Breath Like Water

by Anna Jarzab

[Sam@WLABB]

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Susannah dreamed of making it to the Olympic Games, and she gave the sport of swimming her blood, sweat, and tears. She loved the sport, but after a growth spurt, it seemed the sport wasn't loving her back. She went from being at the top of her game to questioning why she was even in the pool. Then, a new coach and a new swimmer enter her life, and she feels hopeful again, but maybe her dream wasn't meant to be.

It is really demanding to compete at the elite level. It demands a lot of the athlete, mentally and physically, but is also demanding on the family. Susannah's family made many sacrifices to support Susannah's dream, and that pressure combine with her own expectations were starting to weigh Susannah down, when her times began slipping. There are many parts in this story, where she tries to imagine her life beyond the pool, who she would be without swimming, which had defined her for so long. Those moments were really emotional for me, as I can only imagine how hard it would be to have to re-evaluate your dreams. And, to have your body, your tool, betray you, and not really have any control of how or when it happened must have been terribly frustrating for Susannah.

That is why I loved the new coach, Beth, so much. She understood, that Susannah's body had changed, and so, her swimming must change too. Beth was so fabulous, and I was happy with the role she ended up playing in Susannah's life. I feel like she helped love both herself and swimming again.

Then, there was Harry. Harry was Susannah's first big love. Time with boys meant time taken away from swimming, but Susannah was willing to sacrifice practice time for Harry. Their relationship wasn't easy, and one big reason was due to Harry's mental health issues. I felt as though Jarzab did a good job with this sub-plot, but what I really appreciated was the way Susannah reacted. She was compassionate, understanding, and never loved him any less because of his illness.

I think the author earned that extra half star with the ending. I found tears running down my cheeks for a number of reasons, but mostly because it was a beautiful way to end Susannah's story.

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