The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka Paperback Book 9780241994283

Winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in FictionExquisite The New York TimesA tale of grief and memory awash with dark humour and wit SpectatorquotUp therequot she says quotIm just another little old lady But down here at the pool Im myselfquotFor the people who swim there each day the local pool is a haven of unexpected kinship and private solace For Alice her daily laps have become the ritual that gives her life meaning even though she may not remember the combination to her locker or where she put her towelBut one day a crack appears deep beneath the surface of the water and then another and then another The pool must close for repairs and with that Alice is plunged into dislocation and chaosAway from the steady routines of her swimming she is engulfed by difficult memories of her own past And as her sense of home and of herself slip further out of her grasp her daughter must navigate the newly fractured landscape of their relationshipFrom the internationally bestselling author of The Buddha in the Attic comes a novel about memory and loss mothers and daughters the stories that make up a life and what happens when they start to unravelIm in awe of how this beautiful graceful novel can hold so much grief and loss and love in its pages a literary gem Nicci GerrardAn unforgettable novel about mothers and daughters by a spellbinding talent Daily Mail