Clover Brooks works as a death doula in New York City, supporting terminal patients through their final hours. Raised by her grandfather after her parents' death, Clover keeps a notebook of the three types of regrets she hears: for love, for living, and for being. Her solitary life, shared only with her elderly neighbor Leo and her cat, changes when she meets Sebastian, the grandson of a dying woman named Claudia. As Clover investigates Claudia's past romance, she begins to confront her own isolation and the reality that she spends more time with the dead than the living.
Readers interested in the death positive movement or narrative fiction about human connection find value in this book. It appeals to those who want to examine their own mortality without morbidity. The text provides a framework for evaluating life choices through the lens of terminal regret. By the end, readers understand that acknowledging death serves as a catalyst for active participation in the present moment, shifting from being a bystander to becoming a full participant in their own social and emotional lives.
Inward-looking; an easy read.
Best for readers like The Empathetic Explorer. Which reader are you?
Insights from The Collected Regrets of Clover
Spending time with Claudia reveals that a long life doesn't always mean a finished one. Some regrets just get older with you.
“I find it much easier to be around people who are dying than people who are living.”
Living in a house full of death books makes Clover feel safe. She prefers the company of people who are already gone because they can't leave her.
“Most people’s last words aren’t some grand proclamation.”
Clover tracks the final words of strangers in notebooks. It shows how much weight we put on the ending instead of the middle.
“He was the only person who ever truly made me feel like I belonged in the world.”
The way Clover cares for her grandfather's memory is so quiet. It made me realize how some people carry grief like a secret language.
- Published
- 2023
- Publisher
- St Martin's Press
- ISBN
- 9781250284396
- Language
- EN
