Swimming Lessons

This book was a page turner. Couldn't put it down. I finished it in five days, which for me, is a miracle. 

Swimming Lessons is a story about a woman - wife, mother, friend - that goes missing after leaving a trail of letters for her husband hidden in his overwhelmingly large collection of books. Ingrid's letters outline her life, in grueling detail, starting from the point when she met her husband up until the day she disappears. There is a lot of speculation around where she had gone. Had she drowned in the sea? Or had she chosen to leave?

Her letters are presented every other chapter. The space in between is filled with a present day account of life without Ingrid through the eyes of her daughter, Flora. She shares the other side of Ingrid's story. How others viewed Ingrid. How her family and friends, primarily her husband, were coping (or not coping) with her disappearance. 

If I could choose one word to describe this book, it would be "haunting." Haunting in a way that was mysterious, moody and reflected the deep complication that exists on some level in every parent/child relationship and in marriage. I'll never forget it.

​If you're a lover of books with happy endings, this wouldn't be for you. But if you like stories that explore the "things left unsaid" in relationships - you'll love this. Enjoy!