Waiting to Exhale

Waiting to Exhale is a novel by acclaimed author Terry McMillan. Published in 1992, Waiting to Exhale is one of the first novels to showcase the private lives of middle-class, professional Black women. The novel follows the lives of four women—Savannah, Bernadine, Robin, and Gloria—as they navigate their way through romantic, professional, and legal entanglements while supporting each other with a friendship that survives it all. Thematically, the novel explores the midlife experience of “waiting” for life to begin, betrayals and disappointments in relationships, and cultural expectations surrounding dating. In 2010, McMillan released a sequel to Waiting to Exhale called Getting to Happy that revisits Savannah, Bernadine, Robin, and Gloria 15 years later.

Waiting to Exhale was made into a major motion picture in 1995, with Forrest Whitaker making his directorial debut. The film stars Angela Basset as Bernadine, Whitney Houston as Savannah, Lela Rochon as Robin, and Lorreta Devine as Gloria. The movie won four Image Awards and spawned a hit song for Whitney Houston, “Exhale (Shoop Shoop).”

This guide references the Kindle e-book version of this book published in January 2006.

Plot Summary

Waiting to Exhale begins on New Year’s Eve in 1989 as Savannah struggles to work up the enthusiasm to meet Lionel, a man her sister introduced her to. Savannah doesn’t see the point in striking up a relationship in Denver, Colorado, now that she’s accepted a job in Phoenix, Arizona, but she doesn’t want to spend another holiday alone. Savannah goes to the party, where she is smitten by Lionel, but she leaves after another woman implies an intimate relationship with Lionel. When Savannah’s friend backs out of helping her with the drive to Phoenix, Savannah agrees to allow Lionel to go with her, but he proves to be a disappointing companion.

Bernadine, married 11 years, has just learned her husband wants a divorce in order to marry a white woman who works in his office. While Bernadine is not surprised by the divorce—both she and her husband, John, have been unhappy for a long time—she is outraged that he would leave her for another woman, especially one who performs the same job Bernadine did when John first started the business. Bernadine takes the children to her mother’s, then piles all of John’s clothing into her BMW and lights it on fire. The following weekend, she has a garage sale and sells John’s remaining belongings for $1 each, including the classic car he’d been restoring.

Robin is an insurance underwriter who wants nothing more than to be a mother. However, her taste in men often leads her toward good-looking but unreliable men. Robin has recently broken up with Russell after living together for more than a year. Russell moved into Robin’s apartment from that of his last girlfriend and convinced Robin to co-sign on a new car loan and fix his insurance so that he wouldn’t owe on an accident that took place after his insurance lapsed. After Robin agreed to do these things for him, Russell left Robin for another woman, who called Robin and let her know what a fool she was for getting involved with a man who wasn’t single when they met.

Gloria is a hairdresser who is raising her 16-year-old son, Tarik, alone. Gloria met her son’s father in college and had a brief fling with him after a party, during which she got so drunk she doesn’t remember the encounter. Soon after her son’s birth, Gloria’s parents died within a month of each other, so she moved to Phoenix, where she started her own hair salon. Gloria still has feelings for her son’s father, but during a visit to Phoenix, he announces that he is gay and is no longer interested in spending time with either her or his son, who refuses to see him on this visit.

Bernadine learns that John has sold his share of the business and is claiming to only make a fraction of the money Bernadine knows he brings home. At the same time, she discovers that he has emptied all their shared bank accounts and left her with a fraction of the funds she needs to pay her monthly bills. As a result, Bernadine draws a check on an American Express account John forgot about and hires a private detective to help her lawyer uncover John’s hidden assets.

Robin meets Michael, a coworker. He’s not her type, but Robin likes his kindness and generosity, so she convinces herself that she can turn him into the man she wants him to be. However, after multiple dates, Robin begins to lose hope that he can change. A short time later, Russell leaves his wife, and Robin takes him in.

Savannah finds the social life in Phoenix to be boring and settles into a job she hates. When a former lover, Kenneth, calls and suggests they get together while he’s in town for a conference, Savannah nervously agrees. Savannah was in love with Kenneth but broke up with him because he was never clear about his feelings. When he arrives on her doorstep, however, he admits that he’d been in love with her as well. However, Kenneth is married. After sleeping with him a few times, Savannah ends the relationship once and for all.

Bernadine begins an affair with a married man, learning from it that she is still alluring but isn’t interested in another committed relationship. Bernadine ends the relationship. When she learns that her divorce has been granted ahead of the settlement, she takes herself to a local hotel and rents a suite. In the bar, she meets a lawyer, James, who tells her his wife is dying of cancer. They spend a passionate night together, and it changes Bernadine’s outlook.

Gloria meets her new neighbor, Melvin, and finds him exceedingly attractive. He begins spending time at her house, fixing everything that needs a little attention. At the same time, Gloria is under a great deal of pressure because three of her hairdressers have either quit, are about to quit, or are too sick to work. One evening, Gloria has a massive heart attack that puts her in the hospital. Melvin, she learns later, performed CPR on her and likely saved her life.

Savannah has an affair with a television producer from San Francisco while at a conference in Las Vegas. However, when it becomes clear the man has no intention of ever speaking to her again, Savannah decides she doesn’t need a man to be happy and settles into her new job as a television producer. Robin learns she is pregnant and decides to raise the baby alone. Bernadine receives her settlement from the divorce, and it is three times larger than the settlement John offered at the beginning. Bernadine plans a celebration with her friends and decides to open a bakery with her settlement.