University of Wisconsin Press, 2022 eISBN: 978-0-299-33718-6 | Paper: 978-0-299-33714-8 Library of Congress Classification PS3617.U364O54 2022 Dewey Decimal Classification 813.6
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
ABOUT THIS BOOK One Breath from Drowning tracks the foundering relationship between Ryan Jensen, a lapsed Mormon from Utah and heretofore closeted aspiring actor, and Sam Carter, a cocky party- and surf-loving Australian realtor whose family connections and wealth have buffered him from the most severe consequences of his impulsive nature and poor decision-making. Their genuine yet tumultuous love is strained by their tendencies for self-deception and avoidance, their secrets and their baggage, and the ways their past choices haunt their present.
The two men find moments of joy and humor together in Sydney, but arrests, infidelities, and addictions force them to finally face the issues holding them back. Though it initially presents as a love story, One Breath from Drowning is a tale of spiritual bildungsroman told in parallel. Ryan and Sam’s conflict and love ultimately push each of them to evolve, their transformation not the result of reckless acts of escape but the product of the fitful and difficult work of grappling with their complex realities.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY Kent Quaney is an author, essayist, and educator whose work has appeared in Literally Stories, Chelsea Station, riverSedge, and Polari, among others. He is an assistant professor of English at Auburn University Montgomery.
REVIEWS
“One Breath from Drowning enjoys a distinguished place in a thriving movement in literature—the social novel, in the great tradition of Forster’s Howards End and Trollope’s The Way We Live Now. It’s a compelling and enjoyable story about Ryan and Sam, but also a story about all of us.”—Brian Bouldrey, author of The Boom Economy
“Captivating. . . . In the course of characters’ conversations, rich descriptions of Sydney’s history, culture, and diverse neighborhoods are shared, including observations about gentrification. Such scene setting backdrops Sam and Ryan’s intriguing tale of love and self-growth, which is heartwarming and vibrant as they confront religion, economic struggles, visa worries, and family drama and addiction, all of which threaten to impede their search for acceptance. The novel One Breath from Drowning is unflinching in its depiction of a modern romance whose obstacles are both fresh and familiar.”—Foreword Reviews
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Half-Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
1. Ryan
2. Sam
3. Ryan
4. Ryan
5. Sam
6. Ryan
7. Sam
8. Ryan
9. Sam
10. Ryan
11. Sam
12. Ryan
13. Sam
14. Sam
15. Ryan
16. Sam
17. Ryan
18. Sam
19. Ryan
20. Sam
Acknowledgments
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with an electronic file for alternative access.
Please have the accessibility coordinator at your school fill out this form.
University of Wisconsin Press, 2022 eISBN: 978-0-299-33718-6 Paper: 978-0-299-33714-8
One Breath from Drowning tracks the foundering relationship between Ryan Jensen, a lapsed Mormon from Utah and heretofore closeted aspiring actor, and Sam Carter, a cocky party- and surf-loving Australian realtor whose family connections and wealth have buffered him from the most severe consequences of his impulsive nature and poor decision-making. Their genuine yet tumultuous love is strained by their tendencies for self-deception and avoidance, their secrets and their baggage, and the ways their past choices haunt their present.
The two men find moments of joy and humor together in Sydney, but arrests, infidelities, and addictions force them to finally face the issues holding them back. Though it initially presents as a love story, One Breath from Drowning is a tale of spiritual bildungsroman told in parallel. Ryan and Sam’s conflict and love ultimately push each of them to evolve, their transformation not the result of reckless acts of escape but the product of the fitful and difficult work of grappling with their complex realities.
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY Kent Quaney is an author, essayist, and educator whose work has appeared in Literally Stories, Chelsea Station, riverSedge, and Polari, among others. He is an assistant professor of English at Auburn University Montgomery.
REVIEWS
“One Breath from Drowning enjoys a distinguished place in a thriving movement in literature—the social novel, in the great tradition of Forster’s Howards End and Trollope’s The Way We Live Now. It’s a compelling and enjoyable story about Ryan and Sam, but also a story about all of us.”—Brian Bouldrey, author of The Boom Economy
“Captivating. . . . In the course of characters’ conversations, rich descriptions of Sydney’s history, culture, and diverse neighborhoods are shared, including observations about gentrification. Such scene setting backdrops Sam and Ryan’s intriguing tale of love and self-growth, which is heartwarming and vibrant as they confront religion, economic struggles, visa worries, and family drama and addiction, all of which threaten to impede their search for acceptance. The novel One Breath from Drowning is unflinching in its depiction of a modern romance whose obstacles are both fresh and familiar.”—Foreword Reviews
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Half-Title
Title Page
Copyright Page
1. Ryan
2. Sam
3. Ryan
4. Ryan
5. Sam
6. Ryan
7. Sam
8. Ryan
9. Sam
10. Ryan
11. Sam
12. Ryan
13. Sam
14. Sam
15. Ryan
16. Sam
17. Ryan
18. Sam
19. Ryan
20. Sam
Acknowledgments
REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE
If you are a student who cannot use this book in printed form, BiblioVault may be able to supply you
with an electronic file for alternative access.
Please have the accessibility coordinator at your school fill out this form.
It can take 2-3 weeks for requests to be filled.
ABOUT THIS BOOK | AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY | REVIEWS | TOC | REQUEST ACCESSIBLE FILE