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A Mouthful of Air

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A Mouthful of Air

By: Amy Koppelman
Narrated by: Julia Atwood
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About this listen

Now a major motion picture starring Amanda Seyfried and Finn Wittrock

A Mouthful of Air is a compassionate and wrenching portrait of Julie Davis, a young wife and mother torn between the love she feels for her family and the voice in her head that insists they’d be better off without her.

We meet Julie several weeks after her suicide attempt, on the eve of her son’s first birthday. Grateful to be alive, Julie tries her best to appreciate every moment — “this tree, that passing car, the pretzel guy up ahead on the corner. She has, for whatever reason, been given a second chance” — but her emotional demons are unrelenting, and she is slowly and quietly losing the battle.

Within the narrative of A Mouthful of Air is an argument about the nature of depression — its causes, cures, and the price it exacts from its victims. With spare, elegant prose, this brutally honest portrayal of family and self illuminates the power and complexity of the human psyche.

Originally published in 2003, A Mouthful of Air now includes an afterword by author Adrienne Miller.

©2003 Amy Koppelman (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing Family Life Genre Fiction Indigenous Creators Mental Health Awareness Women's Fiction
All stars
Most relevant
Not the best story although narration was good Looking forward to more from this author

Mouthful of air

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A harrowing and heartbreaking story, that is beautifully told. A tough read but I was hooked.

oh my heart

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not sure why I chose this book, hadn't heard of it or the movie, probably wouldn't have chosen it by topic. that didn't matter once I had already started. totally captivating.

Wow!

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Post natal depression is one of those taboo subjects in society although, at least, there greater knowledge steadily being built around it. Told in third person point of view and mainly from the protagonist’s viewpoint, and again, largely from her thoughts and occasional interactions with others. It isn’t just an exploration of PND; it’s also about what it means to be a ‘good mother’ and the role of women within a traditional, patriarchal society. Not a comfortable read but one that will stay with me.

Bleak but worth it

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.