Tab Article

Ratings: ★★★★☆ (4.6/5)
Genre: Contemporary Fiction, Women's Fiction, Literary Fiction

Book Review:
Mikki Brammer's debut novel, ''The Collected Regrets of Clover,'' is a tender, charming, and deeply moving story that will stay with you long after you turn the final page. It is a book about life and death, about regret and redemption, and about the courage it takes to truly live. The novel introduces us to Clover, a young death doula in New York City. Her job is to be with people in their final days, to help them find peace, and to listen to their last words and deepest regrets. She is drawn to this work because of a loss in her own past, but it has also become a way of avoiding life. She is a collector of other people's stories, but she has no story of her own. She lives alone, her only real companion the memory of her grandfather, who raised her and who died years ago. Everything changes when she meets Claudia, an elderly woman who is full of life, fire, and an unquenchable spirit. Claudia has one last wish, and she enlists Clover to help her achieve it. This mission takes Clover out of her carefully constructed shell and into a world of new experiences, new people, and, perhaps, new love. Brammer's prose is warm, engaging, and often insightful. She writes with a deep empathy for her characters, and she handles the novel's heavy themes—death, grief, regret—with a light, graceful touch. Clover is a wonderfully drawn protagonist, a woman you will root for from the very first page. ''The Collected Regrets of Clover'' is a beautiful, life-affirming novel. It's a reminder that it's never too late to step out of your comfort zone, to take risks, and to embrace the messy, beautiful adventure of being alive. If you loved ''Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine,'' you will adore this book. It is a perfect read for anyone who needs a reminder to live their best life.