Shallow Breath
How far would you go to save someone you love?
Two years ago, Desi Priest made a horrific mistake and destroyed her family.
Now, she is coming home to make amends: to her daughter Maya, who’s nurturing her own dangerous plan; to her brother Jackson, who blames himself; and to her close friend Pete, who has spent years shielding her from a devastating truth.
But as Desi returns to her beloved house by the ocean, there is a stranger waiting for her. Someone who needs her help. Someone whose arrival will reveal a chain of secrets hidden for over twenty years.
And one by one the family will be forced to confront the possibility that they have somehow got things terribly, tragically wrong …
Set across five continents, Shallow Breath is a compelling novel of dashed dreams and second chances. But most of all it is a story about love, and what it really means to be free.
‘The narrative burden shifts between characters, all of whom have winning strengths and credible frailties, and the action emanates from these qualities with effortless suspense and dramatic power…’
Sydney Morning Herald PICK OF THE WEEK
‘well-crafted psychological suspense’
Saturday Age PICK OF THE WEEK
‘set quite uniquely against a fascinating and intelligent backdrop of Australian wildlife and it’s struggle for survival in the modern world’
Australian Women’s Weekly
‘a love letter to the ocean’
Bookseller and Publisher
Praise for Shallow Breath
‘Gripping, touching, and close to my heart. I was hooked from start to finish.’
FAVEL PARRETT, author of Past the Shallows
‘Shallow Breath invites breathless anticipation, building towards a shocking climax. It is a really satisfying read.’
‘…the steady unveiling of all that lies below the surface is suspenseful, complicated and deeply mired in oceanic metaphors … Foster is a gifted writer who has much to teach us in amongst this intriguing family saga.
‘a thrilling novel about love and freedom’
Green Lifestyle magazine
‘compelling, emotional and graphic’ 5/5 stars
‘Shallow Breath is a beautifully written novel that quite easily draws you in to this somewhat broken family and the fragile relationships that are struggling to knit themselves back together … It further cements Sara Foster as a writer with a real talent for suspense and pacing and the ability to flesh out her novels with characters that are so real you can imagine yourself living next door to them.’
‘… with Western Australian author Sara Foster’s skilled pen, there is a vitality and urgency to the pace of Shallow Breath than catapults the reader right into the heart of the action.’
Australian Women’s Weekly
‘…beautifully researched and written with enormous passion … the perfect holiday companion for those wanting to lose themselves in a good story.’
Writing WA review in the West Australian
‘Shallow Breath is a fast-paced read which interweaves drama, intrigue, loss and the fate animals can face at the hands of humans. The author’s clever use of psychological suspense played out in this book reeled me in and delivered the animal conservation message with a powerful punch.’
Port Macquarie News
‘Shallow Breath is a modern Australian saga, written by an author who knows how to breathe life into characters. The story reaches through the pages pulling you into its watery depths and when it is over the characters will stay with you as if you’ve connected deeply with new friends.’
‘An engaging novel that is sure to haunt you, this is an absorbing read. Dive into Shallow Breath – you won’t regret it.‘
‘…an absorbing novel about the loneliness of secrets and how love yearns to be free of them.’
Canberra Times
‘a double whammy of suspense coupled with some nicely nuanced characters…‘
Geelong Advertiser
‘Foster has such a knack for intrigue and is so engaging with her storytelling…,and this, her third novel – set in her adopted WA – is sharper and more mysterious than ever.’
The West Australian
‘another taut, suspenseful read bursting with family secrets and hope… Shallow Breath is one of those books you want to dive into and not come back out of until it’s finished.’
MONIQUE MULLIGAN, Write Note Reviews
For Bookclubs
Book Club Questions (downloadable PDF)
If you’d like to read Shallow Breath for your book club, this downloadable PDF reading guide includes discussion questions for your group. Do you have a burning question that you want to ask Sara about the book, or would you like a personalised video for your book club? Use the contact form to get in touch. You can find downloadable PDFs for all Sara’s books on the Book Club page. Add this book to your GoodReads library:
