Breath Taking

Filled with both joy and sorrow, this memoir of family loss is life-affirming, breathtaking, and a completely engrossing page-turner laced with warm humor.

Jessica Fein takes readers on a powerful journey through the profound joys and heart-wrenching challenges of love and loss. At the tender age of five, Jessica's daughter Dalia is diagnosed with a rare degenerative disease, casting a shadow of uncertainty over the family’s life. Inspired by Dalia's unyielding spirit and irrepressible zest for life, Jessica and her family embark on a remarkable odyssey of love, resilience, and self-discovery.

From the initial shock of diagnosis to the relentless battles against the ravages of disease, Jessica navigates the complexities of parenthood with unwavering courage and love. As each breath becomes a precious act of defiance against fate, Jessica learns to embrace the present moment with fierce determination, finding solace in the small joys that illuminate even the darkest of days.

Jessica's narrative transcends the boundaries of tragedy to offer a beacon of hope for anyone facing life's most daunting challenges, and through laughter and tears, discovers the delicate balance between advocacy and acceptance, vulnerability and strength. 

Breath Taking is a testament to the indomitable human spirit and the transformative power of love. It's a masterclass in resilience and a testament to the enduring power of love. This is a book for anyone who has faced an extraordinary challenge and found courage, hope, and joy where least expected. 

Nautilus Book Awards Silver Winner, Death & Dying/Grief & Loss. "Better Books for a Better World"

PRAISE for BREATH TAKING:

"Jessica Fein is that rare writer who can defuse sorrow with her sense of humor." --Dan Zevin, Thurber Prize-winning humorist and award-winning humor columnist for The New York Times

"This book had me in tears from the first page..." --Meghan Riordan Jarvis, People Magazine

"Breath Taking...will remain in my heart forever....This book is Jewish at its core. The honor and meaning that went into planning Dalia’s bat mitzvah is a major plot point, and made me want to be a better person as I read through those pages....It’s easy to cheer for Jessica as a mother, as a daughter, as a sister, as a wife and as a Jewish woman." --Cleveland Jewish News

"A story of relentless heartbreak met with wit, strength, and resilience....Her story is the perfect illustration of how we control nothing in life but our actions and attitude." --Jennifer Weisel Bailey, Entertainment Director, ELLE Magazine

"A master class in how to be a person." --Joanna Rakoff, best-selling author of My Salinger Year

"This story truly matters and people need to hear it....You'll probably laugh and cry, and you'll for sure be inspired." --Victoria Arlen, TV host and Paralympic gold medalist

"A moving, honest, and emotionally powerful story of family dedication, pain, and love. This is a book that is both wrenching and inspiring, all at once." --Tova Miris, author of The Book of Separation

"An epic story of love and resilience." --Kirkland Hamill, author of the critically acclaimed memoir Filthy Beasts

"More than an honest and humorous memoir, Breath Taking can be the guide star so many seek when life hands them more than they ever imagined they could endure." --Daniel DeFabio, Co-founder Disorder: The Rare Disease Film Festival, Co-founder The Disorder Channel. Advocate.

"In Breath Taking, Jessica Fein finds the words to convey the deepest truths of being human and then shares them with vivid candor as if over a cup of coffee." --Rabbi Susan Silverman, author of Casting Lots: Creating a Family in a Beautiful, Broken World

"Astonishing...one of the most moving memoirs I've read." --Caroline Leavitt, best-selling author of With or Without You and Days of Wonder