Overview

When the Harrison family gathered for lunch at their country club in 2020, they had no idea their carefully constructed life was about to shatter. David, a successful logistics executive, and Laura, a senior wealth manager, had built the American dream in suburban Chicago a beautiful home, thriving careers, and two bright teenage children. Then a mysterious virus begins spreading across the world. As COVID-19 transforms from distant news to deadly reality, the Harrisons retreat behind their doors, believing caution will keep them safe. The lockdown forces them into unprecedented proximity-four people confined together, stripped of their escape routes to work, school, and social life. Tensions simmer as David's work pressure intensifies, and Laura must balance her work with the family's well-being. The teens chafe against restrictions, and small irritations magnify into explosive conflicts. The question was not whether they could survive the virus. The question was whether they would survive each other. But then Laura catches the virus, and within days, she's fighting for her life on a ventilator, her family separated by a glass partition, helpless to reach her. David faces immense pressure and impossible choices: saving his company versus his wife in the hospital, maintaining his ethics versus corruption that offers easy solutions, and being a father, taking care of the children, when he's barely holding himself together. Ultimately, David broke down. Seventeen-year-old Ethan and fourteen-year-old Sophie watch their invincible parents crumble, growing up overnight as their world collapses around them. But their ordeal has just begun. When Laura finally wakes up, she doesn't recognize her family. Her memory is gone, scattered like puzzle pieces, and she must painstakingly reassemble it. In this crisis, it's the family bond that keeps them together. ""When The World Held Its Breath"" is an intimate portrait of one family's journey through COVID-19, America's darkest modern crisis. This story explores love tested by unimaginable circumstances, highlighting a nation discovering its capacity for indifference, selfishness, and extraordinary generosity. It also shows ordinary people learning that resilience isn't about being unbreakable, it's about helping each other in crises. Rich with authentic detail and emotional depth, this novel captures not just what we endured during the pandemic, but why and also who we became because of it. For anyone who lived through those terrifying months, this is the story of how we found our way home-and how America, despite losing more than a million lives to initial missteps, ultimately rose to the occasion and helped the world control the pandemic.

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9789699896279

Table of Contents

Reviews

Book Review: When The World Held Its Breath by R. Suleman R. Suleman's When The World Held Its Breath is a poignant, deep human exploration of a family navigating the unprecedented turmoil of the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the lens of the Harrison family, Suleman crafts a narrative that is both intimate and universally resonant, capturing the fear, resilience, and fragile hope that defined a global crisis. EmotionalAuthenticity: Suleman is a master at capturing his character's complex feelings. Every member of the family feels real and accessible, from the mother's resilience while in illness to the father's stoic disintegration under emotional and professional pressure. Children are especially well drawn. Their terror and forced growth are shown with tact and accuracy. Atmospheric Storytelling: The novel masterfully conveys the claustrophobia and anxiety of lockdown. The once-comforting family home becomes a pressure cooker of competing stresses, remote work, virtual school, and health anxieties. Suleman's prose vividly evokes the eerie quiet of deserted streets and the relentless, grim news cycle, immersing the reader in the collective dread of 2020. Thematic Depth: This is more than just a pandemic tale; it's a reflection on control, vulnerability, and what keeps a family together while outside institutions fall apart. For those of us who lived through that period, this book answers the question of why they felt turmoil in their lives. The gradual escalation: from early rumors to full-blown crisis, mirrors the real-world experience of the pandemic. The medical crisis involving Laura is harrowing and realistically depicted, avoiding melodrama while maintaining intense emotional stakes. The inclusion of details like supply chain disruptions, market crashes, and social unrest grounds the family's story in a convincing global context. Areas for Consideration: Occasional Didacticism: In a few sections, the book offers certain facts and events that affected daily life, bordering on an essay-like narrative on the pandemic's societal impact. While insightful, these moments can briefly disrupt the flow of the family's personal journey. Overall Impression: The novel is a powerful and timely work that transforms a shared global trauma into a deep personal story of love and survival. R. Suleman does not shy away from the darkness of the era: the grief, isolation, helplessness, but ultimately, the book is a testament to the enduring strength of family bonds. Recommended For: Readers who appreciate character-driven family dramas and those interested in stories about ordinary people facing extraordinary crises. The book is more than a pandemic novel; it is a moving exploration of what we cling to when the world falls apart-and what we become in the process. Richard A. Bensen

Author Information

R. Suleman is a retired person who has interacted with people of all ages for over three decades. His experience gives him a rare ability to bridge generational divides and bring depth of understanding to his writings.He understands why teenagers stay up until 2 AM, the impact of social media on young minds, and the generational gap it creates. His books reflect meticulous research and deep subject expertise, but what truly resonates with readers is the emotional authenticity he brings to every page. Through vivid storytelling and relatable characters, readers find themselves drawn into the narratives. Each book carries clear, powerful messages delivered through a ""show, don't tell"" approach that respects the reader's intelligence. His engaging style captures readers from the opening line and holds them through the final page.He inspires people to live lives of purpose and action, offering not just stories but guideposts for navigating the challenges and opportunities of the modern

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