The Dive From Clausen's Pier

The world of Carrie Bell, a 23-year-old Wisconsin native, changes forever when she witnesses Mike Mayer's dive from Clausen's Pier, a dive which results in his broken neck, quadriplegia, and long rehab. Mike has been her love for eight years, and though the intensity of her early relationship has palled, she has been unable to decide how, or even whether, to call off her engagement. Lovingly remaining at Mike's side during the crucial early months of his recuperation, Carrie wonders, "How much do we owe the people we love?" as she tries to distinguish between love and friendship and the limitations and obligations of each. Packer's naturalistic style puts the minutiae of the daily lives of Carrie, Mike, their friends, and families under a microscope. We learn, for example, even the smallest details of Carrie's compulsive sewing (how to make a spaghetti strap, why she uses a Bernina sewing machine and Butterick pattern), the exacting therapy a spinal cord injury patient undergoes, some of the cherished traditions of Madison (Paddle and Portage Day at the lakes), and even some of Carrie's memories of friend Jamie from third grade. Packer is equally precise about what the characters are thinking, feeling, wondering, and concluding so that the reader need never search beneath the surface for hidden meanings or subtleties. ("We were alone together, and also alone within ourselves." "[Carrie went] from guilt to remorse to relief to exhilaration [as she drove to New York]." "You do what you do. Not without consequences for other people.") The subject of spinal cord injuries arouses powerful feelings in the reader and makes us confront our personal moralities as we consider how we ourselves might behave in similar circumstances, and Packer is remarkable in her ability to illuminate these issues. Some readers may feel shortchanged by the conclusion of this book and question how much control Carrie ultimately exercises over her life--does she decide her future or merely let it happen? But Packer's presentation of her character reinforces the belief that little is to be gained by second-guessing someone else's choices. Ultimately, we can never know for sure what we ourselves would do. Mary Whipple

The title of "The Dive from Clausen's Pier" relates to a dive into water that Carrie's fiance Mike makes in the opening chapter of this book. The water level is too low and he is taken to hospital in a coma, with a broken back. Suddenly everything in Carrie's world has changed. She doesn't know if Mike will ever wake up, or what it will mean for her if he does. The book covers the course of the next 12 months as she goes through an emotional - and physical - journey coming to terms with the changes in her life.I loved this book. It gripped me from the first paragraph. It's so well written that you want to savour every word and yet at the same time you want to look around you and observe your surroundings as Carrie does. I could hear her voice in my ear and I really liked spending time with her, even when I didn't always agree with what she did. The pace is sometimes slow but it never failed to hold my interest. Like several other reviewers I was disappointed with the ending, but only because I didn't like what she had decided to do rather than because it wasn't well written.I think this book would appeal to readers who enjoy Carol Shields, Elizabeth Berg or Jane Hamilton.

The Dive From Clausen's Pier is one of the best books I read this year. It's powerful, realistic and heartwrenching without being melodramatic. I found the book to be a page-turner and couldn't put it down until I finished it. The central plot of the novel revovles around Carrie, who is losing interest in her high school sweetheart to whom she is engaged. She is experiencing restlessness and boredom in the relationship, and with her life in the town, Madison, Wisconsin, where she grew up, and which she has never left. She wants to end her relationship with Mike, when he has a diving accident that renders him a paraplegic (this all happens in the first few pages of the novel, so I'm not giving anything away).The rest of the novel deals with the aftermath of the accident, and how it impacts both Carrie's and Mike's life. Carrie is overwhelmed with guilt and grief. She desperately wants to leave Mike and Wisconsin for a new, exciting life in New York. But what kind of person would she be if she left Mike now when he needs her the most? On the other hand, what kind of life would she have if she stayed? Should she be true to her self and begin a new life in New York? Should she pursue her dreams and desires of becoming a fashion designer, exploring a new lifestyle and pursuing her romantic feelings for someone else?These are all decisions Carrie must face. The brilliance of the novel lies in the conflicting emotions that you, as the reader feel. You are at once rooting for Carrie to leave Mike and begin a new life, while at the same time, feeling the horror of such a a betrayal. Mike is a likable character. He loves Carrie, and has been a loyal and devoted boyfriend. While wanting Carrie to leave Mike, you also want her to stay. How can she be so selfish as to leave this loving man when he has to face life as a paraplegic?That is Carrie's dilemma, and the reader's too. I sincerely don't know what I would do in the same situation, but I think the author renders Carrie's decisions with a realism that does not leave room for either choice rendering a happy ever after life.I won't reveal anything else about the plot because it would be a disservice to the reader. The life issues the author explores in this powerful novel makes it a must-read, and should be on top of everyone's wish list.

This book has one of those immediately compelling situations, where you can't help but put yourself there, empathizing with all involved. (The depictions of all sorts of relationships--mother/daughter, best friends, absent father, boyfriend's family, first adult love--are outstanding.) The fact that Carrie, a young age 23, continually does inexplicable things, inexplicable even to herself, is what maintains the reader's interest as well as ensures that the book rings true. She may be different than you and me, but she is a wholly formed character whose actions inevitably lead her down a certain path. When I saw where the path was leaving her at the end, I have to admit I had tears for the roads not taken, although again she's only 24 at the end. Maybe Ann Packer will revisit Carrie in few years--I would dearly love to see how and what she's doing...

I was anxiously awaiting this book because of all the great advance reviews it received. Plus, the subject matter sounded really interesting. The whole time I read the book I was completely engrossed in what was taking place, and for the last third of the book I felt short of breath. I was really concerned with what would happen to the characters. I really came to care about them. I would highly recommend this book. You know a book is really good when after you finish it you have an emotional reaction and you don't even want to start a new book yet. You just want to sit and let this book sink in to your consciousness.....