What do you think?
Rate this book
The Swimmers
Erin’s mother has motor neurone disease and has decided to take her fate into her own hands. As Erin looks back at her twenty-six-year-old self, she can finally tell the story of the unimaginable task she faced one winter.
218 pages, Paperback
First published May 19, 2022
11 people are currently reading
1625 people want to read
About the author
Chloe Lane
6 books7 followersChloe Lane earned her MFA in Fiction at the University of Florida. She is also a graduate of the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University of Wellington, and the founding editor of Hue+Cry Press. The Swimmers is her first book.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews
Read
February 18, 2022I absolutely loved The Swimmers. Intense, darkly funny, desperately sad, a little bit weird (in the best way). Just all the feelings. And also, brilliantly written. Erin, 26, lives one day at a time, without much thought for consequences or the future. She goes to visit her aunt, where her terminally ill mother is staying, and learns that her mother is planning to take her own life next Tuesday. Finally, Erin has to look ahead. Highly recommended.
May 18, 2023
Wow, this was completely and utterly devastating. You knew what was coming, right from when you read the blurb, but it didn’t stop it from completely shattering my heart.
I loved how normal all the characters were in this story. Other reviews criticise them for not having much emotion, especially the main character, but I related to Erin in a lot ways. She isn’t portraying grief in the stereotypical bawling your eyes out 24/7 way, she is quiet, and processes things internally.
Nothing crazy happens in the story and it’s been criticised for being boring, but I really admired the fact that Chloe Lane wrote about grief in this way. A realistic depiction of what grief might look like for an average family.
SPOILER COMING:
Toward the end when Erin was sat with her mother as she was dying and suddenly realised she had forgot to put on the playlist of songs her mother had specifically asked for - this is the part that broke me. Such a small thing that will become a deep lifelong regret.
I loved how normal all the characters were in this story. Other reviews criticise them for not having much emotion, especially the main character, but I related to Erin in a lot ways. She isn’t portraying grief in the stereotypical bawling your eyes out 24/7 way, she is quiet, and processes things internally.
Nothing crazy happens in the story and it’s been criticised for being boring, but I really admired the fact that Chloe Lane wrote about grief in this way. A realistic depiction of what grief might look like for an average family.
SPOILER COMING:
Toward the end when Erin was sat with her mother as she was dying and suddenly realised she had forgot to put on the playlist of songs her mother had specifically asked for - this is the part that broke me. Such a small thing that will become a deep lifelong regret.
February 10, 2022
This is a very unusual concept and I was intrigued about it. I'll admit that being from the UK I knew nothing about New Zealand's position so this alone was enlightening and surprising. The main character isn't particularly likeable and I didn't feel much empathy for her but I was still drawn to her enigmatic and unusual approach to life. I was eager to know more.
Focuses on the day-to-day with a potentially monumental climax.
Focuses on the day-to-day with a potentially monumental climax.
December 23, 2023
4/5 stars
"Yet the idea that her decline, however painful and hideous, might slow, that she might retain in this current state or worse, for an unknowable amount of time - that seemed like the sort of next-level tragedy that would befall someone else."
The Swimmers is a difficult book to recommend, as its equally difficult subject matter makes it something that won’t resonate with every reader. Yet for the people it does resonate with, it has the potential to be something incredibly powerful. This short and deeply intimate novella follows a New Zealand family over the cause of only a few days, counting down towards the death of the mother. Literally counting down, as her death is scheduled in advance.
Twenty-six year old Erin recounts the story of the week her mother, suffering from a degenerative motor-neuron-disease, decides she wants to take her life (and death) into her own hands. Unable to suffer further bodily deterioration, she plans the day of her death and asks her sister and daughter to help her. Not only in the act itself, but in what she calls her “final frolic”: the days leading up to it.
As mentioned: this book deals with incredibly heavy topics, and left a deep impression on me in multiple ways. On the one hand, it’s such a time- and place-bound book, as the fact that euthanasia is illegal in New Zealand is such a shaping element of the events. It really set me, as a Dutch person, where euthanasia is legal, thinking about the cultural framework of it all. On the other hand, the experience of spending those last days with a dying loved one (especially knowing it’s their final days), is such a universal yet personal one, that I deeply resonated with it. The surrealist feel of it all; how it makes the smallest things feel incredibly large, and the larger things feel insignificantly small. Chloe Lane captures that perfectly.
Minimal writing, minimal length, but maximal emotional impact.
"Yet the idea that her decline, however painful and hideous, might slow, that she might retain in this current state or worse, for an unknowable amount of time - that seemed like the sort of next-level tragedy that would befall someone else."
The Swimmers is a difficult book to recommend, as its equally difficult subject matter makes it something that won’t resonate with every reader. Yet for the people it does resonate with, it has the potential to be something incredibly powerful. This short and deeply intimate novella follows a New Zealand family over the cause of only a few days, counting down towards the death of the mother. Literally counting down, as her death is scheduled in advance.
