Breaststrokes

‘Breaststrokes is a study of womanhood, vulnerability, and the secrecy of the inner-life. Vialleron’s writing is laced with a love for these women who can barely love themselves. A novel for anyone interested in the way the body keeps score or in the complex intimacies between women.’ – Rowan Hisayo Buchanan
‘Reading Breaststrokes felt a little like watching ribbons unfurl – or intertwine. Margaux Vialleron writes tenderly and evocatively about female friendship, fear and desire’ – Chloë Ashby, author of Wet Paint and Second Self
‘Timely, structurally inventive, with delicious prose. A deep-dive into what consent - in all its forms - actually means, in a modern young woman’s life, and into what happens when you pair ideas of pleasure and consent. A joy in its originality, Vialleron lights up the inner lives and perspectives of four women across a day. There’s a question at the heart of Breaststrokes that you feel compelled to find the answer to’ – Pip Finkemeyer, author of Sad Girl Novel
‘Breaststrokes is a tender, lyrical novel about the ripples caused when consent is taken away from women and the loneliness this causes, even when you’re surrounded by people. It will tug at your heart strings’ – Araminta Hall
‘Breaststrokes by Margaux Vialleron is a poignant and empowering novel that dives deep into consent, womanhood, vulnerability, and the intricacies of our hidden selves. Through candid storytelling in five acts over the course of one weekend, four women are brought together. From the highs of triumphing over adversity to the lows of confronting societal prejudices, this is thought provoking and relatable, written in lyrical prose. The characters are layered, fleshed out and so well written, they will feel like old friends at the end of reading this book’ – Glamour Magazine
‘Breaststrokes by Margaux Vialleron is a poignant and empowering novel that dives deep into consent, womanhood, vulnerability, and the intricacies of our hidden selves. Through candid storytelling in five acts over the course of one weekend, four women are brought together. From the highs of triumphing over adversity to the lows of confronting societal prejudices, this is thought provoking and relatable, written in lyrical prose. The characters are layered, fleshed out and so well written, they will feel like old friends at the end of reading this book’ – Glamour Magazine

Margaux Vialleron is a writer and co-host of the SPK Book Club, a podcast, reading, and culinary community. Her short stories and essays have been published in magazines including Harper’s Bazaar and Compound Butter. She is the author of The Yellow Kitchen, and Breaststrokes is her second novel.

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