A fresh twist on a triangular relationship. A novel about compassion, generosity, love, selfishness, grief, bravery, and sacrifice.
Psychotherapist Beth Lynch makes a sojourn to Cape Cod to deal with her impending demise from pancreatic cancer. At the beach, she encounters an incandescently handsome man, who is mourning the death of his husband. They find solace in a tender affair until Bess' son arrives and detonates the fragile calm. The dynamics between these three play out against Bess' awareness that her cancer is metastasizing and her concerns about dying with independence and grace. Told with lyricism and a touch of magical realism.
" Egan's story is for anyone contemplating the meaning of death, life, and everything in between: fear, regret, desire, hope acceptance. A novel written with deep compassion and beautiful storytelling."--Lori Ostlund, author of After the Parade
Professional Reviews
Lori Ostlund, author
“The Swimmer: a psychotherapist with end-stage cancer contemplates the end of her life and marriage and her failures as a mother, while saving the life of a beautiful swimmer grieving over the death of his husband. Egan’s story is for anyone contemplating the meaning of death, life, and everything in between: fear, regret, desire, hope, acceptance. A novel written with deep compassion and beautiful storytelling.”
—Lori Ostlund, author of After the Parade
Michael Cluff, president South Jersey Humanists
“A lovely, direct—even eerie—exploration of what it means to die with dignity and purpose. As Bess Lynch ties together the loose ends of her waning life, life brings her new mysteries and reveals more secrets. Humanists will find her journey inspiring as she seeks a meaningful death while balancing self-care with compassion for her loved ones.”—Michael Cluff, president, South Jersey Humanists
J. Redwing Keyssar review
“This captivating novel reflects the realities of life’s challenges and normalizes the conversation about end of life, illustrating a way to find peace with our own impermanence.”—J. Redwing Keyssar, RN, author of Last Acts of Kindness
The bulk of the collection is eight short stories that are set in yesteryear. The compilation is filled out with four entertaining fantasy pieces and three poems.
In this eccentric tale set in a small town in northern India, Pawan Mishra masterfully weaves ingenuity and sarcasm in a manner that’s simultaneously hilarious and tragic.
