A Sharp Intake of Breath

Submitted by dmacdonell on Sun, 2009-10-04 14:59

A Sharp Intake of Breath

By John Miller

978-1-55002-607-8
January 2007
250pp, Paperback
$21.99 CAD

Shelve it

“A story of courage and sacrifice, it is a solid second novel for a writer of promise and one that left me waiting for more.” – Andrew Armitage, The Sun Times (Owen Sound) July 18

Born with a split lip and cleft palate, Toshy Wolfman's life is an uphill battle. Believing he is dim-witted and ugly, Toshy finds his resentment slowly building as he is ridiculed, used, and misled. Ultimately, he is imprisoned after being caught stealing a valuable and famous diamond, the Orange Sunset.

But Toshy's story is not his alone - it is shared with his two sisters: Lil, a radical and a devotee of anarchist Emma Goldman; and Bessie, who goes to work for one of Goldman’s enemies, the owners of the Orange Sunset. Toshy's love for his sisters drives him to make some of the bravest decisions of his life. But despite having seemingly overcome his obstacles, an aging Toshy stuns his nephew by asking for his assistance in committing suicide.Toshy won’t fully explain his decision. Nor will he fully explain why, at this late stage in life, he is obsessed with making a journey to France.