Blurb; Kate is a twenty-six-year-old riddled with anxiety and panic attacks who works for a local paper in Brixton, London, covering forgettably small stories. When she’s assigned to write about the closing of the local lido (an outdoor pool and recreation center), she meets Rosemary, an eighty-six-year-old widow who has swum at the lido daily since it opened its doors when she was a child. It was here Rosemary fell in love with her husband, George; here that she’s found communion during her marriage and since George’s death. The lido has been a cornerstone in nearly every part of Rosemary’s life.
But when a local developer attempts to buy the lido for a posh new apartment complex, Rosemary’s fond memories and sense of community are under threat.
As Kate dives deeper into the lido’s history—with the help of a charming photographer—she pieces together a portrait of the pool, and a portrait of a singular woman, Rosemary. What begins as a simple local interest story for Kate soon blossoms into a beautiful friendship that provides sustenance to both women as they galvanize the community to fight the lido’s closure. Meanwhile, Rosemary slowly, finally, begins to open up to Kate, transforming them both in ways they never knew possible.
My Review; There are not enough words to describe this story, but here’s a few; uplifting, comforting, friendship, community, beautiful, joyful, kind, tender, charming and a feel good novel. That should be enough right?
I had my head in this book and didn’t want to leave it or put it down. I was a part of that community with them the whole time, I was their friend and welcomed. I truelly devoured this story and sad that I finished it. It is a stunning debut. A must read if you haven’t already. One you won’t forget.
I loved the whole community within the book. The friendships, the bonds, the stories they tell and lastly how they always stuck together and fought together till the end. My heart was with them the whole time. A beautiful lot of characters, especially Kate and Rosemary they had such a cute and amazing unexpected relationship. I think they both needed each other to be honest. I loved them all.
Beautifully written. I cannot recommend this story enough. A must buy. A well deserved five stars from me and it’s got to have a place in my top twenty of the year. Beautiful. Amazing. Outstanding. Absolutely loved every minute of it.
Between The Pages Book Club 