When musician Linda Neil returns home to Brisbane to care for her ailing mother, Joan, a singing teacher, she has no idea what she is committing to, or even that she is committing at all.

The experience will change her life.

Connected by a deep love of music - from Linda's own songs and the works of the classical masters, to the musical comedy of the dance hall and the sound of the street - Linda finds a new bond with her mother. As Joan's illness progress, their shared musical passion soothes and instructs, helps them to make sense of what is happening and, finally, to accept it.

Beautifully written and deeply felt, Learning How to Breathe is a daughter's love song to her mother, and unforgettable true story about what it means to find home.

'Finely crafted, subtle and tender, Learning How to Breathe is a beautiful tribute to the loving complexity of family. It reminds us that inspiration lies at the heart of both intimacy and art.'
GAIL JONES
author of Sorry

'A superb memoir - moving, transporting unforgettable'
MARION CAMPBELL
author of Fragments from a Paper Witch