The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer

THE COLLECTED REGRETS OF CLOVER by Mikki Brammer is an emotionally moving novel, but unfortunately the pace drags a bit in the middle. Clover Brooks is a death doula, helping others to have a peaceful death. She is also a loner and rather lonely herself, having lost her parents at a young age and been raised by a somewhat reclusive Grandfather. Brammer, an Australian journalist based in New York City, provides a masterful description of Clover’s self-examination and growth, introducing several supporting characters along the way: energetic neighbor Sylvie; plus, a possible love interest named Sebastian, and his dying grandmother, Claudia. The beginning and end of this debut novel are wonderful, but readers may want to shake Clover out of her lethargy during some middle parts of the story. Two favorite quotes encapsulate Clover’s comfort with being alone and her increasing willingness to step out of that comfort zone: “the headphones … were also a mental retreat. I didn’t usually listen to anything – it was the feeling of being enclosed that comforted me. Sliding them on was like escaping to a private space of my own, observing the world rather than participating in it.” and “If you want something you don’t have, you have to do something you’ve never done.” THE COLLECTED REGRETS OF CLOVER received a starred review from Kirkus (“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.”).