Eva and Jackson have only been married for 8 months when Jackson is swept out to sea while fishing. Although he’s a lifelong fisherman and strong swimmer, the icy cold waters and strong current of the English Channel carry him away, and he is declared dead.
Eva decides to take a leave of absence from her job as a midwife and travel to Jackson’s homeland of Tasmania, hoping that by surrounding herself with his friends and family, she’ll be able to deal with her grief. However, when Eva is greeted less than warmly by Dirk, Jackson’s father, and then meets his estranged brother, Saul, Eva begins to realize her husband was not what he had lead her to believe.
While visiting Saul at his home on a small island off the coast of Tasmania, Eva decides the sea and isolation are just what she needs to clear her head and her heart. But the more time she spends with Saul as she learns the truth about Jackson, the closer she becomes to him. But Eva is unsure if it’s Saul she’s falling for or his resemblance to her husband.
A Single Breath is one of those books that made me think — what would I do in this situation? The more Eva learns about Jackson’s real past and his reasons for lying to her, the more I felt for her. She’s understandably angry with him for his deception, but she still loves him, despite her growing attraction to Saul. Jackson is actually a sympathetic character, and as much as I wanted to hate him, it’s clear he got caught up in his own web of lies.
With the breathtaking setting of Tasmania, authentic characters, and the mystery of what really happened to Jackson, this is a book I recommend.
Nancy has always wanted to visit Australia. She writes about her boys, books, and life in Colorado at Life With My Boys and Books.