In a world obsessed with the next milestone, the next promotion and the next version of ourselves, perhaps the greatest challenge is learning to notice the life already unfolding around us. It is this idea that sits at the heart of space between breaths, the debut book by Cape Town-born writer Justin P Van Tonder.
Arriving this November, the book explores presence, loss, love and the often-overlooked moments that shape our lives. Drawing from personal experience, Van Tonder invites readers to consider a simple but powerful question: what if you could be busy living, yet still miss your life?
The book- Spaces Between Breaths
The inspiration for space between breaths emerged during one of the most difficult periods of the author’s life. As he walked alongside his mother through a Stage 4 cancer diagnosis, he found himself confronting uncertainty, grief and the fragile nature of time. Rather than focusing solely on illness and loss, however, the book examines what happens when certainty disappears and we are left with the present moment.
“I didn’t set out to write a book about cancer, or even about grief,” says Van Tonder. “I set out to understand what happens when certainty disappears. What I found is that the life-changing moment is not always the one that stops your world. It is the moment you finally become present enough to notice the world you are already in.”
While deeply personal, space between breaths extends beyond one family’s experience. Through thoughtful storytelling, honest reflection and practical insights, the book encourages readers to pause, listen and reconnect with themselves. Rather than offering easy answers, it creates space for reflection and invites readers to embrace life’s questions with greater awareness.
Justin Van Tonder
Van Tonder describes the book as a companion rather than a guidebook. It does not promise transformation through grand gestures or dramatic reinvention. Instead, it explores how presence can emerge through ordinary moments and everyday experiences.
Raised in Cape Town by a single mother, Van Tonder built a career across media, radio, brand and event strategy, as well as human performance. He currently holds a senior position within one of South Africa’s leading human performance organisations, where he develops programmes designed to inspire connection and growth. Throughout that journey, writing remained a constant companion, quietly waiting in the background.
With space between breaths, he returns to that creative voice and shares the lessons that emerged through one of life’s most profound challenges.
At a time when many people feel overwhelmed by constant demands and distractions, the book offers a gentle reminder that meaning often exists in the moments we rush past. Sometimes the most important thing we can do is stop searching for the next chapter and pay attention to the one we are already living.
space between breaths will be available on Amazon from November 2026.
