The Collected Regrets of Clover Summary, Characters and Themes

The Collected Regrets of Clover is a novel by Mikki Brammer. It follows Clover, a death doula in New York City, who helps people confront their end-of-life experiences. Through her work, Clover also grapples with her own grief and regrets, particularly the loss of her grandfather.

The story explores themes of death, loss, grief, and regret, but also highlights the importance of living a full life and embracing new experiences. As Clover helps her clients find peace, she is also pushed to open up to her own life and find love.

Summary

The book begins with Clover helping people face their mortality with compassion, but her own life is filled with isolation and grief.

Shaped by witnessing death at a young age, losing her parents, and a distant upbringing by her academic grandfather, Clover finds solace in her work. 

Her deepest regret is missing her grandfather’s death. Her only friend is Leo, another elderly neighbor.

Living in a rent-controlled apartment, Clover spends her free time between appointments watching romantic comedies and avoiding emotional connections. At a death cafe, she meets Sebastian, a potential love interest. 

However, fearing vulnerability and rejection, she pushes him away.

Similarly, she avoids Sylvie, a new neighbor, until their paths keep crossing. A friendship blossoms, eventually turning into a deeper connection. 

Despite apprehension, Clover allows Sebastian into her life when he asks her to visit his dying grandmother, Claudia.

Claudia becomes an inspiration for Clover. Aware of her prognosis, Claudia reveals her family’s attempt to hide it. 

They discuss end-of-life plans and Claudia’s life as a photojournalist in France, marked by sacrifices and a missed love named Hugo.

Clover seeks to help Claudia fulfill this regret. With Sylvie’s connections, they locate Hugo, now living in Maine. However, a misunderstanding throws a wrench into Clover’s life. 

She witnesses Sylvie’s secret relationship with a woman named Julia, shattering her perception of a perfect married couple living across the street. Clover accuses Sylvie, damaging their friendship.

Meanwhile, tension builds between Clover and Sebastian on a road trip to find Hugo. They argue, with Sebastian accusing Clover of clinging to death and avoiding life. 

Upset but determined, Clover continues the journey to help Claudia.

In Maine, they learn of Hugo’s passing. They meet his grandson, another Hugo, and Clover opens up about her own regrets. A connection forms.

The story comes full circle as young Hugo discovers letters between Claudia and his grandfather, including an unsent one. 

Clover reads these letters to Claudia, bringing her solace and a belief in reuniting with Hugo in the afterlife.

Clover reconciles with Sebastian, who apologizes. She makes amends with Sylvie, who reveals the open relationship with the couple across the street. 

After Claudia’s funeral, Clover embarks on a new adventure, meeting Hugo in Corsica to scatter Claudia’s ashes. Their connection deepens, and Clover, open to taking risks, starts a new chapter in her life.

Characters

Clover Brooks

Clover Brooks is the protagonist of the novel. At 36, she works as a death doula, assisting people in their final moments. Her professional life is deeply intertwined with her personal struggles.

Having witnessed significant loss early in life—her parents’ death when she was six and her kindergarten teacher’s death—Clover’s worldview is shaped by her experiences with grief and mortality.

Raised by her contemplative and distant grandfather, Clover inherits his rent-controlled New York City apartment. Her deepest regret stems from being away on a trip when her grandfather died alone.

This regret profoundly impacts her, fueling her isolation and fear of forming emotional connections.

However, as the story progresses, Clover evolves, learning to open herself up to life and love, especially through her interactions with characters like Sebastian and Sylvie, and ultimately finding solace and a new beginning with Hugo.

Sebastian

Sebastian is a pivotal character in Clover’s journey toward emotional openness. Introduced as a man Clover meets at a death café, Sebastian is approximately her age and shows a genuine interest in her.

Initially, Clover is wary of Sebastian due to her fear of emotional vulnerability. Despite her reservations, Sebastian becomes a catalyst for Clover’s transformation.

His interest and persistence challenge her to confront her fears.

Although their relationship faces challenges, particularly during their road trip to Maine where Sebastian accuses Clover of running away from life, he plays a crucial role in her journey.

By the end of the novel, Sebastian and Clover reconcile, marking a significant step in her emotional growth.

Sylvie

Sylvie is Clover’s new neighbor who eventually becomes a close friend and confidante.

Sylvie’s character represents the possibility of new connections and personal growth for Clover. Despite Clover’s initial attempts to avoid her, Sylvie’s persistence pays off, and their friendship blossoms.

