The First Rule of Swimming

by Courtney Angela Brkic

Paperback, 2014

Status

Available

Call number

F Brk

Call number

F Brk

Barcode

3143

Publication

Back Bay Books (2014), Edition: Reprint, 352 pages

Description

"Magdalena does not panic when she learns that her younger sister has disappeared. A free-spirit, Jadranka has always been prone to mysterious absences. But when weeks pass with no word, Magdalena leaves the isolated Croatian island where their family has always lived and sets off to New York to find her sister. Her search begins to unspool the dark history of their family, reaching back three generations to a country torn by war." --Amazon.

Original publication date

2013-05-28

User reviews

LibraryThing member autumnblues
A passionate story of the bond between family and those ties that bind.

I found this story magical, this little island in Croatia, which seems to be only appreciated by the innocence of children, the elderly and tourists. Brkic has painted a realistic picture of the heart and spirit of the true
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artist in Jadranka, who's fleeting moments of passionate creativity come and go like the winds of the little island.

The First Rule of Swimming has characters anyone can relate to, like the motherly older sister Magdalena, who is the first to set out on the mission to find her sister, the mother Anna who deeply defined by her past abandons her daughters, the caring and loving grandparents, who already having learned from their own mistakes in life, take their granddaughters in with open arms.

This novel had a slow start but it does pickup soon after Jadranka decides to leave the island for America. Although Brkic never goes to deep into any of her characters, through profound glimpses the reader can easily grasp the full picture and past lives of each character. I felt the author put a lot of artistic emotion into this story, and you can find that throughout the story but mostly during the scenes where Luka the grandfather spends lying in bed, where he has hallucinations that clash with his sense of reality. During those visions the author reveals his past as well as the past relationship between his own son and daughter. Anyone who has been really ill can relate to these scenes, as the mind pulls sounds from the present and encompasses them in the dream like state of the illness. I found this to be very unique in how the author presented this to the reader.

I came to my own conclusion that Jadranka with her distinct looks and red hair is like a metaphor to the little island. Always moving , always changing, never still, yet seeking those who once walked on its soil, searching for their secrets. The author has also concealed wisdom throughout the story which is not easily revealed unless you are paying attention. Although this story has a vague ending, in the end you get a sense of the immeasurable love within this family and just when you think all hope is lost, that motherly bond prevails.
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LibraryThing member JanaRose1
When Magdalena's sister disappears, she leaves her island home in Croatian and travels to New York. The story moves back and forth in time, showing the history of their family and somewhat explaining her sisters actions. Overall, I enjoyed reading about Croatian island culture, but I found that the
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story itself was very disjointed. It would have been better if it stuck with one or two viewpoints and was more consistent. Overall, not a bad read, but not something I would read again.
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LibraryThing member fyrefly98
Summary: Sisters Magdalena and Jadranka were raised by their grandparents on the small Croatian island of Rosmarina. Many people have left the island: their uncle Marin, along with the last of their grandfather's siblings and her family fled to the US when Magdalena was very young, and their
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embittered mother lives on the mainland, refusing to return. Magdalena is content to stay on Rosmarina, even with its limited opportunities, but Jadranka has an artistic temprament, and goes to stay with their cousin Katarina in New York. When Magdalena receives word that her sister has disappeared, she knows something is wrong and goes to New York to search for her... but what she finds are family secrets that everyone had thought long since buried.

Review: This was one of those books that had lovely writing, and I could see how other people would be drawn to it, and there wasn't anything exactly wrong with it, but it totally failed to speak to me. I tried, but I could just not find any connection with this book. I enjoyed the prose, and thought Brkic did an excellent job bringing her setting, and the recent history of Croatia, to life. But I didn't develop an emotional attachment to any of the characters (except maybe Luka, the grandfather, who spends most of the book in a coma), I didn't find the deep dark family secrets all that surprising, and the wandering, non-linear storytelling kept me from getting really involved in what plot there was. I finished the book - which was not helped by a contrived ninth-inning twist that was totally out of keeping with the tone of the entire rest of the story - and wasn't sure what the point of it was, what Brkic was trying to say, what I was supposed to take away from my reading experience, or what the (admittedly lovely) cover had to do with anything. It wasn't a bad read; Brkic's prose is smooth and the book flows easily from one scene to the next. But I never found anything to grab me, and it ultimately didn't make much of an impression one way or the other. 3 out of 5 stars.

