"Breathe." It's the mantra populating Instagram feeds and topping off news anchors' coverage in an effort to help us all cope with the anxiety that comes with pandemic- and post-election uncertainty.

In “Deep Breath,” by the Hungarian novelist Rita Halász, a woman flees her abusive husband in order to slowly regain her sanity, and her self. By Jane Hu Jane Hu is a critic whose work has appeared in ...