Elizabeth Poliner’s As Close To Us As Breathing begins with the line “The Summer of 1948 my brother Davey was killed in an accident with a man who would have given his own life rather than have it happen.” The pages that follow, we are introduced to three Jewish sisters — Ada, Beck, and Vivi — who inherit a summer cottage from their father in Woodmont, Connecticut, and travel there every summer with their children. On Fridays, their husbands leave the work at their department store in Middletown to join their families for the weekend, stopping for a hotdog at Jimmie’s along the way.
Told from the point of view of Molly, As Close to Us As Breathing tells the story of the summer of 1948 with the events that lead up to Molly’s brother’s accident, but then paints a picture of the family and the skeletons buries in the closet of each sister. Towards the end of the novel, we fast forward to the future, where Molly is grown up.
Furthermore, As Close To Us As Breathing also paints a picture of a post World War II New England, where Jews stick together and prejudice still remains. We see this in several instances throughout the story, especially as some members of the family are straddled with the pressures of staying with their family and doing what their father decides what’s best for them.
I was recommended this novel by my mother in law, and I devoured it. Honestly, I was sold on the fact that it simply took place in Connecticut. I listened to the audiobook on this one, and it felt like I was listening to an aunt or my grandmother tell me stories of long ago. Further, I am from the New Haven area, so I could picture the setting with perfect ease.
The central plot point and event of this book was the tragedy of Davie’s death and the divide of how each member of the family was before and after. However, it extends to much more than that. There are themes of tradition, themes of exploring, and of course, the desire of being accepted by your family. In several scenes in the book, Molly struggled to be accepted by her cousin Nina, whose consistent company was the pages of her book. There are also themes are growing up, as Molly leaves her beloved puppet, Linda Bagel, and her constant desire to wear Nina’s dress made by their aunt.
While the premise of this novel is tragedy, the stories of each member of the family are tightly woven together and told in such an engaging manner. There’s Ada, who stole Mort from her sister Vivi. We then go into how Vivi moves on from Mort. Then, we learn about Beck, the youngest, who never marries, but becomes a master seamstress. And, the latter half of the book, we learn about what happens to the kids — Molly, Howard, and Nina. Each character felt so real, and as I was listening to the book, I couldn’t help but feel like they were someone that I knew, or had a connection to.
That said, this book did come with its own set of problems. Towards the end, I did not care for how the father treated the women immediately following Davey’s accident. I also was frustrated with how the mother perceived Italians due to the fact the person causing the accident being Italian.
That said, As Close To Us As Breathing encompasses everything that I love about reading. It’s emotionally driven, leaves us with a glimpse of what life was like in the generations before it, and gives you something that you take with you long after you’ve read that final sentence. Therefore, this makes it the perfect summer read, as it takes you back to summers as a kid — no matter what generation you’re in.
Needless to say, I gave this one five out of five stars.
thenutmegmillennial.com 