Synopses & Reviews
Something strange is happening in the seaside town of Bareneed. Mythical creatures that formally existed only in mariner's dreams, are being pulled from the sea. Perfectly preserved corpses of villagers long ago lost at sea are being washed upon the shore. And residents of the town are suddenly suffering from a mysterious illness that is making them forget how to breathe.
Recent divorce Joseph Blackwood has returned to his hometown in hopes of reconnecting with his estranged daughter. But when the young girl begins having visions and conversing with the spirit of a neighbor's deceased child, he knows that his daughter is suffering from some supernatural affliction. Now, with the help of some colorful village residents, Joseph must unravel this paranormal mystery to save his only daughter.
Called the literary love child of Stephen King and Annie Proulx, The Town That Forgot How to Breathe is a page-turning gothic tale and a profound exploration of what it really means to live in the modern world.
Review
"As if plotted by Hitchcock and graced by Márquez, The Town That Forgot How to Breathe is a beautiful nightmare." Bill Gaston, author of Giller Prize-nominated Mount Appetite
Review
"The quality of his storytelling and his way with an eerie instant are too good to miss." The Times (London)
Review
"An eerie and gripping story, the work of an extravagantly haunted imagination."
J. M. Coetzee, Nobel Prize winner and author of the Booker Prize winning Disgrace
Review
"A novel of dazzling ambition and strange, haunting loveliness. Grippingly entertaining and bursting with life, it is an absolute triumph of the storyteller's art." Joseph O'Connor, Whitbread finalist and bestselling author of Star of the Sea
Review
"While this novel does not ultimately achieve everything it dreams of, Harvey's ambition and empathy make him a writer to watch." San Francisco Chronicle
Synopsis
Something strange is happening in the seaside town of Bareneed. Mythical creatures are being pulled from the sea, perfectly preserved corpses of long-lost villagers are washing up on the shore, and residents of the town are suddenly overcome by a mysterious illness that is making them forget how to breathe.
A page-turning gothic thriller reminiscent of H. P. Lovecraft, The Town That Forgot How to Breathe is "a novel of dazzling ambition and strange, haunting loveliness. . . . An absolute triumph of the storyteller's art" (Joseph O'Connor, author of Star of the Sea).
About the Author
Kenneth J. Harvey's books are published in twelve countries. In Canada, The Town That Forgot How to Breathe won the Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award. Harvey's works have also been nominated for the Books in Canada First Novel Award and the Commonwealth Writers' Prize. He lives with his family in an outport of Newfoundland, Canada.