A heartbreaking, lyrical story for all of those who have fantasised
about escaping their daily lives and starting over. Michael Kabongo
is a British-Congolese teacher living in London on the cusp of two
identities. On paper, he seems to have it all - he's loved by his
students, popular with his colleagues, and enjoys the pride of his
mother who emigrated from the Congo. But behind closed doors, he's
been struggling with the overwhelming sense that he can't improve
the injustices he sees - from his efforts to change the lives of
his students, to his attempts to transcend the violence that
marginalises young Black men around the world. Then Michael suffers
a devastating loss, and his life is thrown into a tailspin. As he
struggles to find a way forward, memories of his fathers' violent
death, the weight of being a refugee, and an increasing sense of
dread threaten everything he's worked so hard to achieve. Longing
to escape the shadows in his mind and start anew, Michael decides
to spontaneously pack up and go to America, the mythical 'land of
the free,' where he imagines everything will be better, easier - a
place where he can become someone new, someone without a past
filled with pain. On this transformative journey, Michael travels
from New York City to San Francisco, partying with new friends,
sparking fleeting romances, and splurging on big adventures. In the
back of his mind, Michael has a plan: follow his dreams until the
money in his bank account runs out, and then he will decide if his
life is truly worth living... Written in spellbinding prose, with
Bola's trademark, magnetic storytelling, The Selfless Act of
Breathing is a heart-wrenching and deeply emotional novel about
mental health, masculinity and the power of love. What people are
saying about The Selfless Act of Breathing: 'Well, wow. The writing
in this book was so lyrical and beautiful... I really couldn't put
this book down and finished it in two days... The last page had me
on the verge of tears.' NetGalley Reviewer 'I knew from the opening
that this book was going to break my heart. Breathless and
gripping, it is a masterclass in empathy.' Yvonne Battle-Felton
'Heartfelt and searing... Devastating and insightful... Readers
will be swept up in the sheer beauty of Bola's writing.' The i
'Possessed by a daring turn of phrase and at times a beautifully
powerful sense of personal poignancy... Should be pushed into the
hands of friends accompanied by the question: do you feel this
too?' Big Issue 'Absolutely stunning.' Elizabeth Day 'I loved this
book - I lost my whole day reading - just couldn't bear to put it
down!' NetGalley Reviewer 'Wonderfully tender... Bola's vulnerable,
delicate writing conveys so much truth and heart about the quiet
pain in our hearts.' Nikesh Shukla 'Arresting... Important and
emotive... Powerfully raw.' Guardian 'A bold work with a broad
scope, bravely tackling masculinity, hopelessness and despair with
force and directness.' Okechukwu Nzelu 'A beautiful, absorbing
read. By turns searing and quietly devastating.' Irenosen Okojie
'An emotive, brave novel that ultimately holds out the prospect of
salvation, without sacrificing any of its power.' Daily Mail
'Providing a spark of hope.' Observer 'Narrated with haunting
lyricism... An intimate journey through the darkest of human
impulses to the gleaming flickers of love and radical hope.' Susan
Abulhawa 'Bola's insightful, intimate and lyrical work has been
entrancing readers... Reminiscent of Paul Beatty and Ralph
Ellison.' The Bookseller
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
