Aheartbreaking,lyricalstoryforallofthosewhohavefantasizedaboutescapingtheirdailylivesandstartingover.MichaelKabongoisaBritish-CongoleseteacherlivinginLondononthecuspoftwoidentities.Onpaper,heseemstohaveitall:He’sbelovedbyhisstudents,popularwithhiscoworkers,andtheprideandjoyofamotherwhoemigratedfromtheCongototheUKinsearchofabetterlife.Butbehindcloseddoors,he’sbeenstrugglingwiththeoverwhelmingsensethathecan’taddresstheinjusticesheseesragingbeforehim--fromhisrelentlesseffortstochangethelivesofhisstudentsforthebettertohisattemptstotranscendtheviolenceandbrutalitythatmarginalizesyoungBlackmenaroundtheworld.Thenonedayhesuffersadevastatingloss,andhislifeisthrownintoatailspin.Ashestrugglestofindawayforward,memoriesofhisfathers’violentdeath,theweightofrefugeehood,andanincreasingsenseofdreadthreateneverythinghe’sworkedsohardtoachieve.Longingtoescapetheshadowsinhismindandstartanew,MichaeldecidestospontaneouslypackupandgotoAmerica,themythical“landofthefree,“whereheimagineseverythingwillbebetter,easier--aplacewherehecanbecomesomeonenew,someonewithoutapastfilledwithpain.Onthistransformativejourney,MichaeltravelseverywherefromNewYorkCitytoSanFrancisco,partyingwithnewfriends,sparkingfleetingromances,andsplurgingonbigadventures,withtheintentionoflivingthelifeofhisdreamsuntilthemoneyinhisbankaccountrunsout.Writteninspellbindingprose,withBola’strademarkmagneticstorytelling,TheSelflessActofBreathingtakesusonawildridetooddbutexcitingplacesasMichaelmakessurprisingnewconnectionsandfacesoldprejudicesinnewsettings.