Twenty-six year old Erin recounts the story of the week her mother, suffering from a degenerative motor-neuron-disease, decides she wants to take her life (and death) into her own hands. Unable to suffer further bodily deterioration, she plans the day of her death and asks her sister and daughter to help her. Not only in the act itself, but in what she calls her “final frolic”: the days leading up to it.
As mentioned: this book deals with incredibly heavy topics, and left a deep impression on me in multiple ways. On the one hand, it’s such a time- and place-bound book, as the fact that euthanasia is illegal in New Zealand is such a shaping element of the events. It really set me, as a Dutch person, where euthanasia is legal, thinking about the cultural framework of it all. On the other hand, the experience of spending those last days with a dying loved one (especially knowing it’s their final days), is such a universal yet personal one, that I deeply resonated with it. The surrealist feel of it all; how it makes the smallest things feel incredibly large, and the larger things feel insignificantly small. Chloe Lane captures that perfectly.
Minimal writing, minimal length, but maximal emotional impact.
August 26, 2023
i’m disappointed
i wanted to read this book as i thought it was going to be about family grief and female bonds and loss but i just didn’t like anyone in it, it was very bland
maybe i just missed something but i really just didn’t get it
like hm
i am confused as i feel like i must’ve just missed the point or the relatability to the main character but she was a brat tbh and wasn’t likeable at all
also, it had really obscure events that added nothing to the plot of her mother’s assisted suicide
a bizarre unsatisfying book :(
sorry
i wanted to read this book as i thought it was going to be about family grief and female bonds and loss but i just didn’t like anyone in it, it was very bland
maybe i just missed something but i really just didn’t get it
like hm
i am confused as i feel like i must’ve just missed the point or the relatability to the main character but she was a brat tbh and wasn’t likeable at all
also, it had really obscure events that added nothing to the plot of her mother’s assisted suicide
a bizarre unsatisfying book :(
sorry
June 19, 2023
The Swimmers is a New Zealand novel about a young woman whose mother is terminally ill and planning to take her own life with-in the next 3 days. The novel follows the run up to the day, the day itself and then the day after. I haven't read a book from New Zealand before and so it was nice to explore some literature from that part of the world however I don't think this affected me as much as it should have. I think something about the narrator I found a bit cold and also her relationship with her aunt and I found really odd, and something about it put me off. The motifs around swimming and one of the sections where they take the mom swimming was really nice, and also I found the day of the actual event really nicely written. However I just didn't gel with this one as much as I wanted and found it just okay.
January 21, 2021
This didn’t grab me. The main character did not endear herself in any way to me - she felt cold and non-plussed by what was going on around her. She lacked any kind of focus towards her mother, showed no real introspection, had zero depth of relationship with anyone else in the book, every encounter she had with others felt fake or convoluted or went unexplained. There was no depth to her or the story itself unfortunately. This should have been an emotional read considering the subject matter, but it fell way short of that
May 24, 2022
erin’s mother is dying. after being diagnosed with motor neurone disease, watching her mother lose pieces of herself has left erin lost. her affair with her boss has cost her a job, her reckless behaviour is out of control and the only person she can turn to is her overly-chipper aunty winn. but when the three former competitive swimmers become embroiled in a plot to carry out her mother’s last act of rebellion, erin realises she must set aside her own feelings to be there for those who need her the most. in chloe lane’s unique and stunning debut, she asks who has the right to choose between life and death, and how far will families go to help their own?
a huge thank you to issy at Gallic books for sending me a copy of the swimmers! this book is an underrated gem that just gets better and better the further you wade into chloe lane’s world. I loved the beautiful water analogies throughout, the balance of nature and nurture that plays throughout and the gradual bond between erin, her mother and her aunt. erin reminded me of amelia from ella baxter’s new animal, particularly in how she grapples with her mother’s inevitable decline. at points, she feels like an isolated character, remaining out of range for the readers to truly understand. but as the novel progresses, it becomes clear that grief and impending loss are impossible emotions to rationalise.
the swimmers is a highly emotional and thoroughly contemporary read, discussing themes such as assisted dying and contentious family relationships. secrets are uncovered and the threat of destroyed everything is never far away, all the while the underlying tension of loss and sacrifice bubble behind the scenes. this is a stellar debut of some stunning oceanic literature and I cannot recommend enough!
a huge thank you to issy at Gallic books for sending me a copy of the swimmers! this book is an underrated gem that just gets better and better the further you wade into chloe lane’s world. I loved the beautiful water analogies throughout, the balance of nature and nurture that plays throughout and the gradual bond between erin, her mother and her aunt. erin reminded me of amelia from ella baxter’s new animal, particularly in how she grapples with her mother’s inevitable decline. at points, she feels like an isolated character, remaining out of range for the readers to truly understand. but as the novel progresses, it becomes clear that grief and impending loss are impossible emotions to rationalise.
the swimmers is a highly emotional and thoroughly contemporary read, discussing themes such as assisted dying and contentious family relationships. secrets are uncovered and the threat of destroyed everything is never far away, all the while the underlying tension of loss and sacrifice bubble behind the scenes. this is a stellar debut of some stunning oceanic literature and I cannot recommend enough!
