The Trick Is to Keep Breathing

Joy Stone is a twenty-seven-year-old drama teacher in a small coastal Scottish town whose life unravels after her married lover drowns on holiday and her mother dies. Cut out of the official mourning because the affair was secret, she sinks into grief, an eating disorder, and a fog of pills and drink while a careless mental health system processes her without ever reaching her. Galloway tells the story from inside Joy's breaking mind, with text that slides into the margins, lists that try to impose order on a day, and a voice that holds onto wry humor even at the edge.