The Collected Regrets of Clover
Ratings34
Average rating4.3
15
Ratings34
Average rating4.3
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 finds herself struggling to navigate the uncharted roads of romance and friendship, Clover is forced to examine what she really 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.
Reviews with the most likes.
4.5. Great plot, nice flow and wonderfully written. Comes with great life advice.
TWs: death/loss of a parent and family, terminal illness, grief
4.5 rounded up; A beautiful story about Clover, a death doula, who is there for those who are about to pass so they are not alone. However, outside of her job, she juggles different internal struggles and her own feelings. How do we live life to the fullest?
I absolutely adored this relaxing, yet deeply emotional book about a lonely death doula trying to learn how to live a fuller life. Though the book is completely unrushed in its storytelling, it reads easily and quickly. It explores heavy, thought-provoking topics, yet leaves the reader feeling light and hopeful in the end.
Clover Brooks has experienced much death in her 36 years of life, both in her personal life and as a death doula. Clover spends time with dying individuals so that they are not alone as their life expires. After each job ends, Clover records the last words of her clients as either regrets, confessions, or advice and tries to honor them through fulfilling some of their regrets or living by their advice. The problem for Clover is that she is not very good at living. She is a loner who spends her days watching romcoms in the apartment that is still cluttered with her dead grandfather's belongings.
My favorite part of this book is the relationship Clover has with her grandfather and her elderly neighbor, Leo. I actually wish the book were a bit longer and spent more time with these characters. Clover's grandfather is a quiet, serious man with insightful commentary to share about life. I loved every scene he was in. Leo is full of life and obviously cares deeply for Clover. He pushes her to leave the comfort of her small life in order to find joy. Each of these men impacts Clover's life in a positive manner.
The book's exploration of death and grief is done well. Clover's grief over not being present when her grandfather dies leads her to her chosen occupation of death doula. She isolates herself and withdraws into the apartment that is filled with his things. The author is sympathetic to Clover's grief but also reveals its negative impacts. She explores why people get so entrenched in their grief and comes to the conclusion that “Grief is just love looking for a place to settle.” This leads to the takeaway that there is nothing wrong with holding on to grief, but the story also shows that life must still be lived and joy can still be found.
To sum it up, I felt something while reading this book. It touched me. Though all aspects of the story are not perfect (I didn't care for the romance aspects), it was an extremely enjoyable and calming reading experience and therefore earns a 5 star rating from me.
I never hear of a Death Doula and I love that this is a thing. As a HHA I feel like we need to talk more about death. I will be looking into a death doula. And I had a lot of death in the pass few months. Clover has been faced with death several times in her young life but the death of her grandfather is the one that rocked her world.
