One Breath from Drowning

Kent Quaney is an author, essayist, and educator whose work has appeared in Literally Stories, Chelsea Station, riverSedge, and Polari, among others. He is an assistant professor of English at Auburn University Montgomery.

"A fun read, light in tone but serious in content, and the promise of things to come."--Alabama Writers' Forum "Captivating. . . . In the course of characters' conversations, rich descriptions of Sydney's history, culture, and diverse neighborhoods are shared, including observations about gentrification. Such scene setting backdrops Sam and Ryan's intriguing tale of love and self-growth, which is heartwarming and vibrant as they confront religion, economic struggles, visa worries, and family drama and addiction, all of which threaten to impede their search for acceptance. The novel One Breath from Drowning is unflinching in its depiction of a modern romance whose obstacles are both fresh and familiar."--Foreword Reviews "One Breath from Drowning enjoys a distinguished place in a thriving movement in literature--the social novel, in the great tradition of Forster's Howards End and Trollope's The Way We Live Now. It's a compelling and enjoyable story about Ryan and Sam, but also a story about all of us."--Brian Bouldrey, author of The Boom Economy