavome, ar tai tinkama knyga šeimoms, kurias palietė cistinė fibrozė. Ir nutarėm, kad taip, tik gal ne visai iš karto. Vis dėl to, rekomenduočiau kaip įdomų ir netradicinį skaitinį.
Romane susipina trys laikmečiai ir trys istorijos. XIX amžiuje nežinomoji pasakoja apie savo našlaitės ir kompanjonės gyvenimą Paryžiuje. Norvegijoje žaislų gamintojas pasakoja savo sūnaus istoriją XX amžiaus pradžioje, o Anuk Kanadoje gyvena su reta liga cistine fibroze jau šiais laikais, kur jai reikia kovoti, kad galėtų įkvėpti. Vanduo, kvėpavimas ir dar viena paslaptis susija atrodo nesusiejamus dalykus.
Šis kūrinys labai daugiasluoksnis. Rašytoja pasitelkdama kiekvieną veikėją nagrinėja vis kitą problemą. Pėterio lūpomis kalba apie meilę vaikams, tėvystę, netektis. Nežinomosios gyvenimas pasakoja apie vienišumą, meilę ir motinos auką. Na, o Anuk istorija man pasirodė labiausiai verta dėmesio.
Kas nežino, tai cistinė fibrozė reta genetinė liga, kuri pažeidžia tas kūno dalis, kur turi gamintis sekretai. Tradiciškai, sergančius žmones vargina plaučių infekcijos, kurios veda prie organo išsekimo ir kasos nepakankamumuas, kuris trukdo įsisavinti maisto medžiagas. Anuk pasakojime yra ne tik ji su liga, bet ir jos tėvai. Iš tiesų, rašytoja tikrai pasidomėjo ir ligą apibūdino itin tiksliai.
Susiduriu su pacientais, kurie turi vienokią ar kitokią lėtinę ligą dar būdami vaikai. Kaip ir Anuk. Žinau, kad daugumai norisi maištauti. Anuk tai irgi patyrė. Bet tiesa yra tokia, kad gyvenima su liga vis tik yra papildomas laikas (pavyzdžiui, reikia anksčiau keltis, kad sukvėpuoti vaistus). Taip pat ir vienišumas, nes daug laiko leidžiama ligoninėje. Man buvo įdomu ir tėvų santykių raida, kai vaikas turi lėtinę ligą. Vienus tai suvienija, kiti kaip tik pasiduoda… Nenoriu per daug išduoti, bet ir čia rašytoja dave peno apmąstymams.
Romanas man patiko. Nėra lengvas skaitinys, bet tokio ir nesitkėjau. Paliečia skaudžius dalykus, tačiau nepamiršta ir vilties. Knygų klube diskutavome, ar tai tinkama knyga šeimoms, kurias palietė cistinė fibrozė. Ir nutarėm, kad taip, tik gal ne visai iš karto. Vis dėl to, rekomenduočiau kaip įdomų ir netradicinį skaitinį.
December 23, 2024
Visa knyga alsuojanti mirtimi. Melancholiška. Slogi. Persmelkta liūdesiu ir trapumu. Prasideda jaunos merginos savižudybe. Persipynę trys pasakojimai ir susijungiantys į vieną tikslą. Visi pasakojimai skaudūs. Pogimdyvinė depresija. Vaiko mirtis. Nepagydoma liga. Lemtingi sprendimai. Labai daug aprašymo apie mirtį ir upę, viskas sukasi aplink ją. Ką jaučia skęstantis žmogus, kaip irsta mirusiojo kūnas. Dalykai, kurie šiurpina, apie kuriuos nenori galvoti. Vietomis tikrai norėjosi atsitraukti ir įkvėpti gryno oro.
Nieko neišimčiau iš knygos, visi pasakojimai savotiškai dera. Įdomiau skaitėsi 1988m. Prancūzija. Labiau sukrėtė 1959m. Norvegija. Gražus autorės rašymo stilius, įtraukia. Paremta tikrais istoriniais faktais.
🖋 ..užuodžiau upės kvapą, ir tą akimirką viskas dar galėjo kitaip susiklostyti. Galėjo pasirodyti koks ženklas, nors menkas, bet bylojantis, kad verčiau grįžti atgal. Galėjo sukrankti kovas. Nukristi žvaigždė, sušvilpti valtininkas, nuo kito kranto pūstelėti vėjas. Nieko nenutiko. Taigi. Palinkau į priekį, paskutinį kartą įkvėpiau ir kritau žemyn. Man virš galvos tarytum bedantė burna užsivėrė juodi vandenys.