May 3, 2021
The writing in this book was very solid but I felt it was let down significantly by the character development. I really struggled to understand the main character (what does she have against her aunt? what is the deal with her relationship with her mother? to what extent is her frustrating behaviour a manifestation of grief vs just kinda being a bit of a brat?). Ultimately, this distracted me from connecting from the central themes in the book and left me a bit cold on the emotional front.
July 29, 2023
Excited to read more from Chloe Lane. This book is heartbreaking, funny, and just so real. Realizing how much I love Australian/NZ and British lit. Their dry humor is unmatched and I’m always left thinking in their perspectives for a week after I finish.
Minus one star because I felt the ending was abrupt and didn’t wrap up a couple loose threads. Maybe it was intentional as the book is about an semi abrupt ending of life.
Minus one star because I felt the ending was abrupt and didn’t wrap up a couple loose threads. Maybe it was intentional as the book is about an semi abrupt ending of life.
February 10, 2021
I came across The Swimmers in August last year after seeing a Tweet from NZ author Paula Morris about it, so I wasn't surprised to see that it has made the 2021 Ockham NZ Book Awards longlist. Since I had a copy, I decided to read it before the shortlist is announced in early March. It's a remarkable book.
Around the world societies are grappling with the difficult issue of assisted dying, some of them achieving the passage of compassionate legislation to enable it with appropriate safeguards, and others unable to do so, often frustrated by religious or professional interests imposing their beliefs on others who don't share them. Lane's novel, published in 2020 and presumably conceived and written before that, predates reform in New Zealand via the End of Life Choices Act 2019 which takes full effect in November 2021. However, from what I gather from Wikipedia about the provisions of the NZ Act, Lane's novel wrestles with the issue of choices about how assisted dying can be achieved and who may be involved in it.
Erin's mother has been a strong, independent woman all her life, and she wants to be in control of the time, place, and ambience of her dying too. To Erin's surprise she has enlisted her sister Wynn in her plans, and Erin finds out about it almost by accident. Would Erin have been told had she not unexpectedly decided to visit her mother? Would she ever have been told? That's one of a number of ambiguities in the novel. Because Erin narrates the story, there's only her perspective, and it doesn't occur to her to think about this. She's a narcissistic twenty-six year-old, and prior to the bombshell she's been preoccupied with the end of her affair with a married man. It was only on a whim that she decided to join the Moore Family Queen's Birthday weekend lunch anyway, and she was hoping her mother would think she's come home because she missed her. Erin is not a very nice person.
But then, not everyone confronted with such a situation is...
Erin is a flawed human being, and so is her mother. Erin is superficial, and judgemental, and judgemental about superficial things such as home décor and clothing choices. She thinks she's a sophisticated city girl, at home in the world of art galleries where she has just curated her first show. (Which was a flop. Which may have contributed to the end of the affair with the gallery director.) She's judgemental about Aunty Wynn, and although Erin's mother is beyond the power of speech now, we learn that she was judgemental about Wynn too. But she has come 'home' from Wellington to the family farm at Kaipura to have her sister's help; she didn't seek that help from her daughter in Auckland. Book groups that can tackle topics like this will explore the reasons: to spare her daughter? to prevent her from interfering?
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2021/02/10/t...
Caution: if anything in this review is a catalyst for distress, please remember that
help is available at Lifeline and Beyond Blue or counselling services in your location.
Around the world societies are grappling with the difficult issue of assisted dying, some of them achieving the passage of compassionate legislation to enable it with appropriate safeguards, and others unable to do so, often frustrated by religious or professional interests imposing their beliefs on others who don't share them. Lane's novel, published in 2020 and presumably conceived and written before that, predates reform in New Zealand via the End of Life Choices Act 2019 which takes full effect in November 2021. However, from what I gather from Wikipedia about the provisions of the NZ Act, Lane's novel wrestles with the issue of choices about how assisted dying can be achieved and who may be involved in it.
Erin's mother has been a strong, independent woman all her life, and she wants to be in control of the time, place, and ambience of her dying too. To Erin's surprise she has enlisted her sister Wynn in her plans, and Erin finds out about it almost by accident. Would Erin have been told had she not unexpectedly decided to visit her mother? Would she ever have been told? That's one of a number of ambiguities in the novel. Because Erin narrates the story, there's only her perspective, and it doesn't occur to her to think about this. She's a narcissistic twenty-six year-old, and prior to the bombshell she's been preoccupied with the end of her affair with a married man. It was only on a whim that she decided to join the Moore Family Queen's Birthday weekend lunch anyway, and she was hoping her mother would think she's come home because she missed her. Erin is not a very nice person.
But then, not everyone confronted with such a situation is...
Erin is a flawed human being, and so is her mother. Erin is superficial, and judgemental, and judgemental about superficial things such as home décor and clothing choices. She thinks she's a sophisticated city girl, at home in the world of art galleries where she has just curated her first show. (Which was a flop. Which may have contributed to the end of the affair with the gallery director.) She's judgemental about Aunty Wynn, and although Erin's mother is beyond the power of speech now, we learn that she was judgemental about Wynn too. But she has come 'home' from Wellington to the family farm at Kaipura to have her sister's help; she didn't seek that help from her daughter in Auckland. Book groups that can tackle topics like this will explore the reasons: to spare her daughter? to prevent her from interfering?
