Levels of Life

The book is divided into three essays: 'The Sin of Height' explores 19th-century ballooning and photography; 'On the Level' fictionalizes a relationship between balloonist Fred Burnaby and actress Sarah Bernhardt; and 'The Loss of Depth' addresses the author's grief following the death of his wife, Pat Kavanagh.

Barnes reflects on the nature of grief, memory, and the complexities of mourning without sentimentalizing his experiences.