The Swimmers

By: Chloe Lane

Narrated by: Mary L. Phillips

The black sheep in a family of former competitive swimmers must prepare for the end of her mother’s life in this sharp, sparkling debut from a bold New Zealand talent.

When an affair ends badly and takes her career down with it, 26-year-old Erin leaves Auckland to spend the holiday weekend with her aunt, uncle, and terminally ill mother at their suburban family home. On arrival, she learns that her mother has decided to take matters into her own hands and end her life—the following Tuesday.

Tasked with fulfilling her mother’s final wishes, Erin can only do her imperfect best to navigate difficult feelings, an eccentric neighborhood, and her complicated family of former competitive swimmers. She must summon the strength she would normally find in the water as she prepares for the loss of the fiery, independent woman who raised her alone, and one last swim together in the cold New Zealand Sea.

©2022 Gallic Books (P)2022 Gallic Books

Critic reviews

Longlisted for the Jann Medlicott Acorn Prize for Fiction at the Ockham New Zealand Book Awards 2021

"Intense, moving, and darkly comic." (New Zealand Herald)

A Heartbreaking Journey Through Loss and Choice

I’d give The Swimmers three stars. The story follows Erin as she reflects on the winter she spent with her mother, who had motor neurone disease and chose to take her fate into her own hands. It’s an incredibly sad and heavy subject, centered on euthanasia, which is something I personally don’t agree with.

That being said, it was still an interesting read. The book gives a raw look at how one family handled such an unimaginable situation and the complicated emotions that came with it. Along the way, unexpected truths and strange moments surfaced, which kept me turning the pages.

I listened to the audio version, and the narrator, Mary Phillips, one of my favorites, was excellent. Her performance actually made the story a little better and easier to stay with, even when the subject matter was difficult.

Overall, it’s not a book I loved, but it did make me think, and sometimes that’s what stories are meant to do.

Devastating read

This is a devastating book about grieving. One of life's most painful experiences is grieving for those who are still alive, and we can do nothing to help the situation.

While the writing wasn't spectacular, Chloe Lane did a great job with the premise and its unfolding.

As for the narrator, I applaud her storytelling in bringing such a heart-wrenching story to life.

I definitely recommend this book to readers who enjoy literary/general fiction.

Too sad.

I'm sorry. This book is just not for me. I did not enjoy it very much. I didn't see or get any humor from it. I don't believe in euthanasia. It was just sad for me.

I was gifted an Audible version of this book from the author through Story Origin. I give the narrator 5 stars. She IS the voice of Erin. Her presentation is spot on.