To read the rest of my review please visit https://anzlitlovers.com/2021/02/10/t...
July 15, 2024
This book really fucking moved me. There are a lot of reviews complaining about the narrators inexplicable behavior and apparent detachment or coldness, but I don’t think those people have experienced a family dynamic like the one pictured in this story. I found this book to be a GUT punch—both in the expected ways, sure, you know what you’re getting into from the start, but also in ways that surprised me. I found a LOT of the narrator’s experience to be relatable as fuck (not that I’ve ever experienced it to the degree pictured in this story, but in other smaller griefs): the bewilderment, flip-flopping between panic and utter detachment, the claustrophobia of running out of time, inability to keep priorities straight or to even know what priorities were, her chaotic behavior, her anxious-avoidant need to be close and need to distance herself physically and emotionally from an experience that wildly overwhelmed her capacity. I also felt this book was a really piercing depiction of the way time passes when something Important is happening, something Special, something that Needs To Happen In An Important And Special Way, something you don’t want to be happening and can’t possibly survive, but is happening anyway, and which you’re inexplicably surviving. The way time just keeps passing. Moments keep stringing along, and sometimes life just seems to trundle by (like, you still go to sleep. How?? Why??) while other times each second that passes is so panic inducing and claustrophobic it strangles you. I really loved the depiction of a genuinely complicated family with LOTS of water under the bridge, but also a lot of genuine care and affection. And of course life giving love.
September 26, 2022
Erin Moore has returned to her family’s rural home for Queen’s Birthday (now a dated reference, alas!), a long weekend in New Zealand’s winter. Not a time for carefree bank holiday feasting, this; Erin’s mother has advanced motor neurone disease and announces that she intends to die on Tuesday. Aunty Wynn has a plan for obtaining the necessary suicide drug; it’s up to Erin to choreograph the rest. “I was the designated party planner for this morbid final frolic, and the promise of new failures loomed. … The whole thing was looking more and more like the plot of a French farce, except it wasn’t funny.”
Lane renders a potentially maudlin situation merely bittersweet through black comedy. Erin isn’t the most endearing narrator because, Disaster Woman-like, she keeps undertaking weird acts of self-sabotage – at 26, she’s blown her first gallery curation opportunity by sleeping with her boss. Still, the picture of a different sort of dysfunctional family and the contrast between an illustrious past (Erin comes from a line of semi-pro swimmers: Aunty Wynn qualified to compete in the Commonwealth Games) and an iffy future make this fairly memorable, if not so much so as the other 2022 The Swimmers – Julie Otsuka’s.
Readalikes: Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason, What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez, The Inland Sea by Madeleine Watts, The Weekend by Charlotte Wood
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
Lane renders a potentially maudlin situation merely bittersweet through black comedy. Erin isn’t the most endearing narrator because, Disaster Woman-like, she keeps undertaking weird acts of self-sabotage – at 26, she’s blown her first gallery curation opportunity by sleeping with her boss. Still, the picture of a different sort of dysfunctional family and the contrast between an illustrious past (Erin comes from a line of semi-pro swimmers: Aunty Wynn qualified to compete in the Commonwealth Games) and an iffy future make this fairly memorable, if not so much so as the other 2022 The Swimmers – Julie Otsuka’s.
Readalikes: Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason, What Are You Going Through by Sigrid Nunez, The Inland Sea by Madeleine Watts, The Weekend by Charlotte Wood
Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
March 7, 2024
The main character Erin albeit being 26 felt like a teenager to me, she was not likable and I didn't feel empathy for her. But that being said, I was drawn to her and this story of complex family dynamics, grief of knowing that you are losing someone and your feelings towards everything in life. Overall a good read, 3.5 ⭐️
April 12, 2024
This book was a slow and steady journey through acceptance and grief. An impossible situation dealt with raw and real emotions. I was impressed by the lack of embellishment and drama, that is was the way it was and it wasn’t trying to be this big and flashy thing. I was disappointed with the ending and thought it could’ve been much better.
January 4, 2022
it was okay! didn't hate it but didn't love it, mostly just ambivalent about it lol
September 4, 2023
3.75/5
February 24, 2023
I love these clever slice-of-life novels which make you think and which evoke strong emotions in the reader.
Beautifully written book, addressing assisted suicide in a dysfunctional family with humor thrown in in places.
Although we are aware of this right in the beginning, I still read with a sense of nervous trepidation, wondering how things were going to pan out as the days were being counted down.
Loved the way that the protagonist overanalyzed everything, wondering whether she got things right, and panicking about not getting answers to everything she’s always wanted to ask her mother, including insignificant stuff like whether her hair colour suited her, and where the recipe for that quiche was.
“It was the last day of her life, and the list of things I would never share with her—the things I would never get—was still growing.”
