A Novel
by Mikki Brammer
Critics' Opinion:
Readers' rating:
Published May 2023
320 pages
Genre: Literary Fiction
Publication Information
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.
"This is a beautiful tale of a vulnerable, compassionate woman who finds that, in order to care for others, she must also let herself be cared for. Even that cliché feels moving, rather than saccharine, in Brammer's capable hands." —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"While this heartwarming debut novel deals with death, it never becomes maudlin, instead focusing on what makes a life worth living. Readers who appreciate seeing quirky, isolated characters come into their own, such as in Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, will find much to love in this moving novel." —Booklist
"A satisfying experience." —Library Journal
"For all its talk of death, The Collected Regrets of Clover is never dark or grim. This feel-good story is beautiful, heartwarming and ultimately hopeful." —Reader's Digest
"I couldn't put this book down. The Collected Regrets of Clover is a tender, charming delight, perfect for anyone who loved The Authenticity Project or Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine." —KJ Dell'Antonia, New York Times bestselling author of The Chicken Sisters
"What a beautiful story! I loved the premise, which was skillfully and sensitively executed. The characters are both memorable and relatable and the subject of death is handled with refreshing honesty and heartbreaking poignancy. This book will be one that I remember for a long time, and it's a story that we can all learn something from." —Ruth Hogan, Sunday Times bestselling author
This information about The Collected Regrets of Clover was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Mikki Brammer is an Australian journalist based in New York City, by way of France and Spain. She writes about design, architecture and art for publications such as Architectural Digest, Dwell and ELLE Decor. The Collected Regrets of Clover is her debut novel.
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