Recommendation: The subject matter reminded me somewhat of Middlesex, although the tone was more reminiscent of some of the other Oprah's Book Club-y contemporary fiction that I read a decade ago. Although I didn't particularly connect to this book, there's no reason it shouldn't appeal to people who like somewhat meditative contemporary fiction, particularly those who are drawn to books about sisters, or the immigrant experience, or recent Eastern European history.
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LibraryThing member lostinalibrary
"The first rule of swimming...is to stay afloat"

In this beautiful novel, Luka explained this, first to his son and daughter and then his granddaughters, as he teaches them to swim - an extremely important lesson when you live on an island but just as important as you make your way in life. The
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island is Rosmarina in Croatia, a country torn apart, first by a brutal Communist regime and, after the fall of Communism, by an equally brutal civil war. Luka's family has been effected by both, forcing them to live with secrets which are destroying them. Some have been forced to flee to the United States to avoid imprisonment; his daughter has moved to the mainland to escape her past; and now it is his granddaughters who are being forced to bear the burden.

Jadranka, the youngest, has always been a free spirit, artistic and beautiful. She often disappears for long periods of time but never before without telling her sister, Magdalena. But when she disappears in New York, Magdalena does what she once thought impossible, she leaves her beloved island to find her sister. As she searches for her sister, many of the old secrets start to unravel and much of what she thought she knew about her family has been wrong. If she is to stay afloat, she must be willing to follow the path she is on and accept the truth no matter where it takes her.

I will admit here, that my first reason for requesting this book on Netgalley was the cover -something this lovely just begs to be read. But, the more I read, the more engrossed I became in the lives and secrets of this family. This a beautiful and compelling tale of a family divided by secrets and by time and place. These are complex characters with motives which are not always apparent. Finally, though, it is not the end of Communism or the war or even the truth which will set the family free but the love that is still there beneath the surface. But perhaps the most intriguing character of all in this tale is not the family but the island - I don't know if it actually exists or it is an invention of the author. I suppose I could look it up on Google maps or any Atlas but some places like Rosmarina just belong in the imagination.
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LibraryThing member rivergen
An enjoyable book about a Croatian family's life during and after the civil war. The author's is quite an adept storyteller, bringing the characters and the story to life for the reader. I particularly enjoyed the chapters told from the perspective of Luka, where we see what the world might feel
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like to a man in a semi-conscious state on his sick bed. But the real story lay in the adventures of two sisters, one who has remained on her tiny Croatian island for most of her life, and one who has gone to the US and eventually disappears, causing her sister and mother to go in search of her. I was quite enthralled by the story, despite a couple of strangely chosen plot details. But overall it's quite a good book by a very gifted writer.
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LibraryThing member MaryAnn12
Courtney Angela Brkic seamlessly negotiates past and present, silence and secrets, to reveal one family's enduring love-as profound and as perilous as the sea surrounding their island home. With beautiful images and characters that are vividly real, The First Rule of Swimming is a delicately
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written work of art, about history and memories and the grief at their fading and loss.

I loved this book! I could hardly put the book down. A must read for anyone who loves a good mystery. After starting with the first chapter I realized that it was something I was going to enjoy. The leisurely pacing let me get to know the characters, so when the action started I cared about how they would react. The settings were interesting, and I liked the way there were little mysteries dropped in along the way that all came together eventually. Several of the plot developments surprised me, which is always good. I found the conclusion pretty satisfying. This is the first book I've read by this author, but it won't be the last.
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LibraryThing member Beamis12
First I love the cover of this book, it is one of the best covers I have seen lately. I first started this book and was excited it was about an area I knew little about. Croatia, and Yugoslavia and their civil war, the effects of the civil war on this family and how part of the family ended up in
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America made for fascinating reading. The description of the island, the love some of these family members had for this place was wonderful as was the love between the two sisters. The mystery develops when one of the sisters go missing and the other sister goes to look for her uncovering many family secrets and revealing some misconceptions. This was a well written, for the most part a well paced story and I would have rated it higher except for one part that seemed to come out of nowhere, that I could not place as necessary to the story. It is still well worth reading because the story is a very different type of family story with some good history included but it is the love for a place that steals the show.
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LibraryThing member Sable677
The First Rule of Swimming was a compelling, powerful story of one family haunted by secrets of the past. Magdalena and Jadranka are two sisters who have always been close. One loves the island Rosemarina, a small Croatian island their family has lived on for years, while the other wants to explore
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the world outside of their home. Jadranka leaves the island to come to America to stay with their cousin and then disappears. Magdalena leaves her home for America in order to find her sister. Brkic creates compelling characters that capture the heart of the reader and through flashbacks we get to see hints of the secrets that have threatened this family. It is only by finally facing these secrets that this family can finally move on. The book is full of many twists and turns as these two sisters face their past, and it is their amazingly strong bond that holds this family together. Overall this was an amazing read that I would most definitely recommend if you enjoy compelling story, rich characters, and a story that won't let go of you.