Beautifully written book, addressing assisted suicide in a dysfunctional family with humor thrown in in places.
Although we are aware of this right in the beginning, I still read with a sense of nervous trepidation, wondering how things were going to pan out as the days were being counted down.
Loved the way that the protagonist overanalyzed everything, wondering whether she got things right, and panicking about not getting answers to everything she’s always wanted to ask her mother, including insignificant stuff like whether her hair colour suited her, and where the recipe for that quiche was.
“It was the last day of her life, and the list of things I would never share with her—the things I would never get—was still growing.”
July 28, 2021
In a somewhat strange coincidence I was listening to a non-fiction book about euthanasia. The Swimmers is a beautiful novel, often funny, about a serious topic that if I hadn't been a convert to already would be now. I look forward to more from Chloe Lane.
September 4, 2020
Beautifully written and completely heart-shattering and it couldn’t have come at a more relevant time in New Zealand. I’ve never gotten emotional reading a book but oof there were TEARS
April 22, 2023
A sensitively written, beautiful story of family, life and death.
At 26, Erin is faced with a terrible decision as her Mum's motor neurone desease worsens.
I loved how Chloe really gets across the complexities of family relationships showing that they can be tender, distant, full of misunderstandings and things remain unsaid and that the people we love can always suprise us. Quite often it's easy to portray these types of relationships as either entirely happy or miserable so it's refreshing to see that all the nuances are captured here.
As a young adult at 26, you can tell that Erin is still finding her place in the world and that perhaps even she doesn't fully understand why she does some of the things she does.
*Spoilers*
Greif is also captured perfectly here too. You really get a sense of the greif felt for a person with a terminal illness before they pass away shown so sensitively here as you start to grieve for the person they were and the book isn't afraid to show the frustration felt that things can't be that way again, both by the person with the illness and their loved ones. It also captures how greif often doesn't immediately hit you, especially if some grieving has already occurred before the person does pass away.
The moment were Erin wants to tell a visitor her Mum has died is extremely relatable too as often you can simultaneously find it too painful to talk about but also want everyone to know. Both so that they are aware you're greiving but I suppose partly that you want to keep that person's memory alive.
There's a beautiful moment right before Erin's Mum has decided is the day She wishes to die were Erin and her Aunt take her Mum to the beach for a final swim. It showed the raw and imperfectly perfect nature of the moment in that it wasn't exactly how any of them had pictured (i.e. Erin's wetsuit being so badly fitted) bit still a memory to treasure. Erin's youth is really apparent here as She thinks her aunt deliberately chose an I'll fitting suit for her to spite her which may not be the case. Her aunts love for her is apparent when as Erin's mother dies, her aunt gives Erin as long as she needs knowing that She needs those final moments with her Mum and possibly She found it too hard to watch her Sister die. Either way, I found it really touching that Erin had that extra time to just be with her Mum.
Engrossing and superbly written.
At 26, Erin is faced with a terrible decision as her Mum's motor neurone desease worsens.
I loved how Chloe really gets across the complexities of family relationships showing that they can be tender, distant, full of misunderstandings and things remain unsaid and that the people we love can always suprise us. Quite often it's easy to portray these types of relationships as either entirely happy or miserable so it's refreshing to see that all the nuances are captured here.
As a young adult at 26, you can tell that Erin is still finding her place in the world and that perhaps even she doesn't fully understand why she does some of the things she does.
*Spoilers*
Greif is also captured perfectly here too. You really get a sense of the greif felt for a person with a terminal illness before they pass away shown so sensitively here as you start to grieve for the person they were and the book isn't afraid to show the frustration felt that things can't be that way again, both by the person with the illness and their loved ones. It also captures how greif often doesn't immediately hit you, especially if some grieving has already occurred before the person does pass away.
The moment were Erin wants to tell a visitor her Mum has died is extremely relatable too as often you can simultaneously find it too painful to talk about but also want everyone to know. Both so that they are aware you're greiving but I suppose partly that you want to keep that person's memory alive.
There's a beautiful moment right before Erin's Mum has decided is the day She wishes to die were Erin and her Aunt take her Mum to the beach for a final swim. It showed the raw and imperfectly perfect nature of the moment in that it wasn't exactly how any of them had pictured (i.e. Erin's wetsuit being so badly fitted) bit still a memory to treasure. Erin's youth is really apparent here as She thinks her aunt deliberately chose an I'll fitting suit for her to spite her which may not be the case. Her aunts love for her is apparent when as Erin's mother dies, her aunt gives Erin as long as she needs knowing that She needs those final moments with her Mum and possibly She found it too hard to watch her Sister die. Either way, I found it really touching that Erin had that extra time to just be with her Mum.
Engrossing and superbly written.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 9, 2021
This book is based around Erin returning to her roots to be with her mum, Helen who has advancing Motor Neurone Disease. MND is an absolutely devastating condition that is often referred to as “locked in syndrome”.
Erin’s mum is nursed in the family home she grew up in by her sister, Aunty Wynn. Erin is confronted with her Mums wish to die a dignified death on her own terms- very soon.
