as an ex-swimmer this is already hitting close to home.

my face when i thought it was just a cute little story about swimmers and their pool: 😋
my face after finishing this, realising it is NOT just a cute little story about swimmers and their pool: 😟

this felt like a memoir. fluid, poignant prose with moments of hilarity and an interesting first-person plural pov,  something i've never come across. i actually really liked it, and everything else about the swimmers, but i will say it felt like three short stories that had one common thread keeping them together, rather than one whole story.

otsuka must be a swimmer because she described it perfectly - there totally are rules and it does sort of feel like flying.