Who Are The Main Characters In 'As Close To Us As Breathing'?

Just started reading As Close to Us As Breathing by Elizabeth Poliner and the family dynamics feel so intricate. Could someone explain the main Levitt family members and their roles?
2026-03-08 22:53:05
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8 Answers

Best Answer
AvaVibe
AvaVibe
Twist Chaser Cashier
You're asking about the book by Elizabeth Poliner? It's about three sisters—Addie, Vivie, and Bec—and the death of one of their children during a summer in 1948 that changes their family forever. For a story with that same feeling of quiet, intimate family tragedy impacting multiple generations, you could try 'A Breath Away from Death'. It focuses on a woman who, after a sudden loss, starts seeing ghosts of her family members, and the plot revolves around her unraveling a long-buried secret about a childhood accident.
2026-08-01 07:02:16
50
Mateo
Mateo
Insight Sharer Nurse
Ada, Vivie, and Bec Leibritsky are the pillars of the story, but 'As Close to Us as Breathing' is really about the spaces between people—how silence and unsaid words shape them. Ada’s marriage, Vivie’s quiet rebellion, Bec’s artistic yearnings—they all collide after a pivotal summer tragedy. Molly’s voice as the later-generation narrator adds hindsight’s melancholy, like she’s trying to solve a puzzle whose pieces are lost. The characters feel less like constructs and more like relatives you’ve heard stories about, their flaws and loves laid bare. Poliner’s genius is in making family feel both universal and intimately specific.
2026-03-10 06:14:08
23
Kate
Kate
Twist Chaser Office Worker
The heart of 'As Close to Us as Breathing' revolves around the intertwined lives of the Leibritsky family, particularly three sisters—Ada, Vivie, and Bec—who navigate love, loss, and identity in a 1940s Jewish community. Ada, the eldest, carries the weight of tradition while hiding her own desires; Vivie, the middle sister, is pragmatic yet quietly rebellious; and Bec, the youngest, is a dreamer whose innocence is shattered by tragedy. Their brother Howard, though less central, adds another layer of familial tension. The novel’s emotional core lies in how their choices ripple across generations, especially through Ada’s daughter, Molly, who grapples with the family’s unresolved grief decades later.

What struck me most was how the author, Liz Poliner, paints each character with such specificity—Ada’s stoicism, Vivie’s sharp wit, Bec’s artistic soul. Even secondary figures like Uncle Abner or the sisters’ mother, Celia, feel vivid. The book isn’t just about individual arcs but how these lives collide, like threads in a tightly woven tapestry. It’s one of those stories where the 'main' characters blur because everyone contributes to the collective memory. Molly’s retrospective narration adds a poignant layer, making you wonder whose story it truly is—hers or the sisters’.
2026-03-10 21:25:25
10
Uma
Uma
Reply Helper Consultant
Poliner’s novel feels like peeling an onion—each layer reveals deeper complexities about the Leibritskys. At first glance, Ada seems like the anchor: a mother figure burdened by secrets. But Vivie steals scenes with her dry humor and unspoken defiance, like when she quietly challenges their community’s expectations. Bec, the free spirit, is the one who tugs at your heart; her arc is devastating but beautifully rendered. And then there’s Molly, whose adult reflections frame the narrative, making you question how much of her family’s past she’s pieced together versus imagined.

The men—Howard, Abner, even Ada’s husband, Mort—aren’t afterthoughts, but the sisters dominate the emotional landscape. Celia, the matriarch, is a force too, her strictness masking her own fears. What I love is how no one’s purely likable; they’re flawed, real. Vivie’s stubbornness, Ada’s coldness at times—it all makes sense in the context of their world. The book’s strength is how it makes you care about the entire family, not just the 'main' trio.
2026-03-12 23:19:30
30
RheaPerry
RheaPerry
Ending Guesser Teacher
Nah, I got nothin’ on this one. The title rings a bell from some book club list, but I’d just be guessing. Anyone here actually finished it? I’m curious if the ending sticks the landing or fizzles out.
2026-07-30 22:22:00
13
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I stumbled upon 'as close to us as breathing' during a weekend bookstore crawl, and it completely blindsided me with its emotional depth. At first glance, the premise seemed quiet—family dynamics, historical undertones—but the way Miko Kingsolver weaves generational trauma with moments of tenderness is masterful. The prose feels like listening to an old relative tell stories by a fireplace; you catch yourself holding your breath during pivotal scenes. What hooked me wasn't just the plot (though the 1950s Connecticut setting adds such rich texture), but how the characters' flaws make them achingly real. Ada’s rebelliousness, Julie’s quiet desperation—they linger in your mind like people you’ve actually known. If you enjoy novels that treat family like a mosaic—broken pieces forming something unexpectedly beautiful—this one’s a treasure.

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