Erin life is chaotic in many other ways and things go a little haywire throughout. It highlights how extreme stress can make us do things we usually wouldn’t. She is a reasonably independent and somewhat isolated as a character but shows a lot of strength where it counts.
The family aren’t necessarily close and some parts of their relationships I didn’t understand or was frustrated by but I guess this also reflects how some may deal with the situation of impending grief before a death has even occurred.
There are little quirks throughout the book that aren’t necessarily funny but they keep the mood light. I was expecting to be emotionally destroyed by the end of this but I wasn’t. I can’t figure out if this was Chloe Lane’s intention in her writing, to somewhat prepare the reader for death or if there just wasn’t enough feeling within the pages.
It briefly highlighted the perspective of someone who is terminally ill themselves with the desire to have a dignified death on their own terms. However I felt the main focus of this book was more about the families experience when a loved one has made the choice to die and how difficult this can be to accept and deal with.
It felt like a timely read as in late 2020 New Zealand voted in favour of assisted dying/euthanasia and these options will be available in future.
3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Erin’s mum is nursed in the family home she grew up in by her sister, Aunty Wynn. Erin is confronted with her Mums wish to die a dignified death on her own terms- very soon.
Erin life is chaotic in many other ways and things go a little haywire throughout. It highlights how extreme stress can make us do things we usually wouldn’t. She is a reasonably independent and somewhat isolated as a character but shows a lot of strength where it counts.
The family aren’t necessarily close and some parts of their relationships I didn’t understand or was frustrated by but I guess this also reflects how some may deal with the situation of impending grief before a death has even occurred.
There are little quirks throughout the book that aren’t necessarily funny but they keep the mood light. I was expecting to be emotionally destroyed by the end of this but I wasn’t. I can’t figure out if this was Chloe Lane’s intention in her writing, to somewhat prepare the reader for death or if there just wasn’t enough feeling within the pages.
It briefly highlighted the perspective of someone who is terminally ill themselves with the desire to have a dignified death on their own terms. However I felt the main focus of this book was more about the families experience when a loved one has made the choice to die and how difficult this can be to accept and deal with.
It felt like a timely read as in late 2020 New Zealand voted in favour of assisted dying/euthanasia and these options will be available in future.
3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
May 9, 2022
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
💬 “Loneliness has been one of the few consistencies in my life for the past year and a bit. It was a gaping, untouchable kind of loneliness that I'd never previously experienced."
💭 The Swimmers is a beautifully-written, touching novel tackling some sensitive subjects. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
The novel centres around Erin, her mother, and her aunt. They are all already struggling to come to terms with her mother’s terminal illness, yet things get even more complicated when her mother reveals her plan to end her life - next Tuesday.
The story spans only a few days but in that time Lane offers an interesting exploration of suffering and grief. Although Erin is, in my opinion, a very unlikable protagonist, her portray felt realistic. Her reckless, slightly unhinged actions show her attempts to mask her sadness and confusion, and ultimately I found myself sympathising with her and the difficult situation she finds herself in.
The relationships between Erin, her mother and her aunt were complicated but very interesting to read about. I really enjoyed reading about the kind of unspeakable bond between them which meant ultimately they could put their differences aside to help one another, even in such dire circumstances.
My only wish is that this book could have been longer - I felt some things were skipped over quickly (the painting incident for example) and I would’ve loved to have read more about the relationship between Erin and her mother. We are shown snippets of their past throughout the novel, yet these revealed so many different sides to their clearly complex relationship - I wanted to know more, to find out how these slot together.
Overall, this was a bittersweet read - although it showed the power of female, familial bonds, the circumstances were so devastating. I really enjoyed this book though and highly recommend it.
💬 “Loneliness has been one of the few consistencies in my life for the past year and a bit. It was a gaping, untouchable kind of loneliness that I'd never previously experienced."
💭 The Swimmers is a beautifully-written, touching novel tackling some sensitive subjects. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.
The novel centres around Erin, her mother, and her aunt. They are all already struggling to come to terms with her mother’s terminal illness, yet things get even more complicated when her mother reveals her plan to end her life - next Tuesday.
The story spans only a few days but in that time Lane offers an interesting exploration of suffering and grief. Although Erin is, in my opinion, a very unlikable protagonist, her portray felt realistic. Her reckless, slightly unhinged actions show her attempts to mask her sadness and confusion, and ultimately I found myself sympathising with her and the difficult situation she finds herself in.
The relationships between Erin, her mother and her aunt were complicated but very interesting to read about. I really enjoyed reading about the kind of unspeakable bond between them which meant ultimately they could put their differences aside to help one another, even in such dire circumstances.
My only wish is that this book could have been longer - I felt some things were skipped over quickly (the painting incident for example) and I would’ve loved to have read more about the relationship between Erin and her mother. We are shown snippets of their past throughout the novel, yet these revealed so many different sides to their clearly complex relationship - I wanted to know more, to find out how these slot together.
Overall, this was a bittersweet read - although it showed the power of female, familial bonds, the circumstances were so devastating. I really enjoyed this book though and highly recommend it.
