so-soThis is a strange little book that‘s quite hard to describe. The first part is about the many people who swim regularly at an underground pool. I almost quit here, as I don‘t love the first person plural. But I stuck with it because it is short, and liked the second half much more. It‘s about Alice, one of the swimmers, who develops dementia.
The writing is unique and someone else said it feels distant, I have to agree.
I am lucky that my parents are into their 70s and in very good health. But now, my Dad is going through the process to be diagnosed with dementia. My sister & I are doing what we do best - turning to books. These are some of the recs I‘ve received. She has picked up The 36 Hour Day, the Care Giver‘s Guide to Dementia and Dementia With Dignity.
If there are glaring gaps that would help us navigate the coming years, I‘d be grateful to hear them.
pickI‘ve never done competitive swimming but know I would have been terribly gracious to my momma‘s ingrown flotation device IYKYK
Plus my school didn‘t have a pool until I graduated. Bad luck as I do enjoy swimming & no longer have access
A great YA graphic with some bullying, social class conflict (rich dad/poor dad). I also covers the racism Black girls have had to deal with their own access to pool use
You see horrible, bullying teacher here.
pick4 ⭐This is sweet. It‘s about a little boy who fears the water and his grandma makes a promise: He learns to swim, she learns to swim. It also gets into the history of blacks swimming in the US and why there‘s such a disparity between who can and who can‘t swim. The information in the back is a great addition to the story. This is a little long for a story time but for a lesson book, it‘s fantastic and the colorful illustrations are perfect match.
pickA deep dive (no pun intended, I swear) into swimming's history - both its modern incarnation as a recreational activity during the early 19th-century, and the Classical era from which those 19th-century Romantics drew their inspiration, when swimming was infused with heroic, and even divine, qualities. I love to swim, and I also love books where an obsessive examines the subject of their passion in detail, so this one was perfect for me.
pickBeen cheering for Katie since she won her first gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics. This book confirms she‘s cool, kind, down-to-earth & very passionate about enjoying life, having fun & yes…swimming! Fun to learn about her supportive family & inspiring grandmas-one who helped Albert Einstein translate his memoir! Too bad press coverage still leans toward the men. Let‘s hope Katie and more women Olympian champions will finally change that!🥇
pickThis book was heartwarming and perfect. Great for fans of Fredrik Backman. I will definitely be looking up this authors other works.
