Swimming Home by Deborah Levy

 

Joe and Isabel Jacobs have taken a villa in France for the summer.  They are accompanied by their daughter, Nina, and their friends, Mitchell and Laura.  Joe is a famous poet and Isabel is a war correspondent.  Mitchell and Laura run a souvenir shop back in London.  When they arrive, they are shocked to find a naked girl swimming in the villa pool.  This is Kitty Finch, a gorgeous young girl who is a botanist and who knows the owner and stays in the villa sometimes.  The caretaker calls around and no hotel rooms are available so Isabel invites Kitty to use the spare room until a hotel room is free.

Things start to devolve.  Kitty upon further exposure, obviously has mental issues.  She has decided to stop taking her prescriptions and her behavior becomes more erratic by the day.  Joe and Isabel's marriage seems to be under strain and apparently the long absences of Isabel and Joe's serial infidelities are about to render the marriage vows asunder.  Mitchell and Laura are apparently broke and are on this last vacation to decide if they have to declare bankruptcy and start all over again in middle age.  Kitty has written a poem she wants Joe to read and comment on.  Joe is used to young girls falling in love with him and writing bad poetry and decides to pretend he has not read the poem.  Something is in the air, but what?

This novel was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2012.  It is my first novel by Deborah Levy but it definitely won't be my last.  Her ability to draw a picture of character personalities quickly and to set them up for life altering experiences is key to her work.  Readers will come away thinking about this book long after they have finished it.  This book is recommended for literary fiction readers.