Underwater Breathing

On Yorkshire’s gradually-crumbling mud cliffs sits an Edwardian seaside house. In the bathroom, Jacob and Ella hide from their parents’ passionate arguments by playing the ‘Underwater Breathing’ game – until the day Jacob wakes to find his mother and sister gone.  

Years later, the sea’s creeping closer, his father is losing touch with reality and Jacob is trapped in his past. Then, Ella’s sudden reappearance forces him to confront his fractured childhood. As the truth about their parents emerges, it’s clear that Jacob’s time hiding beneath the water is coming to an end. 

Cassandra Parkin stuns in her latest dark fiction, focusing on what constructs family dynamics and what happens when they fall apart. 

What Reviewers and Readers Say:

'A glorious, emotional novel... I can't recommend it enough'
--Louise Beech

'A dark, powerful and emotional novel with hauntingly beautiful prose. It will compel you to read on even as it send chills up your spine'.
--Nicola Moriarty

'This is a glorious, emotional novel about who we really are, where we belong in the world, and how truly at mercy we are to the events that shape us. I can't recommend it enough'.
--Louise Beech