The Deepest Breath

"I have to hold my hands up here and say that if Meg Grehan rewrote the phonebook I would be all over that. Because honestly she’s got so much skill with verse, and she makes it look so easy. It must take so much effort to shape those verses and craft those sentences, but you can’t see any of the mechanics, it’s just perfect. She’s got this innate ability to hang the right word in the right place every time and the effect is absolutely mesmerising. The Deepest Breath follows 11 year old Stevie. She’s an incredibly anxious child, she’s got a really big heart, and she is trying to understand where she fits in the grand scheme of things. She knows a lot of things, especially about marine life. Her brain is kind of like a sponge, she just soaks up all this information and she really enjoys knowing things. But she doesn’t know why she feels a bit funny when she looks at her friend Chloe. And she’s a bit worried that Mum might read things into it if she talks to her so she doesn’t bring it up. She sets out to find the answers for herself with the help of a librarian and an awful lot of books, and I find that so endearing. It’s not a huge part of the story, but this quest for self-discovery is very much aided by this nameless librarian and a stack of paperbacks, which I think is brilliant. Support Five Books Five Books interviews are expensive to produce. If you're enjoying this interview, please support us by donating a small amount . Again, it’s written in free verse, and the narrative captures the essence of Stevie perfectly. It’s a very slim book but it could have a profound impact on a child struggling with anxiety or coming out to a parent. Stevie’s fascination with the sea is completely reflected in the rhythms of the verse. It flows steady like a river one minute and then it’s crashing like waves against a cliff face the next, you get that real sense of build and ebb and flow with it. The relationship between Stevie and her mum is beautifully realised and the reading experience overall is incredibly gentle. It’s thoughtful and it’s powerful. This book is an absolute treasure. I really do think it belongs on bookshelves in children’s bedrooms, in libraries, everywhere."