A BREATH TOO LATE
"A love letter and a life raft to the brokenhearted.”
New York Times bestselling author Alison McGhee
Pre-order today
"Raw, heartbreaking, and poignant."
―New York Times-bestselling author Kathleen Glasgow
“An exquisitely played love song to life, in all of its hurts, wonders, memories, and loves.”
-Jeff Zentner, Morris Award winning author of The Serpent King and Goodbye Days
This is an important story. A necessary story . . . Callen’s writing radiates with passion, honesty and love.”
-National Book Award finalist and Printz Award-winning author An Na
Hope still lives in the dark
Seventeen-year-old Ellie had no hope left. Yet the day after she dies by suicide, she finds
herself a spectator of the life she’s left behind,
swaying between past and present, retracing
the events that unfolded prior to her death.
But there are gaps in her memory, fractured
pieces Ellie is desperate to re-assemble. There's
her mother, a songbird who wanted to break
free from her oppressive cage. The boy made
of brushstrokes and goofy smiles who brought
color into a gray world. Her brooding father,
with his sad puppy eyes and clenched fists.
Ellie's determined to find out why a piece of her
was left behind. In the end, she realizes that
the turbulent life she was so desperate to leave
had hope reaching for her all along.
For the ones wandering in the dark.
Don’t forget that the stars are yours too.
Your Preorder Makes An Impact
When you preorder A Breath Too Late, you’re doing more than just buying a book.
Every preorder supports:
• The HoldOn2Hope Project — empowering creatives in suicide prevention
• Gracie’s House nonprofit — supporting individuals and families in crisis
Your purchase becomes part of a larger mission of hope and healing.
Preorder Bonuses
All preorders receive on release day:
A video message from the author.
A beautiful digital companion reflection journal with prompts.
A bibliotherapist companion guide created by LiterapyNYC
For 10+ preorders (book clubs, classrooms, groups):
Access to an exclusive pre-recorded Book Club style Q&A with Rocky.
For 100+ preorders (schools, organizations, conferences):
A live 30-minute virtual visit with the author for your group (limited spots).
bulk order
Bonuses
Pre-order today
Dear Reader,
Art saves lives. Writing this book saved mine. I’ve received so many messages from readers of A Breath Too Late that have humbled me. Messages from people who felt seen. Messages from people who found the strength to leave abusive homes. Messages from people who after reading realized that their lives mattered.
So when I learned that the book was going out of print, I knew immediately:
We weren’t done.
This story still has readers to reach.
Still has lives to touch.
Still has work to do.
That’s why A Breath Too Late is returning during the week of World Suicide Prevention Day in September 2026.
I wrote A Breath Too Late for the people who have kept their pain secret, for those who have shuttered their hearts and their doors, for those who might not see the hope that is reaching out to them. It is for the Ellies of the world who we have lost, the ones left behind whose hearts are mending, and those teetering on the edge between hope and pain.
While I would love for you to read this book and hold it close to your heart, Ellie would want you to know this even if you never read a page:
Hope can still live in the dark.
You are like stars: bright, wondrous, and beautiful.
And the world needs you in it.
- Rocky
“We are birds with paper wings.
Just because the wings were tattered,
doesn't mean they could never fly.
It doesn't mean that their little fragile
lives were worth nothing.”
Read the first chapters of A Breath Too Late and see some of the behind-the-scenes of the book's relaunch by joining the book’s waitlist and author newsletter.