Received by Net Galley for Review
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LibraryThing member c.archer
This is a lovely novel that focuses on tradition and family, and how they are intricately bound together even when one tries to severe them. The story is about the family of two sisters, Magdalena and Jadranka. They develop a strong connection to one another after their father dies in a fishing
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accident and their mother begins a relationship with an abusive man. They leave their mother's home on the mainland of Croatia to be raised by their grandparents on their tiny home island of Rosmarina. There they share in the simple living that the other members of their family have all deserted. Their grandparents provide a loving and nurturing environment for the girls. Magdalena leaves to become a teacher and returns to teach on the island. Her sister Jadranka has an amazing artistic talent but lacking direction winds up leaving art school and ends up back in the city with her mother. Eventually she is persuaded to go to the United States to work for her cousin caring for her children. This cousin, Katerina, is the daughter of her grandfather's sister whose family left Rosmarina many years ago, along with Jadranka's uncle. There is much underlying tension between the family members, and those living in the U.S., with the exception of this cousin, have had no contact with the rest of the family. While this is left unexplained at first, eventually the whole family history comes out as well as the reasons for many of the relational problems.

Although the story evolves slowly, I thought it was very well written, and I was fascinated by the exotic setting and family. I always enjoy reading novels that are somewhat ethnic as this certainly was. I also liked learning some information relating to the history of the area. The characters were depicted well. There were some that I was drawn to and sympathized with and others that I found to be self-centered and unappealing. Some of those opinions changed as the story unfolded and things that had been kept hidden came to light.

I very much enjoyed The First Rule of Swimming. There was an exotic quality to the story and yet it was not a fast paced or excessively dramatic tale. The relationships between the family members ultimately were the real story. Those relationship issues are ultimately resolved with their forgiveness and acceptance of one another, as well as a willingness to be satisfied with how each of their lives winds up. I found the book to be satisfying to me as a reader. Ms. Brkic has a new and unique voice as an author, and I won't hesitant to recommend this book to others.

Thanks to NetGalley and publisher, Little, Brown, and Company for the chance to read and review this book prior to publication.
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LibraryThing member Jenn.S
An adorable story about family bonds that while at times was a bit wordy or seemed to follow a thread of distraction, certainly made for moments of touching dialogue. It was cleanly written and just enough to keep my attention while not being exciting or thrilling. I did enjoy it but I doubt this
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will be one for the memory book. Perhaps it would have been better if the characters were not quite so linear.




I received this book through a goodreads giveaway. My thanks for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member bookwormconfidential
I won a free advance reading copy of this book through a Goodreads giveaway.

When I had just started to read the book, I got confused with understanding how the characters were related. And I don't know why, but then the book was a bit boring. Halfway through, the book seemed to be going nowhere
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exciting, but then the story picks up. From then on, the story becomes intriguing and I wanted to find out what was going to happen to all of the characters.

The story is realistic and has elements of mystery and suspense. The story deals with how in our lives, each family members' actions affect other family members.

The book is told through different character's accounts; not every character's account of the story is seen. The story focuses not only on the two sisters (Magdalena and Jadranka), but also on other important family members.

The way the book is written can either be liked or not by the reader. Like I mentioned, the story is told through different character's perspectives. The story is being seen through one character's view, then the story switches to the account of another character. I think that this might have been why I started to get bored with the story. Also, the story is taking place at a certain time, and when the story switches from character, the story also switches from time (ex. the story is taking place after Jadranka's disappearance, and then the story switches to another character's view before Jadranka's disappearance). Once I was halfway through with the book, this change of view wasn't disruptive to me. I like how the story it starting to get suspenseful, and then the story switches tone once the story switches to another character's view.
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LibraryThing member ForeignCircus
This moving story of a family torn apart by politics, war, and secrets is a wonderful read from start to finish. Though there are parts along the way where is it hard to sympathize with any of the characters, everything comes together to create a clear and realistic picture of a complicated
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situation. It helps to know a little about the history of the region to set the various backstories in the right time frame; anyone who has been to the region will immediately appreciate the author's ability to paint a picture of life on the Croatian coast. This story is difficult in places, but ultimately redemptive. Highly recommended!
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LibraryThing member jmchshannon
The First Rule of Swimming is one of those quiet novels in which there is not much in the way of action; yet, the story never ceases to captivate. The story moves back and forth between Jadranka and Magdalena, with the occasional side excursion into the minds of a few other family members, as they
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reminisce on their past that brought them to their current point. There is love and loss, betrayal, jealousy, longing, and every other emotion that humans feel built within that past, and it is in how they adjust to and accept it all that gives these characters vibrancy and depth. The fact that their memories include living through a war about which most Americans know very little only adds to the story’s appeal.

