The Swimmers

by Julie Otsuka (£12.99, HB, Penguin) Haunting, ironic and poetic in its resonance, this slender volume is a must-read. It opens with brilliant observational detail on Alice’s community of swimmers – the characters, the quirks, the thoughts, and a pool event that presages what’s happening to Alice. Otsuka switches to a gentle meditation on memory, grief and love, as Alice transitions into a care home. As she surrenders her identity, as well as her independence, there are vivid flashbacks and very tender mother-daughter scenes.