May 19, 2022
I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a book written like no other I can remember reading for a long time. It’s minimal but packs such a punch, not one word is superfluous- they are all working really hard and fully deserving of their inclusion. It feels like it has been mercilessly refined, every line interrogated to make sure it’s worthy of staying.
The premise of the story is controversial, assisted suicide is a topic that divides peoples, and this story doesn’t set out to preach or even to obviously fall on one side or the other of the argument. Instead, it is a raw and honest (and often darkly funny) exploration of an ordinary family just like yours going through this terribly traumatic event. They don’t get on famously, there are secrets and long-held grudges over unclear slights but they are still tied to each other and ultimately support each other - albeit in sometimes dysfunctional ways - and they navigate this unfamiliar territory.
I’m not familiar with New Zealand, and the descriptions of the environment and neighbourhood, plus it’s characters, added to the unsettling but bleakly ordinary in the face of the extraordinary feeling that this book left me with. It truly is arresting writing.
There’s a massive heart in this book. It doesn’t look like a card shop on Valentine’s Day, there are no flowers or cuddly toys. It’s the kind of heart that pulls you through the worst of times and quietly makes sure you are as unharmed as possible. The kind that keeps you alive. An unforgettable read.
This was a book written like no other I can remember reading for a long time. It’s minimal but packs such a punch, not one word is superfluous- they are all working really hard and fully deserving of their inclusion. It feels like it has been mercilessly refined, every line interrogated to make sure it’s worthy of staying.
The premise of the story is controversial, assisted suicide is a topic that divides peoples, and this story doesn’t set out to preach or even to obviously fall on one side or the other of the argument. Instead, it is a raw and honest (and often darkly funny) exploration of an ordinary family just like yours going through this terribly traumatic event. They don’t get on famously, there are secrets and long-held grudges over unclear slights but they are still tied to each other and ultimately support each other - albeit in sometimes dysfunctional ways - and they navigate this unfamiliar territory.
I’m not familiar with New Zealand, and the descriptions of the environment and neighbourhood, plus it’s characters, added to the unsettling but bleakly ordinary in the face of the extraordinary feeling that this book left me with. It truly is arresting writing.
There’s a massive heart in this book. It doesn’t look like a card shop on Valentine’s Day, there are no flowers or cuddly toys. It’s the kind of heart that pulls you through the worst of times and quietly makes sure you are as unharmed as possible. The kind that keeps you alive. An unforgettable read.
May 20, 2022
Wow! This was one of those books that is a heavy read considering the topic BUT is lifted by the wonderful use of humour that many of us use in reality when dealing with an event that rocks our foundations and try to find a way of coping with it all.
Erin finds herself jobless and loveless after an office romance goes sour. So she goes to spend the holiday weekend with family - her aunt and uncle, and her terminally ill mother. The news she hears when she arrives shocks her and we are witnesses to the turmoil and brutal reality of that decision. How do you come to terms with the fact that your mother wants to take their own life?
It approaches the subject of assisted dying in a very clever and perceptive way. It doesn't sugar coat it, but you see it in real terms and watching the different women involved coming to terms with the idea was brilliantly portrayed and played out. And that's where the humour comes in to its' own! Just because there's a heavy situation doesn't mean that life doesn't throw up funny thoughts or circumstances and it takes the edge off perfectly. Their pasts are all explored and the importance of swimming is really at the core of it all -that sense of freedom and escapism that they felt when in the water is guiding them through the troubled times they find themselves facing now. The characters are all very strong females and I loved that angle which shaped their way of dealing with what life had thrown their way.
This was a stunning read and is a book that makes you think. A poignant story
Erin finds herself jobless and loveless after an office romance goes sour. So she goes to spend the holiday weekend with family - her aunt and uncle, and her terminally ill mother. The news she hears when she arrives shocks her and we are witnesses to the turmoil and brutal reality of that decision. How do you come to terms with the fact that your mother wants to take their own life?
It approaches the subject of assisted dying in a very clever and perceptive way. It doesn't sugar coat it, but you see it in real terms and watching the different women involved coming to terms with the idea was brilliantly portrayed and played out. And that's where the humour comes in to its' own! Just because there's a heavy situation doesn't mean that life doesn't throw up funny thoughts or circumstances and it takes the edge off perfectly. Their pasts are all explored and the importance of swimming is really at the core of it all -that sense of freedom and escapism that they felt when in the water is guiding them through the troubled times they find themselves facing now. The characters are all very strong females and I loved that angle which shaped their way of dealing with what life had thrown their way.
This was a stunning read and is a book that makes you think. A poignant story
June 25, 2022
Most people would agree that we don't talk enough about death. Facing up to our own mortality is extremely uncomfortable. So it is refreshing to find a novel that tackles the issues around terminal illness and end of life care with such wit and brio.
Erin's mother has motor neurone disease. Since her diagnosis around a year ago she has been insistent that Erin should not put her life on hold to care for her. Now, unable to even speak, she has moved in with her sister at the family farm. At the start of the book, Erin is travelling there to visit her mother, when her aunt drops the bombshell that her mother wants to end her life - and expects them to help her.
