Breathe by Lisa Bergren is a picturesque and beautifully set story.  Readers familiar with Colorado landscapes will easily imagine and relate to the descriptions.  Those less experienced with Colorado may find themselves desiring to take a vacation just to enjoy the scenery. 

The storyline features a trio of siblings–each with his or her own challenges.  These range from illness to an unquenchable sense of wanderlust.  Along the way, a myriad of characters cross the St. Clair family’s path for good and for ill. 

The book includes evil deceitful people, kind helpful ones, and every sort in between.  At the conclusion of the story, only one sibling and her situation seem to be satisfactorily resolved.  The fate of many characters remains uncertain.  Mercifully, Lisa Bergren, the author, has planned two more books to complete The Homeward Trilogy.

At the conclusion of the novel, it becomes apparent to the readers that the word breathe has not only a physical presence in the story, but carries far greater symbolic meaning.  This is a great historical fiction story for any who like the late 19th century era!

Content Analysis:

Profanity/Language:  2 derogatory names.

Violence/Gore:  Characters participate in boxing matches; character reported to have killed a child; characters hit others with fists and objects, bloodied lips and such are mentioned; characters threaten to kill other characters; characters grab others; characters shoot at others, some fatalities and pools of blood mentioned; character stabs another with a knife.

Sex/Nudity:  Non-married character squeezes the thigh of another; non-married characters attempt kisses, hold hands, kiss hands and touch cheeks; prostitution is mentioned a few times; married characters embrace and kiss and in one scene, sex is implied without details or nudity.

Mature Subject Matter:

Death of friends, spouses and siblings, terminal illness, corruption.

Alcohol / Drug Use:

Characters drink various types of alcohol, most often in a bar.