A review by shays
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

 The Swimmers is pervaded by a creeping sense of unease and impending loss. The buoyancy of the pool drains away as the crack grows, the community splintering, Alice’s memory slipping, her daughter grieving the loss of a woman who is still alive but largely gone. It is too late for them to make up for lost time. That anxiety is counterpointed by the rhythm of Otsuka’s prose, concise but striking, which has a poignant beauty even in describing a slow-motion tragedy. 

Full review: https://shayshortt.com/2023/08/08/the-swimmers/

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Dementia