BREATHE DEEP & SWIM
by Jenna Marcus
Two brothers began a cross-country journey to find their lost mother in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic in Marcus’ YA novel.
Wolfgang and Van Gogh are uncommonly close siblings. Narrator Wolfgang is a bookish 14-year-old, shy and reserved, while 16-year-old Van Gogh is a born leader, self-assured and deeply protective. After finding their father dead from Covid-19, Van Gogh ushers Wolfgang into an urgent, cross-country trip to find their mother who left them, for unknown reasons, many years ago. Van Gogh is afraid that the pair will end up separated in foster care, so he shows an iron resolve as he compels his brother forward. When Van Gogh saves Wolfgang from an attempted gas-station robbery, however, the resulting viral video gets the attention of authorities, even after Van Gogh has the insight to throw their phones away to avoid detection. The opening chapters progress at an almost implausibly brisk pace, but the narrative stabilizes once the brothers settle into their road trip. Throughout, Marcus peppers the story with details from the boys’ youth as they struggle to get along with their deeply conservative father who shares few of their values; at one point, she notably recounts the tragic story of the White father’s racist intolerance of Van Gogh’s Black girlfriend, Janelle, which caused a permanent rift in the family. In such rare moments, readers see compelling accounts of the dynamics of the siblings’ family. Throughout their journey, they also try to piece together the mysteries of their mother’s life from keepsakes and letters from a box she left behind; these moments account for most of the novel’s most memorable passages. The story also presents aspects of the Covid-19 pandemic with care and clarity. As the brothers’ quest bring them closer to their mom’s last known address, an unexpected obstacle makes their futures even more uncertain. All Wolfgang can do is hold firm to the only memory of his mother he has—her mantra to “breathe deep and swim.”
An often moving portrait of brotherly love.