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.