A NOVEL OF LOVE AND LOSS FROM BESTSELLING AND PRIZEWINNING AUTHOR JOYCE CAROL OATESAmid a
starkly beautiful but uncanny landscape in New Mexico a married couple from Cambridge MA
takes residency at a distinguished academic institute. When the husband is stricken with a
mysterious illness misdiagnosed at first their lives are uprooted and husband and wife each
embarks upon a nightmare journey. At thirty-seven Michaela faces the terrifying prospect of
widowhood - and the loss of Gerard whose identity has greatly shaped her own. In vividly
depicted scenes of escalating suspense Michaela cares desperately for Gerard in his final days
as she comes to realize that her love for her husband however fierce and selfless is not
enough to save him and that his death is beyond her comprehension. A love that refuses to be
surrendered at death-is this the blessing of a unique married love or a curse that must be
exorcized? Part intimately detailed lovestory part horror story rooted in real life BREATHE
is an exploration of hauntedness rooted in the domesticity of marital love as well as our
determination both to be faithful to the beloved and to survive the trauma of loss.
