{"product_id":"selfless-act-of-breathing","title":"Selfless Act Of Breathing","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA heartbreaking, lyrical story for all of those who have fantasised about escaping their daily lives and starting over.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eMichael Kabongo\u003c\/b\u003e 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThen 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eLonging 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.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eIn 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...\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWritten in spellbinding prose, with Bola''s trademark, magnetic storytelling, \u003ci\u003eThe Selfless Act of Breathing\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003e is a heart-wrenching and deeply emotional novel about mental health, masculinity and the power of love. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003ePerfect for fans of \u003ci\u003eRainbow Milk \u003c\/i\u003eand the works of Derek Owusu.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eWhat people are saying about \u003ci\u003eThe Selfless Act of Breathing\u003c\/i\u003e:\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''\u003cb\u003eWell, wow\u003c\/b\u003e. The writing in this book was so lyrical and beautiful... \u003cb\u003eI really couldn''t put this book down\u003c\/b\u003e and finished it in two days... The last page had me on the \u003cb\u003everge of tears\u003c\/b\u003e.'' NetGalley Reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''I knew from the opening that this book was \u003cb\u003egoing to break my heart\u003c\/b\u003e. \u003cb\u003eBreathless and gripping\u003c\/b\u003e, it is a masterclass in empathy.'' Yvonne Battle-Felton\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''\u003cb\u003eHeartfelt\u003c\/b\u003e and searing... Devastating and \u003cb\u003einsightful\u003c\/b\u003e... \u003cb\u003eReaders will be swept up\u003c\/b\u003e in the \u003cb\u003esheer beauty\u003c\/b\u003e of Bola''s writing.'' \u003ci\u003eThe i\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Possessed by a \u003cb\u003edaring turn of phrase\u003c\/b\u003e and at times a beautifully \u003cb\u003epowerful sense of personal poignancy\u003c\/b\u003e... Should be \u003cb\u003epushed into the hands of friends\u003c\/b\u003e accompanied by the question: \u003cb\u003edo you feel this too\u003c\/b\u003e?'' \u003ci\u003eBig Issue\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''\u003cb\u003eAbsolutely stunning\u003c\/b\u003e.'' Elizabeth Day\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''I \u003cb\u003eloved\u003c\/b\u003e this book - I \u003cb\u003elost my whole day\u003c\/b\u003e reading - just \u003cb\u003ecouldn''t bear to put it down!\u003c\/b\u003e'' NetGalley Reviewer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''\u003cb\u003eWonderfully tender\u003c\/b\u003e... Bola''s \u003cb\u003evulnerable\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003cb\u003edelicate\u003c\/b\u003e writing conveys so much truth and heart about the quiet pain in our hearts.'' Nikesh Shukla\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''\u003cb\u003eArresting\u003c\/b\u003e... \u003cb\u003eImportant \u003c\/b\u003eand\u003cb\u003e emotive\u003c\/b\u003e... Powerfully raw.'' \u003ci\u003eGuardian\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''A \u003cb\u003ebold\u003c\/b\u003e work with a broad scope, bravely tackling masculinity, hopelessness and despair with \u003cb\u003eforce and directness\u003c\/b\u003e.'' Okechukwu Nzelu\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''A \u003cb\u003ebeautiful, absorbing\u003c\/b\u003e read. By turns searing and quietly devastating.'' Irenosen Okojie\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''An \u003cb\u003eemotive, brave\u003c\/b\u003e novel that ultimately holds out the prospect of salvation, without sacrificing any of its power.'' \u003ci\u003eDaily Mail\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Providing \u003cb\u003ea spark of hope\u003c\/b\u003e.'' \u003ci\u003eObserver\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Narrated with haunting lyricism... An intimate journey through the darkest of human impulses to the \u003cb\u003egleaming flickers of love and radical hope\u003c\/b\u003e.'' Susan Abulhawa\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e''Bola''s insightful, \u003cb\u003eintimate and lyrical\u003c\/b\u003e work has been entrancing readers... Reminiscent of Paul Beatty and Ralph Ellison.'' \u003ci\u003eThe Bookseller\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"MediaPlace","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57315351134590,"sku":"NW9780349702063","price":12.95,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1379\/1261\/files\/9780349702063.jpg?v=1778691404","url":"https:\/\/mediaplace.com\/en-eu\/products\/selfless-act-of-breathing","provider":"MediaPlace","version":"1.0","type":"link"}