Breathing Lessons

For the novel “Breathing Lessons,” Anne Tyler received the Pulitzer Prize. Maggie is impulsive and straightforward, while Ira is thorough and unhurried. Maggie makes foolish mistakes. Ira has no such sin. They’ve been married for twenty-eight years. Their life is ordinary, calm, and… boring. On one not-so-happy day, they go on a road trip—to attend the funeral of an old friend. But suddenly Maggie hears on the radio that her ex-daughter-in-law is announcing live that she intends to marry again. And the funeral trip turns into an expedition to save their son’s marriage. A tender, ironic, funny, and bitter chronicle of one day in the life of Maggie and Ira—this is a deep dive into the very essence of family relationships, a comedy crossed with high drama. “Breathing Lessons” is a quiet masterpiece by one of the best contemporary writers.