The story is a poignant mix of the deeply serious and tragic, juxtaposed with the mundanity of ordinary life. Erin's emotional state is careering around like a pinball, leading her to make some bad decisions and end up in some ridiculous situations. She's a likeable character and you really feel for her as she squares up to the burdensome task her mother has placed on her. Thoughtful and tender, this one will stay with me a long time.
Erin's mother has motor neurone disease. Since her diagnosis around a year ago she has been insistent that Erin should not put her life on hold to care for her. Now, unable to even speak, she has moved in with her sister at the family farm. At the start of the book, Erin is travelling there to visit her mother, when her aunt drops the bombshell that her mother wants to end her life - and expects them to help her.
The story is a poignant mix of the deeply serious and tragic, juxtaposed with the mundanity of ordinary life. Erin's emotional state is careering around like a pinball, leading her to make some bad decisions and end up in some ridiculous situations. She's a likeable character and you really feel for her as she squares up to the burdensome task her mother has placed on her. Thoughtful and tender, this one will stay with me a long time.
October 30, 2020
Form: Physical
Oh my was this is a heartbreaking book! I knew going into it by reading the blurb that this would be a heavy read but what I did not expect was for it to feel so calm and beautiful as I read it! I felt myself sink into this story almost immediately and I think in part this was due to the setting as I could picture it all perfectly, right down to the weather and what the air feels like at that time of year in NZ.
I loved how real and flawed the characters felt to me and how they became more and more multi-dimensional as we learnt more about them as the book progressed. My heart broke for every single one of them and I must say, I usually have a bit of a stone heart when it comes to books but this one felt very close to home and I may have shed a wee tear!
This story couldn’t have come at a more poignant time in NZ at the moment as (if you’re not from here and aware) we just voted in a referendum to decide whether to legalise euthanasia for terminally ill patients and I loved how this novel dealt with this topic in such an elegant and unbiased way.
Oh my was this is a heartbreaking book! I knew going into it by reading the blurb that this would be a heavy read but what I did not expect was for it to feel so calm and beautiful as I read it! I felt myself sink into this story almost immediately and I think in part this was due to the setting as I could picture it all perfectly, right down to the weather and what the air feels like at that time of year in NZ.
I loved how real and flawed the characters felt to me and how they became more and more multi-dimensional as we learnt more about them as the book progressed. My heart broke for every single one of them and I must say, I usually have a bit of a stone heart when it comes to books but this one felt very close to home and I may have shed a wee tear!
This story couldn’t have come at a more poignant time in NZ at the moment as (if you’re not from here and aware) we just voted in a referendum to decide whether to legalise euthanasia for terminally ill patients and I loved how this novel dealt with this topic in such an elegant and unbiased way.
March 24, 2022
This was a neither love it or hate it book. I'm somewhere right in the middle. In truth having just finished the book, I feel a bit disappointed. It feels incomplete. The chapter numbering is confusing but I think that's just me being picky.
This book discusses suicide and assisted suicide for people with terminal illness. Having read the blurb, I knew it was never going to be a happy book but given the subject matter, I expected to at least connect with the main character (Erin) emotionally and I didnt. I'm left with more questions than answers, for example why doesnt Erin get on with Aunt Wynn? The maturity of the main character was more like a 16 year old than a 26 year old. The only person I slightly warmed to was Uncle Cliff and his role in the book is fairly minor.
There's no denying this book was well researched and I'm glad I read it because of the subject matter.
Thank you Gallic Books Ltd for an early copy of this book but unfortunately, it just wasnt for me.
This book discusses suicide and assisted suicide for people with terminal illness. Having read the blurb, I knew it was never going to be a happy book but given the subject matter, I expected to at least connect with the main character (Erin) emotionally and I didnt. I'm left with more questions than answers, for example why doesnt Erin get on with Aunt Wynn? The maturity of the main character was more like a 16 year old than a 26 year old. The only person I slightly warmed to was Uncle Cliff and his role in the book is fairly minor.
There's no denying this book was well researched and I'm glad I read it because of the subject matter.
Thank you Gallic Books Ltd for an early copy of this book but unfortunately, it just wasnt for me.
August 20, 2025
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.
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.
Read
December 6, 2021Almost scarily good writing from a NZ writer I’d never read before. Written in the first person with a totally assured touch — assured use of language and assured grasp of the characters. Nothing is strained and the characters — all very differentiated — spring out of the page as fully believable and REAL. Dialog is pitch perfect, and witty when it wants. The characters featured are the narrator, Erin Moore; Erin’s ex-lover, Karl (art gallery owner); Erin’s mother, Helen (who is dying of motor-neuron disease); Erin’s aunt, Aunty Wynn; Aunty Wynn’s long-term (secret) lover the vet Stephen; Erin’s cousin Bethany; the sleazy neighbour Craig Green; the cabbage-growing uncle who lives next door, and the two police officers (even these, who play bit parts, are drawn as real characters). Subject matter is euthanasia. By the way, the swimmers are the book’s two central characters.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 75 reviews