In the small town of Gorham, New Hampshire, Charlotte Clapp lives a pretty ordinary, if not sad, existence.  Bitterness towards her best friend, as well as her mother’s drawn out battle with cancer, has left Charlotte overweight and lonely.  A routine trip to the doctor changes her life.  Charlotte has cancer and has less than a year to live.

Realizing she has never really lived, Charlotte steals two million dollars from the bank where she is employed and heads off to get lost in the glamour of Hollywood.  There she is able to start a new life as Blossom McBeal, a woman of considerable wealth.  She makes incredible friends and even finds herself drifting into the depths of true love.  As she finds herself shedding the weight she has gained over the years, she finds true happiness in her new life.   However, one fact remains -- nothing short of a miracle can stop time.

I think it is pretty easy to identify with Charlotte throughout this book.  Few can imagine the horror of being told you have one year to live.  I can see many people entertaining thoughts of living a whole new life for that remaining year.  Her character goes through a lot of change and growth through the book, and those changes are handled with incredible skill on the author’s part.  Yes, she committed a crime, but there are extenuating circumstances that you’ll discover as you read the book.

NIGHT SWIMMING is an enjoyable blend of romance and women’s fiction with a gentle dose of mystery.  I couldn’t put the book down and list it as one of the most thought provoking books I’ve read this year.  Given one year to live, just how would you chose to spend it?