Lynnie 
contemporary fiction
Clover has had a long relationship with death - she watched her Kindergarten teacher die in the middle of class. Not much later, both of her parents died, leaving Clover in the custody of her beloved grandfather in New York City. Always feeling like an outsider among her peers, Clover has grown up to be a death doula, helping people who are dying put their affairs in order and then bringing them comfort as their lives end.
Clover's job is the excuse she uses to justify the lack of relationships in her life. She spends time with her elderly neighbor who has known her for most of her life, and at the bookstore she used to visit with her grandfather, going through the motions of life without actually living it. Her hobby is going to "death cafes" around town where people go to discuss and demystify death.
It's at one of these death cafes that she meets her next client - or rather, her client's grandson who hires her to help his grandmother, Claudia. Claudia is fierce, feisty, and sees Clover for who is. As a new neighbor moves into Clover's apartment building, and Clover helps Claudia prepare for her death, Clover is forced out of her comfort zone in ways that will change her forever.
The Collected Regrets of Clover was a lovely book despite its focus on death. Thoughtful, compassionate, and ultimately hopeful, Mikki Brammer has created an interesting cast of characters and highlighted the negative effects that loneliness can have on a life while reminding us that it's never too late to start over and find your people.
I read the book and listened to the audiobook. Jennifer Pickens narrated and, while I think she was spot on with the tone, she read so slowly that I found myself getting tired when I would listen to her. Because of that, I generally preferred the print version over the audio version - which doesn't happen very often.
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