What I find the most interesting about The First Rule of Swimming is that while we get to know Magdalena and Jadranka intimately, they still serve as symbols for an entire generation that grew up in a Communist country during the tumultuous Cold War and post-Communist years. Very few Westerners will be able to understand the upheaval such regime changes caused on not just the socio-economic aspect of society. The psychological ramifications of such an existence appear slight when viewed from the relative safety of a democratic, modernized society that never had to deal such changes. Yet, through the two sisters and their extended family and their status as representatives of everyone who grew up in that era and in similar conditions, Westerners get an inside glimmer of such hardships, mental and physical.

The lasting impression one has upon finishing The First Rule of Swimming is one of serenity, not only for its cover but also for the message that resides within its pages. There is a rhythm to the story that reminds you that every family has their ups and downs, just as every family has certain skeletons they would like to remain hidden or bad eggs they would like to forget. Yet, family matters most in any situation, whether it is the family into which you are born or the family you make with others. After the hardships, betrayals, and loss, one finds comfort in the constancy of such a lesson.

The First Rule of Swimming is not the type of book you truly enjoy. It is beautiful in a tragic sense. It opens your eyes to another culture, another lifestyle. For a chance to learn a bit more about war-torn Croatia, I am glad I read it, and it is the type of story that will stay with me, if anything because of its gorgeous cover and simple message hinted at in the title. Yet, for all its simplicity, I do not believe it is not a novel for the masses. It is a bit too subtle and too quiet; I fear most people would find the story rather boring and somewhat predictable. Yet, for those who take the time to savor and reflect, The First Rule of Swimming can be a rewarding experience.
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LibraryThing member Punkfarie
My Rating – 3 ¾ Stars

Magdalena has lived in the Croatian island of Rosamarina her whole life, except for one year as a child and when she went to university. Her father died when she was a child and her mother, left her with her grandparents on the island. She’s very quiet and reserved and has
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no desire to ever leave the island.

Her younger sister, Jadranka, has an easy smile and fiery red hair and flits from place to place. She eventually lands in America, acting as a babysitter for a cousin that immigrated to the states as a child. She’s a talented artist and her American cousin, Katarina has promised to show Jadranka’s art in her gallery. But Jadranka has disappeared. No note, no call, no nothing. Disappeared in the night without a trace after slashing a self-portrait to pieces.

Magdalena is worried. Jadranka has disappeared many times over the years but has always kept in contact with her sister. She packs her bags and heads to America to search for her sister, leaving her grandmother to deal with her dying grandfather.

The grandfather, Luka, has suffered a stroke and is lying in bed unable to speak or move but remembering the days of war and how his sister left the island with him to be a soldier. How his son had to run away to America because of government agents wanting to throw him in prison for being a radical. The things his daughter did that screwed up her life and what she did to try and protect her only brother.

As Magdalena searches for her sister, she unravels family secrets that have been kept from her since she was a child. Secrets that Jadranka may have discovered and that may have fueled her need to disappear.

The book was beautifully written. You can picture the fictional island of Rosmarina perfectly and the emotions of the characters are very real. The bond between the sisters is strong and you can feel the distress of Magdalena as she tries to locate her sister. The book starts out slow, building up to the secrets and flipping between past and present.

The book is a bit heavy. Ok, a lot heavy. It took me awhile to really get into it and even then I had a hard time. The story travels through time and point of view in a sentence and I found myself having to reread sections to understand whose view I was seeing from and what time period it was.

You don’t get to see from Jadranka’s point of view a lot and I felt like she was a bit of a selfish brat, disappearing without notice and making family worry and travel across the world to find her. I understand the shock of the secret she discovered but still, not cool dude.

Overall the book was good but the pacing was off and the change of time and POV without any kind of warning/notice was annoying. I recommend if you like heavy family oriented stories with dark secrets.

Read more reviews at Punk's House of Books
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LibraryThing member Karla.Brandenburg
The odd thing about this novel is that I hadn't even heard about it until my son found an online wish list that he thought was mine (because all it had on it was books!). So he bought it for me for Christmas, and me, always willing to read something different, dove in.

The novel follows a family,
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from their Croatian roots on a small, out of the way island, to some of them emigrating during the Balkan Wars, to the ones left behind who had to find a way to survive. And that's what this story is ultimately about. Survival. The impact of the war on this family, how it changed each one of them and shaped the younger generations who didn't understand. To tell you any more would be to deprive you of the wonderful intricacies with which this story has been interwoven.

The first rule of swimming is to stay afloat, and that's exactly what each of these characters has been taught to do.

An excellent novel that I would highly recommend.
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Rating

½ (31 ratings; 4)

Pages

352
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