A review by tdwightdavis
The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

4.0

Beautifully written, even if it feels scattered. Genuinely the most beautiful prose I’ve read all year. I wish the entire book had focused on the swimmers and the pool. It’s a very abrupt shift halfway through when we suddenly fully focus on Alice and her dementia. And for me, the book really stopped being as interesting at that point. It was still the best writing I’ve read all year. It just didn’t have the fun or the intrigue or the momentum of the first half.