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NAUTILUS AWARD WINNER

What happens when the life you dreamed of becomes a life you never could have imagined?

When my daughter, Dalia, was diagnosed with a rare degenerative disease at age 5, everything changed in an instant.

 

Breath Taking is the story of what happened next.

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What Readers Say

  • "This story truly matters and people need to hear it. Breath Taking is a remarkable celebration of resilience, and a true testament to strength, love, and survival. It shows us that there's always a path forward even when it's too dark to see. You'll probably laugh and cry, and you'll for sure be inspired."

    Victoria Arlen, TV host and Paralympic gold medalist

  • "A moving, honest, and emotionally powerful story of family dedication, pain, and love. This is a book that is both wrenching and inspiring, all at once."

    Tova Miris, author of We Would Never and The Book of Separation
  •  "Jessica throws aside pride and pretense expressing with generous vulnerability the heartbreaks and hopes that come with raising a child with a rare disease. More than an honest and humorous memoir, Breath Taking can be the guide star so many seek when life hands them more than they ever imagined they could endure."

    Daniel DeFabio, rare disease filmmaker and Co-founder of The Disorder Channel 
  • “A story of relentless heartbreak met with wit, strength, and resilience, Jessica Fein’s memoir reminds us that optimism, perseverance, and ultimately acceptance are the keystones to surviving life’s curveballs. When the choices are curling up in the fetal position or facing adversity head-on, Fein has chosen the latter in spades. Her story is the perfect illustration of how we control nothing in life but our actions and attitude.”

    Jennifer Weisel, Entertainment Director, ELLE Magazine
  • “Jessica Fein is that rare writer who can defuse sorrow with her sense of humor.” 

    Dan Zevin, Thurber Prize-winning humorist and award-winning

    humor columnist for The New York Times 

  • “In Breath Taking, Jessica Fein finds the words to convey the deepest truths of being human and then shares them with vivid candor as if over a cup of coffee.”

    Rabbi Susan Silverman, author of Casting Lots: Creating a Family in a Beautiful, Broken World

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More About Breath Taking

In Breath Taking, I take you on a powerful journey through the profound joys and heart-wrenching challenges of love and loss. At the tender age of five, my daughter Dalia was diagnosed with a rare degenerative disease, casting a shadow of uncertainty over our family’s life. Inspired by Dalia’s unyielding spirit and irrepressible zest for life, my family and I embarked on a remarkable odyssey of love, resilience, and self-discovery.

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From the initial shock of diagnosis to the relentless battles against the ravages of disease, I navigated the complexities of parenthood with all the courage and love I had. As each breath became a precious act of defiance against fate, I learned to embrace the present moment with fierce determination, finding solace in the small joys that illuminate even the darkest of days.

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I hope my story transcends the boundaries of tragedy to offer a beacon of hope for anyone facing life’s most daunting challenges. Through laughter and tears, I discovered the delicate balance between advocacy and acceptance, vulnerability and strength.
 

Breath Taking is a testament to the indomitable human spirit and the transformative power of love. I wrote it for anyone who has faced an extraordinary challenge and found courage, hope, and joy where least expected.

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MEET THE AUTHOR

JESSICA FEIN

I’m the author of Breath Taking and The Magnificent Maybe, an advocate, speaker, and podcast host. I’m a seasoned media contributor, having published more than 100 columns and essays in The Boston Globe, HuffPost, The Mighty, Psychology Today, Zibby Mag, Kveller, and more.

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I’m a get-it-done kind of person who helps people tell their stories in a variety of ways, while also telling my own.

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