The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer
Contemporary Fiction, 320 pages
May 9, 2023 by St. Martin's Press
Mikki Brammer's The Collected Regrets of Clover is a big-hearted and life-affirming debut about a death doula who, in caring for others at the end of their life, has forgotten how to live her own, for readers of The Midnight Library.
What’s the point of giving someone a beautiful death if you can’t give yourself a beautiful life?
From the day she watched her kindergarten teacher drop dead during a dramatic telling of Peter Rabbit, Clover Brooks has felt a stronger connection with the dying than she has with the living. After the beloved grandfather who raised her dies alone while she is traveling, Clover becomes a death doula in New York City, dedicating her life to ushering people peacefully through their end-of-life process.
Clover spends so much time with the dying that she has no life of her own, until the final wishes of a feisty old woman send Clover on a trip across the country to uncover a forgotten love story––and perhaps, her own happy ending. As she finds herself struggling to navigate the uncharted roads of romance and friendship, Clover is forced to examine what she really wants, and whether she’ll have the courage to go after it.
Probing, clever, and hopeful, The Collected Regrets of Clover turns the normally taboo subject of death into a reason to celebrate life.
My thoughts about The Collected Regrets of Clover ~~
(I love to note the first lines of the books I'm reading. First lines can really grab a reader's attention and I love seeing where the author takes the reader after their first lines.)
First line—"The first time I watched someone die, I was five."
The first line of this book drew me in and then I was hooked. This is a beautiful story about a topic that makes most of us uncomfortable—death.
Clover Brooks is a death doula, one who comforts people as they pass on. She soon discovers that she also needs comfort and care, as much as the people she is trying to help. But can she open her heart enough to let people in so that she can finally heal?
Mikki Brammer is an excellent writer and has penned an exceptional story, one that warmed my heart and gave me encouragement about the humanity of people. The Collected Regrets of Clover is a charming, delightful look at the goodness of people.
I received a copy of The Collected Regrets of Clover via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
About the author
Mikki Brammer is from Tasmania, Australia and now lives in New York City by way of France and Spain. She writes about architecture, art and design for publications including Architectural Digest, ELLE Décor, and Dwell. The Collected Regrets of Clover is her first novel.~ Goodreads
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