By: Mikki Brammer
Narrator: Jennifer Pickens
Macmillan Audio
ISBN: 9781250284396
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 05/09/2023
Format: e-book & audiobook
My Rating: 5 Stars (ARC)
DEBUT NOVEL
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 struggles to navigate the uncharted roads of romance and friendship, Clover is forced to examine what she 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 Review
Mikki Brammer's THE COLLECTED REGRETS OF CLOVER is a beautifully written and thought-provoking debut about a death doula who, in caring for others at the end of their life, has forgotten how to live her own.
DEATH SHE GETS. IT'S LIFE SHE CANNOT QUITE FIGURE OUT.
Clover Brooks, age 36, experienced loss from an early age, and with her connection to death, she has made her career as a death doula.
Clover has one elderly friend (age 87) and no family or romantic relationship. However, due to spending much time with the dying, she has not given herself a chance to live due to her isolation.
Clover writes down her client's last words in a journal labeling them regrets, advice, or confessions, with a lesson from each.
Things change when she meets Sebastian at a death cafe. His grandmother has terminal cancer, and she takes her on as a client. At first, the grandson does not want her to tell her she is a death doula pretending to enjoy photography to build trust and connect.
As fate steps in, she could give herself a gift by helping Claudia renew her long-lost love before she dies. (this was my favorite part)!
I loved this book! I am all about death doulas, enjoy stories about them, and hope to have one when the time comes. Everyone deserves to die with dignity, with their wishes carried out. Having someone experienced by your side would be comforting. Death doulas are emotionally supportive and often better understanding than family members. I highly respect their role; it takes a particular person.
THE COLLECTED REGRETS OF CLOVER is an inspiring and uplifting tale full of hope. I enjoyed the wisdom and memorable quotes, and the cast of well-developed characters came alive on the page. Clover is an endearing character, and I look forward to reading more from this talented debut author, Mikki Brammer.
I had the privilege of reading the e-book and listening to the audiobook, narrated by Jennifer Pickens, for an engaging performance for all voices. I Highly recommend the audiobook.
Perfect for readers of Jessica Strawser's The Next Thing You Know, The Midnight Library, and Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Also, for fans of authors: Fredrik Backman and Elizabeth Strout.
Thank you to #StMartinsPress #MacmillanAudio for a gifted ARC and ALC via #NetGalley for review purposes. #SMPInfluencers
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
Pub Date: May 9, 2023
My Rating: 5 💐 STARS
Praise
"This is a beautiful tale of a vulnerable, compassionate woman who finds that, in order to care for others, she must also let herself be cared for. Even that cliché feels moving, rather than saccharine, in Brammer’s capable hands."
––Kirkus (starred review)
"The Collected Regrets of Clover is a warm-hearted, tender story of love, life-lessons and letting go. Full of wisdom, it’s a novel that handles with profound sensitivity and delicacy important questions that face us all, while fostering a joyful sense of hope for the future. Clover is a beguiling character who has so much more to offer the world than she knows, and it’s a sheer delight to watch as her horizons expand. The Collected Regrets of Clover leaves us contemplating what it means to live our lives to the full, without regrets. A beautiful, thought-provoking novel."
––Sarah Haywood, New York Times bestselling author of The Cactus
"While this heartwarming debut novel deals with death, it never becomes maudlin, instead focusing on what makes a life worth living. Readers who appreciate seeing quirky, isolated characters come into their own, such as in Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, will find much to love in this moving novel."
––Booklist
"For all its talk of death, The Collected Regrets of Clover is never dark or grim. This feel-good story is beautiful, heartwarming and ultimately hopeful."
–Reader's Digest
"A satisfying experience."
––Library Journal
"Warm, profound, and expertly told, The Collected Regrets of Clover explores how befriending death can help enrich our lives. While infinitely poised in her role as a death doula, Clover's clumsy foray into the world of the living will have you recalling the sweet awkwardness of your first kiss and the thrill of new belonging. This is one of those special books that will leave a handprint on your heart."
––Emma Brodie, author of Songs in Ursa Major
"I couldn’t put this book down. The Collected Regrets of Clover is a tender, charming delight, perfect for anyone who loved The Authenticity Project or Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine."
––KJ Dell'Antonia, New York Times bestselling author of The Chicken Sisters
"What a beautiful story! I loved the premise, which was skillfully and sensitively executed. The characters are both memorable and relatable and the subject of death is handled with refreshing honesty and heartbreaking poignancy. This book will be one that I remember for a long time, and it’s a story that we can all learn something from."
––Ruth Hogan, Sunday Times bestselling author
"Clover’s story is a heartfelt and delightful deep dive into death. You will turn the last page with a fresh zest for life and absolutely no regrets."
––Annabel Monaghan, author of Nora Goes Off Script
"A poignant and uplifting novel, [and] a gentle story about facing death without fear and a call to arms for living life to the full. I defy anyone not to be moved by this warm-hearted, deeply compassionate book and its lovable characters."
––Freya Sampson, USA Today bestselling author of The Last Chance Library
"Such a wonderful premise, beautifully executed. I fell in love with Clover, longed for her world to open up and cheered when she finally realised that comfort zones are designed to be stepped out of. Poignant and ultimately uplifting, I loved it."
––Jill Mansell, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author
"A beautiful, uplifting novel about unexpected friendship, a decades-old love story, and finding the courage to live your best life."
––Lucy Diamond, Sunday Times bestselling author
About the Author
Mikki Brammer is an Australian writer based in New York City. She spent her childhood in the Philippines and Tasmania before living in several different parts of Australia, as well as France and Spain. She writes about architecture, art, and design for publications including Architectural Digest, Dwell, ELLE Décor, Luxe Interiors + Design, Metropolis, and Surface. The Collected Regrets of Clover is her debut novel. WEBSITE
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