How to Breathe Underwater: Stories

Read as part of the Summer 2016 LTWF group read

I was hugely impressed by just how skillfully crafted and well balanced this collection is. Too often short story collections can feel uneven and disconnected, but this collection felt very well thought out, structured around deeply personal and devastating issues faced by girls during childhood and young adulthood, such as death and illness, guilt, loss, jealousy, peer pressure and finding one's identity. Of course I had my favourites, and then a few of the stories that didn't resonate quite so much with me personally, but overall I think each of the nine stories were a good fit and deserving of their place in the collection.

None of these stories are particularly cheerful. In fact, perhaps ironically, the collection is named after the only story in the collection to be in any way particularly hopeful. All of these girls are struggling with personal problems, as they try “to breathe underwater”, often trapped and isolated in desperate circumstances. The titular story was without a doubt a favourite of mine, thanks to the this beautiful sense of hope within the protagonist who I truly admired. That is not to say the other stories aren't excellent, simply that when story after story ends on such sadness and lack of hope, it can be difficult to keep reading.

Despite this difficulty, I admire Orringer's ability to convey such dark and disturbing themes. Her stories were powerful, and many of the scenarios and characters will stay with me for a long time. They've got me thinking and certainly sparked some interesting discussions between those who read this as part of a group read. A must read for fans of well written short stories, especially if you are interested in the trials and tribulations of growing up, but be prepared for a dark and difficult read.