🖋 Rugsėjis - tai ir pradžia, ir pabaiga.
🖋 ..ir iš tiesų mirštam tik tada, kai tas, kuris žino mūsų istorijas, irgi miršta.
🖋 Kopi uolomis ir žvelgi į slėnį iki bekraščio horizonto, kur ne kur užstojamo viršukalnių, ir tarytum regi praėjusius laikus, nes suvoki, kad šis vaizdas per šimtmečius nesikeitė.
🖋 ..vos kelioms kartoms tereikia išeiti iš gyvenimo, kad būtų visiškai ištrintas žmogaus egzistavimas. Tarsi jo niekada ir nebūtų buvę.
🖋 Dabar galvoju, kaip teko eiti per pasaulį ir kartu jame nebūti. Štai kas yra sielvartas.
Nieko neišimčiau iš knygos, visi pasakojimai savotiškai dera. Įdomiau skaitėsi 1988m. Prancūzija. Labiau sukrėtė 1959m. Norvegija. Gražus autorės rašymo stilius, įtraukia. Paremta tikrais istoriniais faktais.
🖋 ..užuodžiau upės kvapą, ir tą akimirką viskas dar galėjo kitaip susiklostyti. Galėjo pasirodyti koks ženklas, nors menkas, bet bylojantis, kad verčiau grįžti atgal. Galėjo sukrankti kovas. Nukristi žvaigždė, sušvilpti valtininkas, nuo kito kranto pūstelėti vėjas. Nieko nenutiko. Taigi. Palinkau į priekį, paskutinį kartą įkvėpiau ir kritau žemyn. Man virš galvos tarytum bedantė burna užsivėrė juodi vandenys.
🖋 Rugsėjis - tai ir pradžia, ir pabaiga.
🖋 ..ir iš tiesų mirštam tik tada, kai tas, kuris žino mūsų istorijas, irgi miršta.
🖋 Kopi uolomis ir žvelgi į slėnį iki bekraščio horizonto, kur ne kur užstojamo viršukalnių, ir tarytum regi praėjusius laikus, nes suvoki, kad šis vaizdas per šimtmečius nesikeitė.
🖋 ..vos kelioms kartoms tereikia išeiti iš gyvenimo, kad būtų visiškai ištrintas žmogaus egzistavimas. Tarsi jo niekada ir nebūtų buvę.
🖋 Dabar galvoju, kaip teko eiti per pasaulį ir kartu jame nebūti. Štai kas yra sielvartas.
February 2, 2020
Coming up for air by Sarah Leipciger is three stories in one. The main one it’s 1899 of the banks of the River Seine a heartbroken woman jumps into icy river to her death which, causes a series of events later. A Toy maker in 1950 Norway near a breakthrough of invention that changes people’s lives and present-day Canada a journalist with Cistus Fibrosis is drowning in her own lungs and does everything to try and live.
Even though I found this book to be well written, I just got so annoyed that every time you seem to get to know what happened in one story. It quickly changed to a different one so quickly, that you couldn’t remember what happened in the last. Because of this I lost interest in this book. I also couldn’t see what the significance was between both stories that joined them together. I DNF this book at 50%.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.
Even though I found this book to be well written, I just got so annoyed that every time you seem to get to know what happened in one story. It quickly changed to a different one so quickly, that you couldn’t remember what happened in the last. Because of this I lost interest in this book. I also couldn’t see what the significance was between both stories that joined them together. I DNF this book at 50%.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book.
July 19, 2020
Depressive. Bleak and stark. Immense description oozing effusion. Some deep and animal live passages. Dead one as well. As a swimmer who loves water in nature with all its muck and critters? I get it. But not a style for any sense to adhesive cohesive whole. And beyond cruel negativity as acceptable? Author's work reminds me of some stuff I've read by other famous suicides.
March 11, 2020
Sarah Leipciger weaves three strands of a story together. Perhaps the most successful is the tale of L'Inconnue de la Seine, an unidentified young woman whose body was pulled out of the River Seine in Paris. and whose death mask was the model for those resuscitation dummies used to practice CPR. Also interesting is the story of Anouk, a young Canadian with cystic fibrosis. Not engaging is the Norwegian strand, about a toymaker whose creates those CPR models after his little son drowns.
