“The poet’s lyrical second novel charts the odyssey of a disillusioned teacher who flees London for the US” - The Guardian

“Reports of Bola’s lyricism drew me to this novel in the first place, and I was not disappointed. His mind works in interesting ways to produce thought-provoking comments on setting and people, and everything is said in stunning language which never grows tired. His language works to beautify places often presented as void of beauty or unworthy of artistic representation, such as council estates and the backstreets of London. His depictions of love, too, which drive the novel, are intense and moving; love has been said many times and in many ways, yet Bola makes it new.” - Zadie Loft, Zitro Magazine

“The Selfless Act of Breathing is a deeply moving book. Bola really pulls all the stops to ask raw, painful, and honest questions about what mental health is, as it relates to masculinity, immigration, alienation, as well as love.” - Alesia Alexander, Brittle Paper

“Chronicling someone’s emotional deterioration can be a tricky affair, but Bola acquits himself beautifully; his prose is sensitive and powerful. Lovers of character studies that tend toward the dark will find much to admire in this novel.” - Kirkus