Swimming For Beginners
A moving and gently humorous story of unlikely motherhood, rediscovery and the surprising magic of second chances
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4.4 • 37 Ratings
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- $5.99
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- $5.99
Publisher Description
'The perfect mix of funny, poignant and heartwarming.' - Good Housekeeping
'Warm, witty but also heart-wrenching read' - Red Magazine
'Touching and witty. I adored Loretta and her relationship with Phoebe' - Lisa Snowdon.
'This heart-warming and creative contemporary fiction is a story of unexpected self-discovery.'- Woman's Weekly
'Full of heart and depth.' - Nina Pottell Prima Book of the Month
'Funny, heart-warming read - it made me laugh and cry' — Nikki Smith, author of The Beach Party
'Eleanor Oliphant meets About a Boy' — Gillian Harvey
'An absolute joy' — Nancy Peach
'Brilliantly funny' — Louise Hare
Swimming for Beginners will show you how a child can open your heart even if you aren't a mother.
Loretta has her life under control. She's chasing a big promotion, she's marrying the "perfect man" and she has a flawless five-year plan.
This plan does not include children.
But when a complete stranger asks her to watch her six-year-old daughter in an airport and never returns, both their lives will be changed forever.
A little human in fairy wings and sparkly cowgirl boots will turn Loretta's world upside down and maybe, just maybe, show her exactly what she's missing.
Overflowing with humour and heartbreak, Nicola Gill takes us on a relatable journey of self-discovery through the power of a child's love.
'Brilliantly funny, incredibly touching and so relatable.'- Louise Hare, author of This Lovely City
'Please meet my new favourite book.' - Jessica Ryn, author of The Extraordinary Hope of Dawn Brightside
'Heartbreaking and life-affirming, an absolute must read' - Tim Ewins, author of We Are Animals
Customer Reviews
One of the hardest stories to read
I can’t count the times I was going to stop reading, because of all the pain, sorrow, anxiety, and more. I’ll go so far as to say that Loretta and her mother are on the spectrum, but her mother masks better.
Loretta’s compulsion to make lists is a coping mechanism, even for emotional behavior. I’m making lists more these days, because the older you get, the more things there are to remember and keep up with, and fewer empty spots in your memory banks, whether you’re on the spectrum or not.
Phoebe has signs of being on the spectrum, and since her mother’s sudden death when she’s so young, anxieties have multiplied.
Loretta and Phoebe have been outsiders because of each female’s inability to grasp social cues. This permeates the book.
You can see anxiety in Loretta’s attempts to help Phoebe cope with grief and social behavior.
Loretta and Robert have the most lukewarm relationship for a couple about to marry.
You can see how hard Loretta tries to be more emotionally involved with her colleagues—I felt so very bad for her, as her social skills echoes my son’s.
All through the book, you see her develop into someone learning to cope emotionally and socially, and the progress she makes—while helping Phoebe do the same.
It’s worth finishing.