“To think about life is to contemplate death — it’s what makes living so valuable. Our time here is limited, gone in the blink of an eye.”
— Steven Rowley, The Celebrants
The vibe
book / tissues / top / bottom / cover up / shoes / hat / bag / shades
The review
A group of six friends met and bonded through college. They each had a role to play in their friendship, and that balance was lost when one of them died before they all graduated. It felt inexplicably unfair that they mourn the loss of life of one of their best friends just as their own lives were beginning. They made a vow to each other — they created a pact that each of them could invoke once: to have their funerals while they were alive.
Over the years, no one invoked the pact. That is, until they were in their 40s and 50s. The years meant significant changes in their lives — two of them were married, one of them had a daughter, one was headed to prison, and one of them was actually dying.
The story alternates between a present timeline and each of their celebrations of life — a reunion at a beloved vacation home, an adventure in Mexico, a New York City burial at sea, and the swim of a lifetime.
Gosh, this book was absolutely incredible. I read and loved The Guncle (still need to read Rowley’s other two novels!!) so I knew I could expect a great, heart-wrenching story. And boy did this one deliver. I loved these characters, their friendships (though no perfect), the love (romantic and otherwise), the complications — gah, all of it was so good.
I finished this on the beach in 90+ degree sun and still managed to get chills.
Read it — read it now! (or listen to it! The author is the narrator and he’s great!) and have the tissues ready!
BookNerdalie 