A BookViral Review Of My Every Breath by Anna Maynard

SUMMARY: The compelling story of a woman’s lifelong battle with Cystic Fibrosis and her astonishing resilience despite a double lung transplant and a senseless murder.

The BookViral Review: Compelling, beautifully written and often heart-breaking, My Every Breath proves an extraordinary memoir and is, on every count, a brave and above all insightful read that will touch many hearts. Memoirs are not easy to write and without an author’s willingness to veer away from safe ground it is often hard to reach readers on an emotional level but Anna Maynard projects a vivid and uncompromising perspective that is rarely so candid. Thoroughly absorbing she has courageously turned her experiences into a beacon of strength and hope not only for those who live under the shadow of cystic fibrosis but those who have found themselves facing the darkest of life’s events. From the death of her sister France to a lifesaving lung transplant and the heinous murder of her mother she takes us on a deeply personal journey that opens our eyes to subjects many feel uncomfortable talking about and even fewer can relate to, enabling a degree of empathy and understanding we might not have otherwise embraced. Conveying an incredible level of intimacy Anna’s personality and indomitable spirit shines through from the very first page and yet for all the maudlin aspects of her life she never forgets the joyous moments. On this level her memoir is amazingly affecting and through reading it we are invited to take a step back and re-evaluate our own lives. Reminding us how short and precious life is.

An incredibly powerful, inspirational and wholly humbling read that will linger in your thoughts long after you have turned the last page My Every Breath is recommended without reservation.