Sylvie supports Clover through her professional and personal struggles, even helping her locate Claudia’s long-lost lover, Hugo.

A significant turning point in their relationship occurs when Clover discovers Sylvie’s romantic involvement with “Julia” from the apartment across the street, which initially strains their friendship.

However, they reconcile when Sylvie reveals she is in an open relationship with the couple. Sylvie’s presence and support are instrumental in Clover’s journey toward accepting and embracing life.

Claudia

Claudia is Sebastian’s dying grandmother and one of Clover’s most significant clients.

A former photojournalist, Claudia’s life story and regrets profoundly impact Clover. Claudia’s narrative provides a poignant exploration of the themes of regret and reconciliation.

Her reflections on the sacrifices she made for her family and her brief, meaningful encounter with Hugo in Europe resonate deeply with Clover.

Claudia’s relationship with Clover highlights the importance of addressing and confronting one’s regrets before death.

Claudia’s journey toward finding peace and her influence on Clover’s transformation underscore the novel’s themes of healing and emotional openness.

Hugo

Hugo, initially introduced through Claudia’s memories, becomes a significant figure in Clover’s journey.

While the original Hugo, Claudia’s lover, has passed away, his grandson, also named Hugo, forms a connection with Clover.

The younger Hugo helps Clover delve into Claudia’s past, and their shared mission to bring closure to Claudia’s regrets fosters a bond between them. This relationship represents Clover’s newfound openness to life and love.

By the novel’s end, Clover’s relationship with Hugo blossoms into a romantic connection, symbolizing her growth and readiness to embrace new beginnings.

Leo

Leo is Clover’s elderly neighbor and the only friend she has at the beginning of the novel.

As a friend of Clover’s grandfather, Leo represents a connection to her past and provides emotional support.

His character offers insight into Clover’s isolated lifestyle and her reluctance to form new relationships.

Despite his limited presence in the narrative, Leo’s role is crucial in highlighting Clover’s initial state of isolation and the steps she takes towards building new connections throughout the story.

Themes

Death and the Avoidance of Life

One of the central themes in the novel is the relationship between death and the avoidance of life.

Throughout the novel, Clover is deeply involved in her role as a death doula, helping others confront and come to terms with their mortality.

This preoccupation with death, however, serves as a shield for Clover, allowing her to avoid confronting her own life and the risks and vulnerabilities it entails.

The novel explores how Clover’s experiences with death shape her worldview and lead to her isolation and emotional withdrawal.

It is only through her interactions with her clients, as well as with characters like Sebastian and Sylvie, that Clover begins to realize that a fulfilling life requires embracing both its joys and its sorrows.

Her journey symbolizes the broader human tendency to avoid fully engaging with life due to the fear of death and pain, and her eventual openness signifies a shift towards a more balanced and courageous approach to living.

Regret and Healing

Regret is another significant theme woven throughout the narrative.

The characters in the novel, particularly Clover and her clients, grapple with various forms of regret—missed opportunities, unfulfilled dreams, and unresolved relationships.

Clover herself is haunted by the regret of not being present during her grandfather’s final moments.

The novel portrays how confronting these regrets, rather than suppressing them, can lead to healing and personal growth.

Clover’s interactions with Claudia, who has her own set of regrets, particularly about her lost love Hugo, illustrate this process.

By helping Claudia find closure, Clover also learns to address her own regrets. The journey to Maine and the subsequent discovery of Hugo’s letters highlight the importance of reconciliation and the potential for peace even in the face of lost opportunities.

The narrative suggests that acknowledging and addressing regrets, rather than allowing them to fester, is crucial for emotional healing and moving forward in life.

The Power of Human Connection

The novel emphasizes the transformative power of human connection, which serves as a catalyst for Clover’s growth and healing.

Initially, Clover lives a solitary life, preferring the company of the dying to avoid the complexities of living relationships. However, her encounters with Sebastian, Sylvie, and her clients gradually draw her out of her shell.

The development of her friendship with Sylvie, despite its ups and downs, shows Clover the value of trust and emotional intimacy.

Sebastian’s persistent attempts to connect with her, despite her initial resistance, underscore the theme of breaking down emotional barriers. Claudia’s story, and the quest to reunite her with Hugo’s memory, further exemplify how connections, even those from the past, can profoundly impact one’s present.

The novel concludes with Clover opening herself up to a romantic relationship with Hugo’s grandson, symbolizing her newfound willingness to embrace life and its uncertainties.

This theme highlights the essential role of human relationships in overcoming loneliness and finding meaning and joy in life.