All three of these stories are so bleak that after a while skimming occurs. Leipciger writes well but this novel is a misery. I did finish, but barely.
Thanks the the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
~~Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader
All three of these stories are so bleak that after a while skimming occurs. Leipciger writes well but this novel is a misery. I did finish, but barely.
Thanks the the publisher and Netgalley for the ARC.
~~Candace Siegle, Greedy Reader
June 30, 2021
2,5*
Ši knyga akimirksiu atsidūrė mano rankose, kai išgirdau, jog turi panašumų sų Doerr Malonės Sniegu, tik aš nežinau, kame ir kam pasimatė čia kažkokių sąsajų? Skęstantis vaikas? Vienintelė detalė, kurią sugebėjau įžiūrėti kaip panašią, ir tai tik detalė, bet nieko bendro tarp šių kūrinių kaip literatūrinių darbų - nepamačiau.
Istorijos per tris laikotarpius yra tas pasakojimo stilius, kuris dažniausiai nesužavi. Na nebent tu esi toks literatūros pro, kad tau galima rašyti visaip ir visaip rašydamas tu parašysi gerai. Bet šįkart - ne tas atvejis.
Iš esmės romanas nėra ten labai kažkoks jau blogas ar banalus, rašymo stilius gan malonus skaityti. Tos trys istorijos gijos nebuvo suplaktos į vieną taktą, kas tapo ir pliusu ir minusu. Smagu tai, jog buvo aiškiai atskirti visi trys pasakojimai, jie buvo totaliai skirtingi, nors turėjo bendrą akcentą. O keista liko tai, kad jie visgi tokie skirtingi savo pasakojimu ir aplinkybėmis, jog kažkaip net nederėjo vienoje knygoje. Žodžiu - Not great not terrible.
Tik štai aš susierzinau todėl, kad romanas tebuvo vidutiniškas. Na kaip ir įtraukia, kaip ir istorijai panaudota labai įdomių faktų, kaip minėjau - stilius lengvas ir nekeliantis pasibaisėjimo, tai kaip ir viskas neblogai. Bet tuo pačiu labai aiškiai supranti, kokia tai paprasta, neišskirtinė istorija, į kurios viršelį kažkada pažvelgus galvosi - skaičiau, bet tik tiek ir galiu atsiminti.
Kita vertus - pradėti tokią knygą pirmą atostogų dieną, po klaikaus ir ilgo laiko darbe buvo neblogas pasirinkimas, kiek galima atitraukiau gąsdinančias mintis pasinaudojus tinginio starter packu - baseinas, gultas ir istorija, nereikalaujanti didesnių pastangų skaityti ir mąstyti. Iš esmės visi šie išvardinti dalykai nėra nieko blogo, ypatingai kai ties jais neužsibūnama.
Na o vėliau, vėliau manęs laukė nebe viešbučio baseinas, o kalnai ir kitas skaitinys. Kuris, kaip ir kalnai - nepalyginamai įspūdingiau už šezlongą, taip buvo nepalyginimai vau su šiuo atsotogų pradžios romanėliu. Bet apie tai vėliau.
O Prieš Įkvepiant - dar kartą (manau reikia pakartoti) - na nebuvo blogas, tiesiog buvo perdėm vidutiniškas, kad paliktų kažkokią žymę po savęs.
Ši knyga akimirksiu atsidūrė mano rankose, kai išgirdau, jog turi panašumų sų Doerr Malonės Sniegu, tik aš nežinau, kame ir kam pasimatė čia kažkokių sąsajų? Skęstantis vaikas? Vienintelė detalė, kurią sugebėjau įžiūrėti kaip panašią, ir tai tik detalė, bet nieko bendro tarp šių kūrinių kaip literatūrinių darbų - nepamačiau.
Istorijos per tris laikotarpius yra tas pasakojimo stilius, kuris dažniausiai nesužavi. Na nebent tu esi toks literatūros pro, kad tau galima rašyti visaip ir visaip rašydamas tu parašysi gerai. Bet šįkart - ne tas atvejis.
Iš esmės romanas nėra ten labai kažkoks jau blogas ar banalus, rašymo stilius gan malonus skaityti. Tos trys istorijos gijos nebuvo suplaktos į vieną taktą, kas tapo ir pliusu ir minusu. Smagu tai, jog buvo aiškiai atskirti visi trys pasakojimai, jie buvo totaliai skirtingi, nors turėjo bendrą akcentą. O keista liko tai, kad jie visgi tokie skirtingi savo pasakojimu ir aplinkybėmis, jog kažkaip net nederėjo vienoje knygoje. Žodžiu - Not great not terrible.
