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A review by magicinwords23
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
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This was such a beautiful little read at 176 pages and a book that took me by surprise. I read the blurb and even saw a review but wasnβt prepared for the turn this story took.
The swimmers that frequent the local swimming pool donβt know each other personally but only by their swimming habits, the lane they use, fast medium or slow and the costumes they adorn week in and week out.
When cracks appear all around the pool the swimmers begin a forage of panic until sadly they learn the pool must close permanently. They all go back to their lives as before without any fuss except for one swimmer whose life is about to change forever.
The story centres around Alice who is suffering from frontotemporal dementia and whose memory has decreased considerably that her daughter and husband place her in a home.
The narrative takes on a sad and heartbreaking tone as Alice is told what to expect from her life from then on. She will never remember what she will no longer be able to do nor how her disease will progress.
The story turns again and is told from the POV of Aliceβs daughter. This part upset me because she never had much to do with her mother since leaving home and never once invited her into her life. She describes how the disease takes over and everyday little changes are visible that become greater with time until her mother finally stops talking and their visits consist of hand-holding in silence.
There were times when Aliceβs husband reached over to touch her in the bed or walked into the kitchen expecting to see her washing dishes only to remember where she was and realise he was now alone. His loss, grief and heartache utterly devastated me.
This book was very relatable to me as I had a family member in a home with Alzheimerβs for six years and every detail was so close to what I experienced or expected my relative to have experienced.
The loneliness, the longing for the past, the yearning to be at home again and not in this Godforsaken place that people keep saying is your new home when all you want is to be back on your sofa with a nice cup of tea. Not understanding why you are there in the first place, the longing by loved ones to be remembered and eyes, that have lost their sparkle and are now black staring, trying so hard to place how you are connected.
Although this was a poignant and compelling novel, it is a raw insight into a person's life where they are no longer themselves and need around-the-clock care. Those who have experience with this may find this distressing as I did so beware of the trigger warnings beforehand
This was such a beautiful little read at 176 pages and a book that took me by surprise. I read the blurb and even saw a review but wasnβt prepared for the turn this story took.
The swimmers that frequent the local swimming pool donβt know each other personally but only by their swimming habits, the lane they use, fast medium or slow and the costumes they adorn week in and week out.
When cracks appear all around the pool the swimmers begin a forage of panic until sadly they learn the pool must close permanently. They all go back to their lives as before without any fuss except for one swimmer whose life is about to change forever.
The story centres around Alice who is suffering from frontotemporal dementia and whose memory has decreased considerably that her daughter and husband place her in a home.
The narrative takes on a sad and heartbreaking tone as Alice is told what to expect from her life from then on. She will never remember what she will no longer be able to do nor how her disease will progress.
The story turns again and is told from the POV of Aliceβs daughter. This part upset me because she never had much to do with her mother since leaving home and never once invited her into her life. She describes how the disease takes over and everyday little changes are visible that become greater with time until her mother finally stops talking and their visits consist of hand-holding in silence.
There were times when Aliceβs husband reached over to touch her in the bed or walked into the kitchen expecting to see her washing dishes only to remember where she was and realise he was now alone. His loss, grief and heartache utterly devastated me.
This book was very relatable to me as I had a family member in a home with Alzheimerβs for six years and every detail was so close to what I experienced or expected my relative to have experienced.
The loneliness, the longing for the past, the yearning to be at home again and not in this Godforsaken place that people keep saying is your new home when all you want is to be back on your sofa with a nice cup of tea. Not understanding why you are there in the first place, the longing by loved ones to be remembered and eyes, that have lost their sparkle and are now black staring, trying so hard to place how you are connected.
Although this was a poignant and compelling novel, it is a raw insight into a person's life where they are no longer themselves and need around-the-clock care. Those who have experience with this may find this distressing as I did so beware of the trigger warnings beforehand
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia and Death of parent