Swimming

by Enza Gandolfo

Swimming is compelling novel about female friendship, creativity, unexpected childlessness, and the potency of long distance swimming.
Kate is a teacher and a writer, but she has never been a mother. She believes she has a good and satisfying life until a chance encounter with her ex-husband leads Kate back to an unfinished novel written twenty years earlier in which she described the impact on herself and others of her infertility, and of the betrayal that ends her marriage. Shifting between the past of ‘Writing Sarah’ and the present, the double narrative enables both Kate and the reader to confront and come to terms with the past.
Set in the western suburbs of Melbourne and on the surf beaches of the Great Ocean Road, Swimming is about loss and survival, betrayal and revenge, friendship and love. Beautifully paced, this is a novel that will resonate with anyone whose life hasn’t turned out as planned.

Genres: Australia

243 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Pen R. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing !! Loved this book. Best book I have read in a long time

[Angela Savage · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautifully written novel that does not shy away from the pain of infertility, while daring to imagine fulfilling lives without children.

[Michelle Heeter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this book because of the title (I'm an ocean swimmer and pool swimmer). The subject of the novel is a woman whose unsuccessful quest to bear a child poisons her life and ruins her first marriage. Normally, the "trying to get pregnant and failing" angst arouses nothing but annoyance in me--I consider women who have such feelings to be hormonal bimbos. If you can't have a baby, get over it, get a hobby, and shut up.

Therefore, I was surprised that this book held my interest. It's beautifully written. Not being Australian-born, I enjoyed the descriptions of growing up in the Australia that my husband remembers.

There is too much psycho-babble-tinged talking in this book, especially toward the end. "I felt this..." "But I thought you wanted that..." "I felt that you felt that you couldn't share with me that you wanted me to feel...." etc.

This book is not a keeper (unless fertility anguish is your thing), but is well worth borrowing from the library.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

The novel is a psychological journey through Kate’s life, with a chance encounter with The Ex as catalyst. Kate’s retired, she’s had a satisfying career as a secondary teacher (about which Gandolfo has wisely chosen not to tell us too much), and she’s enjoying life post work with her lover George and a range of activities including her beloved swimming, desultory writing and her friends. When she bumps into Tom at Tess’s photography exhibition he wants to know if she’s happy, and would their marriage have survived if they’d had children. (Only an Ex could ask such an impertinent question!)
For more see http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/200...

[Philippa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was possibly the best book I've read all year. Rich, textured, detailed and honest writing that flooded me with memories of Melbourne, of heartbreak, of longing.

[Kathy Landvogt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great topic, carefully crafted, enjoyable. Movement between present and past largely worked well.