Rating: 
Summary: Wonderful Bookclub Selection
Review: A great debut novel. I introduce this book to a newly started book club and it turned out to be a GREAT book we all loved it. I loved the character Zadi, the 15 year old daughter of Moxie. Zadi's journal entries are just priceless she brought back memories of my own journal. I'm not a mom but all mom's should read this book. You will not be disappointed.Patricia Elam did a wonderful job writing this story of friendship, growing up and forgiveness. I'm looking forward to her next novel.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful Read
Review: A powerful story and well written about friendship between Moxie and Norma.I'm recommending Breathing Room to my friends.
Rating:
Summary: ENJOYABLE AND EXHAUSTING
Review: A WONDERFUL BOOK...EACH CHARACTER BRINGS YOU IN AND ALLOWS YOU TO FEEL WHAT THEY FEEL BECAUSE WE'VE ALL BEEN THERE BEFORE...A REFRESHING REMINDER HOW IMPORTANT FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE NO MATTER WHAT ELSE IS GOING ON IN YOUR LIFE...A MUST READ
Rating: 
Summary: Somewhat Disappointing
Review: After reading several reviews of this book, I was excited to read a powerful and thought-provoking story that shows the true nature of family relationships. Although the book is entertaining and offers us a realistic look at several families surviving and/or thriving in DC, I was a bit disappointed with the characters and their development (or lack thereof). Moxie's self-righteous consciousness and overbearing attitude towards Zadi gets to be a bit much. Norma's lack of emotion for her husband and son is understandable but seems misdirected towards Woody. Further, while the author portrays both Moxie and Norma as educated and strong women, she uses juvenile (and somewhat vulgar) imagery to describe their thinking ("Patches of dirt, resembling ringworm scars, spread between the sparse patches of grass. Lopsided bushes shoot up as if spit from the ground."). In contrast, Zadi (and her journal) provide an interesting and novel perspective to the story and her character contributes to the book's depth and honesty. Although the story is primarily focused on the female characters and thus doesn't provide insight into Ponsey, Haleem and Lawrence, the book is also enhanced by the strength and conviction of the male characters. Overall, I think that this is a good debut by the author and that with her own development as a writer, there are great things to come.
Rating: 
Summary: Can this friendship survive?
Review: Although this book was a slow start for me I was hooked after I got into it. Norma and Moxi are friends although they are from opposite sides of the track. Their friendship is put to the when Norma reveals a secret to Moxi. There is also Moxi's relationship with her teenaged daughter Zadi and how Moxi must learn to let her little girl grow up into the young woman she has become.
This was an excellent book.
The characters and situations were real: Norma's relationship with her son and the feelings that she must confront as she struggles to balance motherhood and her career. Zadi and the hair drama. This is a must read for every mother, sister and friend.
Rating:
Summary: When the roles of the Black woman become to much
Review: Any African-American woman can relate with experiences that the characters Moxie and Norma dealt with. Although Moxie had issues dealing with death of her mother and trying to pass on her Afrocentric ways to her daughter, Zadi; it all a bit to much even after everyone began to defy her in beliefs even her best friend, Norma. But my favorite character was Norma. Her story was a woman in love with her husband and son when a tragic death hits home sending her little family drifting apart. It's not until she receives some attention for stranger and some unwanted attention for her "blackmailing" brother-in-law that Norma and her husband can start to look away from the past, start working to prepare the present and move on into the future. Breathing Room does give a reader the feeling of wanting to take a breather; but it's so hard because the book is do deep.
Rating:
Summary: Powerful and stunning debut
Review: Breathing Room by Patricia Elam explores the friendship between two women and how they cope with the tumultuous challenges in their lives. The prose here is refreshing, lyrical, and resonates with warm, candidness, and wisdom. You will be moved by the vibrancy of the characters, especially the teenaged daughter Zadi whose voice springs from the pages of this unforgettable debut. If you're into comparisons, think Terry McMillan combined with Patty Rice and you've got yourself an engaging and realistic read that chronicles the complex lives of contemporary African American women.
Rating:
Summary: Loved it from beginning to end
Review: Breathing Room by Patricia Elam was truly phenomenal. I was a senior in high school when I first read Breathing Room and this book really brought it home for me. I could really relate to the overprotective mother and how her daughter wanted to make her own decisions and not be forced to always see things through the eyes of her mother. I recommend this book to all teens and especially their overprotective moms.
Rating:
Summary: It was ok
Review: Breathing Room is about Norma, and her friend Moxi. Norma is a photographer, and married to Lawrence, but is cheating on him with a white guy, to Moxi's big disapointment. Moxi dosen't like white people, plus she thinks Lawrence is a wonderful guy. Moxi is also trying to raise her daughter Zadi to be a strong black woman. Readers learn alot about Zadi through her journal entries that are written throughout the book. I really liked this book, but sometime I felt like Moxi was a little overbearing, I felt like she wanted everyone to belive in her opinions on life, or what she throught a black person should act like, or they were total failures, she didn't want her daughter to be who she wanted to be but what she wanted her to be.
Rating:
Summary: It was ok
Review: Breathing Room is about Norma, and her friend Moxi. Norma is a photographer, and married to Lawrence, but is cheating on him with a white guy, to Moxi's big disapointment. Moxi dosen't like white people, plus she thinks Lawrence is a wonderful guy. Moxi is also trying to raise her daughter Zadi to be a strong black woman. Readers learn alot about Zadi through her journal entries that are written throughout the book. I really liked this book, but sometime I felt like Moxi was a little overbearing, I felt like she wanted everyone to belive in her opinions on life, or what she throught a black person should act like, or they were total failures, she didn't want her daughter to be who she wanted to be but what she wanted her to be.
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