Selfless Act of Breathing

No cover — J. J. Bola: Selfless Act of Breathing (2022, Atria Books)

English language

Published Aug. 31, 2022 by Atria Books.

ISBN:: 978-1-9821-7556-6

(1 review)

A heartbreaking, lyrical story for all of those who have fantasized 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 beloved by his students, popular with his coworkers, and the pride and joy of a mother who emigrated from the Congo to the UK in search of a better life. But behind closed doors, he's been struggling with the overwhelming sense that he can't address the injustices he sees raging before him-from his relentless efforts to change the lives of his students for the better to his attempts to transcend the violence and brutality that marginalizes young Black men around the world.

Then one day he suffers a devastating loss, and his life is thrown into a tailspin. As he struggles to find a way forward, memories …

A heartbreaking, lyrical story for all of those who have fantasized 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 beloved by his students, popular with his coworkers, and the pride and joy of a mother who emigrated from the Congo to the UK in search of a better life. But behind closed doors, he's been struggling with the overwhelming sense that he can't address the injustices he sees raging before him-from his relentless efforts to change the lives of his students for the better to his attempts to transcend the violence and brutality that marginalizes young Black men around the world.

Then one day he 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 refugeehood, 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 everywhere from New York City to San Francisco, partying with new friends, sparking fleeting romances, and splurging on big adventures, with the intention of living the life of his dreams until the money in his bank account runs out.

7 editions

Stephanie Jane reviewed Selfless Act of Breathing by J. J. Bola

A profound read

5 stars

I found The Selfless Act of Breathing to be such a profound read. The novel is an insightful and compassionate portrayal of chronic depression which I actually found quite upsetting to read at times. I loved JJ Bola's prose style which I felt perfectly suited this subject although I can understand - and see from other reviews - that it doesn't appeal to every reader. This is a novel that takes its time and that delves deeply into one character's psychology. There is also a strong storyline, but the book is not a fast-paced read and the dual timeline approach means, as readers, that we know early on where Michael will end up, but unravelling the events that motivate him is what drives The Selfless Act of Breathing forwards.

This is an intense, yet rewarding novel to read and I highly recommend it, yet I'm finding it incredibly difficult to …

I found The Selfless Act of Breathing to be such a profound read. The novel is an insightful and compassionate portrayal of chronic depression which I actually found quite upsetting to read at times. I loved JJ Bola's prose style which I felt perfectly suited this subject although I can understand - and see from other reviews - that it doesn't appeal to every reader. This is a novel that takes its time and that delves deeply into one character's psychology. There is also a strong storyline, but the book is not a fast-paced read and the dual timeline approach means, as readers, that we know early on where Michael will end up, but unravelling the events that motivate him is what drives The Selfless Act of Breathing forwards.

This is an intense, yet rewarding novel to read and I highly recommend it, yet I'm finding it incredibly difficult to review without inadvertently giving away plot points, especially as these points, in isolation and without the rich context of the novel, just won't have the same impact as they did for me as I engrossed myself in Michael's tale. From enjoying the early pages, but not being particularly gripped, I found myself utterly compelled by this novel as it progressed. Although very different books in themselves, I wonder if perhaps The Selfless Act of Breathing would appeal to readers who enjoyed Just to the Right of the Stove by Elisabeth Horan or The Boy Between by Amanda Prowse and Josiah Hartley, both of which are also powerfully memorable accounts of mental health breakdowns.