Tik štai aš susierzinau todėl, kad romanas tebuvo vidutiniškas. Na kaip ir įtraukia, kaip ir istorijai panaudota labai įdomių faktų, kaip minėjau - stilius lengvas ir nekeliantis pasibaisėjimo, tai kaip ir viskas neblogai. Bet tuo pačiu labai aiškiai supranti, kokia tai paprasta, neišskirtinė istorija, į kurios viršelį kažkada pažvelgus galvosi - skaičiau, bet tik tiek ir galiu atsiminti.
Kita vertus - pradėti tokią knygą pirmą atostogų dieną, po klaikaus ir ilgo laiko darbe buvo neblogas pasirinkimas, kiek galima atitraukiau gąsdinančias mintis pasinaudojus tinginio starter packu - baseinas, gultas ir istorija, nereikalaujanti didesnių pastangų skaityti ir mąstyti. Iš esmės visi šie išvardinti dalykai nėra nieko blogo, ypatingai kai ties jais neužsibūnama.
Na o vėliau, vėliau manęs laukė nebe viešbučio baseinas, o kalnai ir kitas skaitinys. Kuris, kaip ir kalnai - nepalyginamai įspūdingiau už šezlongą, taip buvo nepalyginimai vau su šiuo atsotogų pradžios romanėliu. Bet apie tai vėliau.
O Prieš Įkvepiant - dar kartą (manau reikia pakartoti) - na nebuvo blogas, tiesiog buvo perdėm vidutiniškas, kad paliktų kažkokią žymę po savęs.
March 17, 2020
Visit the locations in the novel
There’s not a book for a while that has moved me quite as much as this one. A book about drowning, needing to breath yet finding you can’t, a story of surviving and existing rather than living.
It starts with the most stark image of all – a woman who drowns on the banks of the Seine. Little do they know, but so many lives will be affected by this act and this woman, and what happens next. Stories told from 1899, 1950’s and to the present day.
For what happened next is based on a real story. L’Inconnue de la Seine.- the unknown woman of the Seine – a woman who found the need to kill herself, and in this manner, but who was considered so beautiful in death that the authorities created a death mask modelled on her face. Many years later it went on to become the face for the resuscitation mannequin named Resuscitation. I love a story with a real history link and this was brilliantly chosen and intertwined.
In this compelling story however, Annie lives and is given a voice. Her story weaves with that of Norwegian toy maker Pieter Akrehamn. He is the main who makes the first model of the resuscitation model. He lives a hard life and lives by the river which controls his everyday existence. Tragedy strikes which will have lasting consequences
Then we meet Anouk, a Canadian journalist who lives in the present day (well the 1980s, but almost) She is hoping for a transplant and so again is existing rather than living. She has CF so her lungs fill with fluid so she is effectively drowning too. A struggle to live and survive..
What a moving and insightful novel this is. A story about mortality and death is never going to be easy but this one had me shaking as I read. Suicide, death, preparing for death and struggling to survive….all themes were so insightful and it was as if the characters were speaking to me personally. I wanted to hug them, share their pain and Annie, oh Annie, I was in turmoil with what she did but more with what she achieved even in death.
The water and drowning theme were apt and poetic. I drowned in this book. I couldn’t read anything else after reading this. It hurt, it lingered and it’s still with me now.
March 12, 2020
Three lives of three people that never knew each other but are still connected with a theme. The story spans a hundred years and tragically begins in 1899 as a young woman plunges into the icy water of the River Seine to take her own life. She didn't know of course how famous her face would become. In real life, the identity of the young woman was never discovered but the author gives her a fictional life of what could have lead to her being unable to carry on. Her drowning is intimately described and will touch the hardest of hearts. Even though her mind is made up that she has no other way out her body's primal instincts battle to keep her alive, unfortunately, her mind wins.
Even in death, there was something very special about this mysterious woman whose body for some reason had not perished or bloated before she was found. Her face was serene and captured in a death mask that artists would be drawn to and over fifty years later would become known to millions and still is even today.
The second story set in the 1950s in Norway where a toymaker lives on the riverside with his wife and young family. He loves to fish and his young son loves to go with him. When a terrible tragedy strikes it sets in motion events that will go on to save millions of lives the world over.
