Swimming with Ghosts by Michelle Brafman ~ a Review

by Donna Huber

It's the summer of 2012 and the swim team at River Run is one of the best they've ever had. But the past hangs thickly and threatens everything.

Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free audiobook was provided for an honest review.

July 2023; Dreamscape Media; 9781666643220
audio (10h 13m), ebook, print; women's fiction

When Swimming with Ghosts was pitched to be in the lead-up to the print edition's release, I passed on it. It didn't sound quite like my kind of book and I had a lot of books to review already. But then I was in between audiobooks and I saw that the audiobook was available for review. I was right about it not being my kind of book, but there were enough enjoyable bits that kept me listening.

The reason I say the book wasn't my kind of book is because there is cheating. While there was probably no other way to move the plot along as effectively, it did kind of turn me off the book.

I loved the full cast reading the book. I listen to a number of books that Scott Brick narrates and always enjoy his performance (though it does take me a minute to shake the character that I most associate with him). As the story is told through multiple third-person limited points of view, it was a good choice to have a different narrator for each of the main characters.

I enjoyed the look at how the past shapes the future, even multiple generations. I also liked that there were several members of the same family so we got to see how the same past was viewed differently and they all coped differently with that past. 

I liked most of the characters. Kristy is my least favorite character. She is a love addict (which is different than a sex addict apparently), but I'm not sure I really saw it. She is definitely self-destructive and needy. I felt she needed more therapy than a 12-step program.  

I liked the swim team setting. I swam competitively as a child and definitely could identify some of the swim team moms that are portrayed in the book. 

If you like family drama and don't mind cheating, then this could be a great summer read for you.

Buy Swimming with Ghosts at Amazon

Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour. 

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