Description
Book SynopsisHouston’s story has always been one of war waged relentlessly against water.
Trade Review"A life can be found in the grid of a city, among its habits, and through its history. Houston—a city of mud and hubris—may not be the natural subject of a lyrical memoir, but Micah Fields truly makes it so. His story—deeply personal and often harrowing—makes this place and his place in it matter intensely and beautifully." -- D. J. Waldie, author of Holy Land: A Suburban Memoir
"Rather than blindly condemning its industry, its sprawl, its ugliness, or its doom, Micah Fields’s loving, honest, and beautiful debut is a portrait of Houston by a native son who might not call the city home anymore, but who still recognizes its place in his heart, the same place where all of our hometowns reside, where every town that’s left, forgotten, flown over, or ignored remains in spite of ourselves.
We Hold Our Breath is a portrait of us." -- John D’Agata, author of The Lifespan of a Fact
"
We Hold Our Breath quite breathlessly blends the rural and urban, past and present, and industrial and postmodern Souths. [This is] an artful Texas tale of humans and other animals working with and against land and nature on that state’s coast and in its most populous city." -- Zandria F. Robinson, coauthor of Chocolate Cities: The Black Map of American Life
"A brilliant, beautifully crafted memoir and history of a tragic place cast in contradictions inherent to our often-vexing species. Micah Fields’s human subjects—from barbaric conquistador to saintly fisherman/artist—arise in full flesh. His descriptions of nature’s best works and humanity’s worst are the very definition of artistry. And his gift of reflection leaves us thinking differently about tomorrow—while holding our breath." -- Jack E. Davis, author of The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea
"In this brief yet memorable book, Fields creates an unsentimental yet poignant story that examines the complexities of one man's homecoming. With eloquence and grace, the author investigates the interconnectedness of place, history, and identity. A thoughtfully elegant, reflective work." -- Kirkus