The third story, a third drowning, only this one is an internal defect on a chromosome that causes cystic fibrosis in a young girl that grows up to become a courageous woman. Her daily battle just to breathe as her lungs worsen, waiting desperately for a match of a pair of healthy lungs from someone that will die tragically for her to live a few good years.
Beautifully written with each page I fell deeper into this story and each of their lives, their personal struggles and the people around them that it affected. The connection between the three just made me tingle. It isn't just the stories that make this book brilliant it is that way that every detail matters. The feel of the icy water, the emptiness left in a mother and father and the determination to fight back and know what it is really like to breath for others.
Highly recommended.
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.
Even in death, there was something very special about this mysterious woman whose body for some reason had not perished or bloated before she was found. Her face was serene and captured in a death mask that artists would be drawn to and over fifty years later would become known to millions and still is even today.
The second story set in the 1950s in Norway where a toymaker lives on the riverside with his wife and young family. He loves to fish and his young son loves to go with him. When a terrible tragedy strikes it sets in motion events that will go on to save millions of lives the world over.
The third story, a third drowning, only this one is an internal defect on a chromosome that causes cystic fibrosis in a young girl that grows up to become a courageous woman. Her daily battle just to breathe as her lungs worsen, waiting desperately for a match of a pair of healthy lungs from someone that will die tragically for her to live a few good years.
Beautifully written with each page I fell deeper into this story and each of their lives, their personal struggles and the people around them that it affected. The connection between the three just made me tingle. It isn't just the stories that make this book brilliant it is that way that every detail matters. The feel of the icy water, the emptiness left in a mother and father and the determination to fight back and know what it is really like to breath for others.
Highly recommended.
I wish to thank NetGalley and the publisher for an e-copy of this book which I have reviewed honestly.
July 19, 2020
I was hooked from the first page of this glorious novel by the description of a woman clambering onto a bridge over the Seine by night and tumbling headlong into the water. The descriptions of water, air and darkness are so perfect that you know you are in the hands of a great writer, but it’s the story, not the prose, that keeps you reading, needing to know…
There are three narratives: that of the woman in Paris in the 1890s, of Pieter, a toy manufacturer who is raising his young family in Norway in the 1950s, and of Anouk, who has cystic fibrosis, in Ottawa in the 1980s and 90s. The danger with multiple narratives is that readers prefer one story to another but I was quickly hooked on all three, and didn’t mind at all when a chapter break took us into a new strand.
The links between the three aren’t obvious till late on but the themes of breathing, swimming, drowning and resuscitation are common to all. It’s about the fragility of life, that thin line between staying afloat and sliding beneath, the way water can both support and kill you. The rhythm of the writing, with full stops sometimes in unusual places, echoes the focus on breathing.
The characterisations are fresh, even in secondary characters like Madame Debord, who suspects everyone of stealing from her, and Nora, stuck in the wilds of Ottawa and homesick for Toronto. Relationships with the opposite sex are strained in all three stories, with the women generally the ones who are stronger in a crisis.
I finished this book a week ago but am still haunted by the power of some scenes. It’s a literary novel, but the beauty of the prose doesn’t ever detract from the emotional pull of the stories, and I gasped out loud as the links were revealed. I hadn’t read Sarah Leipciger before but will definitely be seeking out more of her work. I loved this! It’s a stunning novel.
There are three narratives: that of the woman in Paris in the 1890s, of Pieter, a toy manufacturer who is raising his young family in Norway in the 1950s, and of Anouk, who has cystic fibrosis, in Ottawa in the 1980s and 90s. The danger with multiple narratives is that readers prefer one story to another but I was quickly hooked on all three, and didn’t mind at all when a chapter break took us into a new strand.
The links between the three aren’t obvious till late on but the themes of breathing, swimming, drowning and resuscitation are common to all. It’s about the fragility of life, that thin line between staying afloat and sliding beneath, the way water can both support and kill you. The rhythm of the writing, with full stops sometimes in unusual places, echoes the focus on breathing.
The characterisations are fresh, even in secondary characters like Madame Debord, who suspects everyone of stealing from her, and Nora, stuck in the wilds of Ottawa and homesick for Toronto. Relationships with the opposite sex are strained in all three stories, with the women generally the ones who are stronger in a crisis.
I finished this book a week ago but am still haunted by the power of some scenes. It’s a literary novel, but the beauty of the prose doesn’t ever detract from the emotional pull of the stories, and I gasped out loud as the links were revealed. I hadn’t read Sarah Leipciger before but will definitely be seeking out more of her work. I loved this! It’s a stunning novel.
