"Breathing Lessons" paints a vivid picture of an ordinary couple navigating the complexities of marriage, family, and the passage of time. Through a single day filled with unexpected detours, both physical and emotional, Maggie and Ira Moran confront their past decisions and future uncertainties. The novel masterfully intertwines moments of humor, reflection, and tenderness, capturing the essence of enduring love amid life's chaos.

The Funeral: Beginnings and Endings

As the story begins, Ira Moran muses on the squandered potential of the world, including his own life. He manages the family picture-framing shop in Baltimore, while Maggie, his wife, works as a nurse at a local nursing home. It is a Saturday like no other, as the couple readies themselves for a funeral, a day steeped in memories and nostalgia. Maggie, picking up their car from the mechanic, becomes convinced that a woman on a call-in radio show is their former daughter-in-law, Fiona, announcing her engagement. With this thought lingering, she fetches Ira, and they set off for the funeral in rural Pennsylvania.

During their journey, tensions flare between Maggie and Ira as she expresses a yearning to visit Fiona and their granddaughter, Leroy. Disoriented and nearly lost, they pause in a small town to purchase a map and coffee. While Ira busies himself with directions, Maggie entangles a waitress in her family troubles, much to Ira's annoyance. As emotions peak, Maggie demands to be let out of the car, spending a solitary half-hour imagining a different life and recalling a fleeting infatuation with a nursing home resident. Eventually, Ira collects her, and they continue their trek.

Arriving first at the church, they meet Serena, Maggie's longtime friend and the widow at the center of this gathering. Serena voices her desire to recreate her wedding ceremony as a memorial, complete with songs, prompting Maggie and Ira to perform "Love is a Many Splendored Thing." In a poignant moment, Serena advises Maggie to "throw it all away," urging her to let life flow without clinging too tightly. As mourners gather, they either indulge or decline Serena's unique request for nostalgia.

The mood shifts as Serena plays a silent film of her wedding, evoking laughter amid tears. Maggie reminisces about her first encounter with Ira, rekindling her affection for him. In a fit of passion, they seek privacy to make love, only to be caught and expelled by Serena herself.

Breakdown: Detours and Decisions

Resuming their journey home, Ira continues to brood over missed opportunities and regrets, this time sharing the narrative focus with Maggie. Her persistent urge to visit Fiona presses on, interrupted by a frightening encounter with a reckless driver. Attempting to teach the driver a lesson, Maggie signals that his car is falling apart, but regret sets in when she realizes he is an elderly black man. Overcome with guilt, she insists they turn back to offer assistance.

They find the driver, Mr. Otis, bewildered but unscathed. Despite assurances of his car's condition, he remains unconvinced, prompting the Morans to escort him to a gas station to wait for his nephew's tow truck. As Maggie finds rapport with Mr. Otis, Ira laments the emotional burdens Maggie brings into their lives. Upon the nephew's arrival, Mr. Otis imparts advice similar to Serena's, "Spill it! Spill it all, I say! No way not to spill it!" This encounter nudges Ira to concede to Maggie's wish to visit Fiona.

Homecoming: Truths and Reconciling

On the road again, Maggie reflects on the voids in her life—her absent granddaughter, now grown, her pets, and even small comforts like her humidifier. Her thoughts wander to Fiona's...