A lovely, if tragic, read. Three intertwined stories, three protagonists separated by time and location culminating in a beautiful story. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for an ARC egalley.

Coming up for air is a beautiful, moving story about breathing and water – both metaphors for life itself! It follows three different, but brilliantly drawn characters, in three very different povs/ narratives. The links between these narratives are delicate and you need to pay attention but it’s an immensely rewarding reading experience. The story moves along portmanteau fashion from 19th C to present day. Historical detail and a certain amount of true story is also woven in. If you’re looking for a powerful, lyrical read that’s a bit different, I highly recommend this.

I loved this book and read it in one afternoon. The three stories are fascinating individually, but when you realise the threads that bind the stories together, the whole thing is outstanding.
I felt genuinely moved by these stories, and know others will too.

What an outstanding read, I’m going to be recommending this far and wide.

Linked by the themes of breathing and of water, three different stories span the narrative of Coming Up for Air:

We follow Anouk’s life in the present day as she negotiates a constant battle to breathe with cystic fibrosis and it’s constant demands upon her body, her relief found in open air swimming and being under the water; back at the end of the 19th century, a young woman in Paris, worn down by life, seeks out the water as an end to her life; and in 1950s Norway, Pieter, a toy maker by trade, his life forever changed by a drowning, is sought out by reputation to create the prototype of the Resusci Anne doll

Every single character in this book is so well fleshed out, so tangible, as are the locations. The emotions the characters experience are raw and harsh, and you cannot help but care for them. I do love a book which centres around a true story, and Sarah Leipciger explains exactly this detail precisely at the end. All round brilliant and highly recommended.

Wonderfully poetic writing in a book that demands your undivided attention. Three stories gradually intertwine, all connected in more ways than one. It's a novel which defies description as it doesn't fit neatly into any one genre, but it is a novel worthy of being read slowly and mindfully

4.5 stars
This book contains a kernel or two of truth and historical fact, explained at the end. It’s concerned with breathing, or the inability to do so. There are three main protagonists and we dip into each story. It can be a little disorientating as these individuals’ stories also move up and down their timeline so you need your wits about you. Each chapter is clearly marked with ‘who’ and ‘when’. The writing can be hugely evocative but also a bit jerky – sentence fragments etc. However, the book itself hangs together as a really unusual telling of a very memorable tale. I raced through it and enjoyed it immensely.
Many thanks to Penguin Random House for the chance to read an early copy of this book.

You must read this beautiful, riveting novel.
There are three main stories within it.
In 1899 a young girl becomes a companion to an elderly Parisian woman, and a love affair leads to a series of terrible events, and to the banks of the River Seine.
In the 1950s, a Norwegian toy-maker writes a love letter to his little boy.
And in present day Toronto, journalist Anouk struggles to breathe as she battles with cystic fibrosis.
The three stories are linked in unexpected ways but it’s not a book that has a pat ending that neatly ties up the loose ends.
The stories have the same themes running through them: breathing, rivers and the freedom of wild swimming, drowning.
Leipciger’s writing is utterly sublime and poetic. It is also compelling and this novel is just a really gripping good read.
One of those novels that feels so real, you feel bereft at finishing and having to say goodbye to the characters: highly recommended.

I think this book will polarise readers, who will either love it or not. Let me tell you why......... the book is a series of short, beautifully written tableau, telling the stories of three different families, and if you spend all the book wondering how and when the stories will converge, you may be disappointed, as the links are pretty tenuous. However, if you read it with an open mind and accept it for the thoughtful, compassionate and stunningly characterised book that it is, you will love it. It worked for me and I will certainly be looking out for more from this author.