August 23, 2021
Šis romanas turėjo didelį potencialą. Didžiulį. Praėjo kelios savaitės nuo tada, kai skaičiau, o aš vargiai pamenu siužetą ir veikėjus. Tiksliai atsimenu tik pagrindinę knygos idėją, ir koks yra romane vykstančių įvykių rezultatas. Ir koks tas rezultatas yra mums svarbus šiandien.
Romanas pasakojamas net trijomis linijomis (vargu, ar tiek reikėjo) - 1899 metai, jauna mergina šoka į Seną, miršta, po jos mirties išliejama pomirtinė veido kaukė, kuri vėliau kabo daugelio namuose, apie ją kuriamos istorijos. Kitoje siužeto linijoje - 1959 metai, Norvegija ir žaislų gamintojas, bandantis atsigauti po skaudaus gyvenimo smūgio. Ir dar artimesni mums laikai - 2017, kai Anuk gyvena baimėjė, serga ir jai… nuolat trūksta oro. Romanas gal ir nesupina šių visų istorijų, jos nėra tiesiogiai susijusios, tačiau kartu ir yra, ir gana unikaliu būdu. Jas visas sieja dirbtinio kvėpavimo manekenas ir oras, kuriuo mes kvėpuojame.
Apžvalgoje net nebūčiau rašiusi, kas jas riša, bet tik po to pamačiau, kad genijai, rašantys anotacijas jau tą padarė ir be manęs. Tad štai, visa knyga, istoriniais faktais ir motyvais paremtas pasakojimas, panešiojantis mus per porą šimtmečių, nukeliantis mus į kelias skirtingas vietas, supažindinantis mus su įvairiais veikėjais, papasakoja žmones ir šiandien netiesiogiai, bet gelbėjančio daikto istoriją.
Kraupiausia man vis tik pasirodė pomirtinių kaukių dalis, kurias žmonės namuose kabinosi kaip dekoraciją, nes jos buvo gaminamos masiškai ir žmonės ėmė jas pirkti kaip suvenyrus.
Įdomūs faktai, tikrai kitoks romanas šia prasme, nes niekad nebuvau apie tai susimąsčiusi. Ir šiaip, manau, kad yra nemažai daiktų, apie kurių kilmę mes net nepagalvojame. O štai čia - papasakojama, tik gaila, kad knyga nuobodoka. Neradau čia kažkokio akcento, kuris būtų sužavėjęs. Veikėjai irgi nelabai rūpėjo. Bet mokslo ir atradimų dalis buvo tikrai įdomi.
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Romanas pasakojamas net trijomis linijomis (vargu, ar tiek reikėjo) - 1899 metai, jauna mergina šoka į Seną, miršta, po jos mirties išliejama pomirtinė veido kaukė, kuri vėliau kabo daugelio namuose, apie ją kuriamos istorijos. Kitoje siužeto linijoje - 1959 metai, Norvegija ir žaislų gamintojas, bandantis atsigauti po skaudaus gyvenimo smūgio. Ir dar artimesni mums laikai - 2017, kai Anuk gyvena baimėjė, serga ir jai… nuolat trūksta oro. Romanas gal ir nesupina šių visų istorijų, jos nėra tiesiogiai susijusios, tačiau kartu ir yra, ir gana unikaliu būdu. Jas visas sieja dirbtinio kvėpavimo manekenas ir oras, kuriuo mes kvėpuojame.
Apžvalgoje net nebūčiau rašiusi, kas jas riša, bet tik po to pamačiau, kad genijai, rašantys anotacijas jau tą padarė ir be manęs. Tad štai, visa knyga, istoriniais faktais ir motyvais paremtas pasakojimas, panešiojantis mus per porą šimtmečių, nukeliantis mus į kelias skirtingas vietas, supažindinantis mus su įvairiais veikėjais, papasakoja žmones ir šiandien netiesiogiai, bet gelbėjančio daikto istoriją.
Kraupiausia man vis tik pasirodė pomirtinių kaukių dalis, kurias žmonės namuose kabinosi kaip dekoraciją, nes jos buvo gaminamos masiškai ir žmonės ėmė jas pirkti kaip suvenyrus.
