Holding My Breath
By the time I reached the second chapter (yes, the first was a little slow, almost turned me off), I was caught up in the dynamics of this very engrossing family. The pull of tradition against the modern was by turns familiar and new to me. The setting, Winnipeg starting mid-1940's was a perfect setting to tell the story of a Jewish-Canadian family in transition. The narrator, who is the only daughter of the couple being married at the start of the book, looks at her family and the world around her as I might have, had I been as observant. Although it relates the happenings in a Jewish family, the story could have been about any ethnicity of the time....I highly recommend this book to all those who love family tales.
Rated of 5
by Cam (Murrells Inlet SC)
Holding My Breath
This is a wonderful first novel about a young girl who grows up in a close knit Jewish-Canadian family. Ludwig writes poignantly and beautifully in this first person narrative. This is a great read and one I would recommend to anyone who enjoys reading about family life. I look forward to reading future books of hers!
Rated of 5
by Beth (Sioux Falls SD)
Holding My Breath
Canadian writer Sidura Ludwig has done a wonderful job with her first novel. I loved that it was set in Winnipeg, Manitoba - a city I have visited several times and always enjoyed. This is not an action packed novel, but rather a character study of a family. The main character, Beth Levy, tells the stories of her family - parents, aunts, cousins- who live and work together in one of Winnipeg's Jewish neighborhoods. As Beth grows up, her perceptions of her family members change and thus add layers of complexity to their personalities. Ludwig has created people who seem extraordinarily real. I enjoyed every minute of my time with them.
Rated of 5
by Talya (Medical Lake WA)
Holding my Breath
I can't believe this is a work of fiction. I felt like a member of Beth's family with the wonderful character descriptions in the novel. The family felt so real and you could tell that the author loved them with the amount of care she put into each character. I think any person that loves reading about family ties, strong women, or generation gaps in 1960's Canada would enjoy this book.
Rated of 5
by Cecilia (Montclair NJ)
Holding My Breath
This is a remarkable coming-of-age story about a young girl growing up in a Jewish family in Canada during the 1950's and 1960's. It is very well-written, with interesting and believable characters. What resonated with me is how well it dealt with the conflicts in growing up during this time, especially the difference in expectations of the generation coming out of World War II and the next, growing up in the 60's. The development over the years in the relationship between the girl and her mother was very moving and very realistic. I look forward to reading future novels by this author.
Rated of 5
by Kari (Oslo )
Holding My Breath - by Sidura Ludwig
I have always loved coming of age stories! I read a LOT of coming of age stories. This one, Holding My Breath, was great. I felt that I got to know all the characters very well, and they all seemed very real. Beth's narrative worked very well all the way through the book, it was really done in an entertaining and interesting way. It didn't matter at all that I really don't know much about Jewish culture or the time period the story took place in.However, this did not bother me at all, and I think that's a big part of why I liked this book so much. It was so easy to just feel like you were THERE with all the characters.
Rated of 5
by Sandy (Fort Myers FL)
A captivating multi-generational story
This captivating, multi-generational story offers a glimpse into family life (albeit dysfunctional) in Jewish Canada in the 1950's and 60's. The women in the story are tough and strong and their characters are extremely well developed. In particular the narrator, one of the daughters, Beth, feels very real-to-life. You feel like she could literally walk off the page as she recounts her family story, capturing moments both happy and sad. I was totally drawn into both the story as well as the depiction of a place and time foreign to me.
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by Harriette (Northbrook IL)
