by Libby Page
First published 2018
Rosemary Peterson has swum at the Brixton lido every day since it opened decades ago. The outdoor pool gave her refuge during World War II, brought her together with her husband George, and sustained her through his death. Now a developer wants to close it forever. Kate Matthews, a struggling twentysomething journalist, gets assigned to write about the pool's closure. She expects another throwaway story for her local paper. Instead, she discovers Rosemary and becomes captivated by this remarkable woman's connection to the lido. As Kate digs deeper into Rosemary's story, the two women form an unlikely friendship that spans generations. Rosemary begins to open up about her life, her marriage, and her grief. Kate finds purpose in her work again and discovers the community she has been desperately seeking. Their bond transforms both women as they fight to save the place that means everything to Rosemary.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, family-life, contemporary, 21st-century, contemporary-romance
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, unlikely-friendship
Setting: Brixton, Lido
Period: 21st-century, World War II
394 pages · Paperback · Hachette