Įdomūs faktai, tikrai kitoks romanas šia prasme, nes niekad nebuvau apie tai susimąsčiusi. Ir šiaip, manau, kad yra nemažai daiktų, apie kurių kilmę mes net nepagalvojame. O štai čia - papasakojama, tik gaila, kad knyga nuobodoka. Neradau čia kažkokio akcento, kuris būtų sužavėjęs. Veikėjai irgi nelabai rūpėjo. Bet mokslo ir atradimų dalis buvo tikrai įdomi.
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March 4, 2020I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. It is difficult to rate this book which has 3 viable and essentially interesting narratives but absolutely no connective tissue joining them. I struggled even to get through the text until I decided it just wasn't necessary to work out what the author was trying to say (because whatever it was she was making a complete hash of it), but simply to follow the disparate story lines. I understand the book is based on truth - my question is what truth? What of the 3 divisive narratives was true ? The obligatory LGBT tale and drowning in Paris?, The drowning of Bear ? or the development of cystic fibrosis? My feeling is it none of these - rather it is the development of ResusciAnn - an also ran in the narrative department of this book.
I feel this was a bad book and because it failed to draw together whatever it was aiming to draw tog ether. I feel the reader was let down and I won't be looking for more by this author
I feel this was a bad book and because it failed to draw together whatever it was aiming to draw tog ether. I feel the reader was let down and I won't be looking for more by this author
July 18, 2022
Historical fiction entwined with fact. Three stories that melted my heart. They span the years 1899 to the present day. Each story is a little gem on it's own. So emotive and beautifully written, together they make a masterpiece of the written word. I have never read a book by this author before and she is definitely one to watch. After reading this book everything else was on hold and I literally had to come up for air. This book deserves more than five stars and is so highly recommended.
January 20, 2022
Iki pat pabaigos laukiau sąsajos tarp trijų knygoje aprašomų veikėjų! Persipynę gyvenimo voratinkliai, sprendimai, vedantys į nebūtį ir vienintelis noras - ĮKVĖPTI! Tikri faktai susidraugavę su autorės vaizduotės linijomis - puikiai atsispindi romano puslapiuose.
November 6, 2020
In Coming Up for Air, three very different lives are connected by a true story. Anouk in present day Canada has cystic fibrosis and is waiting for a lung transplant. Pieter, a Norwegian toymaker suffers a tragedy in the 1950s which sets him of on the course of a transformative invention. Finally, there is the woman who links them, L’Inconnue, the Unknown Woman who drowns in the river Seine in 1899.
The chapters jump between the three main characters with different viewpoints and timeframes. Each of the stories is equally riveting and as you reach the end it becomes obvious how each of these individual's lives has an impact and is connected with the others. It's also well worth reading the Author's Note at the very end which explains the inspiration for the novel and which elements are factual, making it even more poignant.
The chapters jump between the three main characters with different viewpoints and timeframes. Each of the stories is equally riveting and as you reach the end it becomes obvious how each of these individual's lives has an impact and is connected with the others. It's also well worth reading the Author's Note at the very end which explains the inspiration for the novel and which elements are factual, making it even more poignant.
April 7, 2021
I would have never picked out this book, but it was recommended by a friend and I am so glad I listened! First off, DO NOT read any spoilers about it, half the fun was trying to figure out how these three characters in three different countries and eras could somehow be connected. I loved the author's writing style and particularly her creative use of one word sentences. It is beautifully written and beautifully narrated.
January 29, 2020
Thank you to Sarah Leipciger, Random House, and NetGalley for the ARC of Coming Up For Air.
Deeply moving and beautifully written. A stunning three part story linked by river water and an incredible sense of loss and rejuvenation. Superb!
Deeply moving and beautifully written. A stunning three part story linked by river water and an incredible sense of loss and rejuvenation. Superb!
July 19, 2020
Captivating and beautiful. Three different storylines, decades apart, loosely connected by a true story, but more powerfully connected by the themes of swimming, drowning, breath, life, and death.
August 27, 2020
My thanks to Random House U.K. Transworld for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘Coming Up for Air’ by Sarah Leipciger. It was published in March 2020.
This novel is quite subtle. It relates three stories, separated by time and space. It is air, the ability to breathe, that obviously links them though as the tales develop a stronger connection is revealed.
Standing on the banks of the River Seine in 1899, L'Inconnue, the unknown woman, takes one final breath before plunging into the icy water. In 1950s Norway, bereaved toy-maker Pieter Akrehamn is working with soft plastics and is on the cusp of an important invention. Finally, in present day Canada Anouk, who has lived her entire life with cystic fibrosis, risks everything for one last chance to live and to at last breathe normally.
