Diving, Falling

Starting over again is a little like standing at the edge of a cliff. You have no idea what is waiting at the bottom and if you do jump, you are leaving everything you know behind. It’s the feeling of diving off the edge, falling into the unknown. Incredibly terrifying, but also immensely liberating.

When Leila Whittaker’s husband, an acclaimed Australian artist, dies, she is left grappling with what comes next. Jumping between the past and the present, Leila reflects on her life, from being a dutiful wife, then becoming a caring mother, and the loss of her desires in the process. As she contemplates the past and her future, she finds herself questioning the double standards of choices offered to and made by men and women throughout their lives.

Diving, Falling is a raw, painful, and poignant story about the celebration of a loss and what comes after it. The story dives head-first into what it means to gain control of one’s life after sacrificing everything for so long. Australian author and academic Kylie Mirmohamadi uses lyrical prose and the backdrop of the Australian landscape to create a dialogue around women’s autonomy and the complexities of human relationships. Running throughout the story is a beautiful message drawn from the Ancient Roman philosopher Seneca: ‘Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.’ Diving, Falling is perfect for fans of Sigrid Nunez and Tessa Hadley.