I was a little uncertain at first about the format and theme though I was quickly drawn in. By the end I had an aha moment as its three narratives came together. Of the three threads, Anouk’s story from her birth through adulthood is given the most space.
In her Author’s Note Sarah Leipciger relates that aspects of ‘Coming Up For Air’ were based on true stories, notably that of L'Inconnue de la Seine. In the novel she reimagines what might have led her to take her own life. In addition, the character of Pieter was inspired by Norwegian toy maker, Åsmund Laerdal.
The descriptions of L'Inconnue’s drowning along with Anouk’s struggles to breathe were very vivid. Indeed, Anouk’s story while fictional was very inspiring.
Overall, a beautifully crafted blend of historical and contemporary fiction.
This novel is quite subtle. It relates three stories, separated by time and space. It is air, the ability to breathe, that obviously links them though as the tales develop a stronger connection is revealed.
Standing on the banks of the River Seine in 1899, L'Inconnue, the unknown woman, takes one final breath before plunging into the icy water. In 1950s Norway, bereaved toy-maker Pieter Akrehamn is working with soft plastics and is on the cusp of an important invention. Finally, in present day Canada Anouk, who has lived her entire life with cystic fibrosis, risks everything for one last chance to live and to at last breathe normally.
I was a little uncertain at first about the format and theme though I was quickly drawn in. By the end I had an aha moment as its three narratives came together. Of the three threads, Anouk’s story from her birth through adulthood is given the most space.
In her Author’s Note Sarah Leipciger relates that aspects of ‘Coming Up For Air’ were based on true stories, notably that of L'Inconnue de la Seine. In the novel she reimagines what might have led her to take her own life. In addition, the character of Pieter was inspired by Norwegian toy maker, Åsmund Laerdal.
The descriptions of L'Inconnue’s drowning along with Anouk’s struggles to breathe were very vivid. Indeed, Anouk’s story while fictional was very inspiring.
Overall, a beautifully crafted blend of historical and contemporary fiction.
October 16, 2020
>>Die Unbekannte aus der Seiner und der eine Atemzug, der Tod vom Leben trennt <<
Paris, 1899: Die Leiche einer jungen Frau wird aus der Seine gezogen. Ihr Gesichtsausdruck ist so rätselhaft und friedlich, dass man eine Totenmaske anfertigt, deren Lächeln bald die ganze Stadt kennt...
„Das Geschenk des Lebens“ von Sarah Leipciger ist eine besondere Geschichte, denn die Geschichte der Unbekannten aus der Seine reicht weit und tief und dies bringt die Autorin hier auf wie ich finde besondere Weise in Einklang.
Die Thematik fand ich unheimlich interessant, dennoch muss ich sagen, dass mir insgesamt die emotionale Tiefe fehlte, so dass ich mich dem Buch und der Geschichte einfach nicht so nah fühlte wie ich es zu Beginn erhofft hatte.
Paris, 1899: Die Leiche einer jungen Frau wird aus der Seine gezogen. Ihr Gesichtsausdruck ist so rätselhaft und friedlich, dass man eine Totenmaske anfertigt, deren Lächeln bald die ganze Stadt kennt...
„Das Geschenk des Lebens“ von Sarah Leipciger ist eine besondere Geschichte, denn die Geschichte der Unbekannten aus der Seine reicht weit und tief und dies bringt die Autorin hier auf wie ich finde besondere Weise in Einklang.
Die Thematik fand ich unheimlich interessant, dennoch muss ich sagen, dass mir insgesamt die emotionale Tiefe fehlte, so dass ich mich dem Buch und der Geschichte einfach nicht so nah fühlte wie ich es zu Beginn erhofft hatte.
January 29, 2022
Net keista, kad šios knygos bendras vertinimas nesiekia 4 žvaigždučių. Tikrai verta 4 ar net 5, tad skiriu 4.5⭐️. Ir išmonė, ir tikri faktai, viskas susipina, tad trys visiškai skirtingos istorijos atrodo susijusiomis. Visai įdomi knyga :)
June 11, 2025
I loved this book. Having just come back from Norway, I could see the images she wrote about.
I loved the story, the characters, the beautiful writing. Read this book :)
I loved the story, the characters, the beautiful writing. Read this book :)
August 30, 2020
Wow... Was für ein tolles Buch!
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