Love, Destiny, and the Relatives Who Won't Stay Dead: A Review of Saints and Swimmers by Melanie Doctors

 

Love, Destiny, and the Relatives Who Won't Stay

Dead: A Review of Saints and Swimmers by Melanie

Doctors

Posted on Prairie Fox Reads https://prairiefoxreads.blogspot.com/2026/10/love-destiny-and-relatives-who-wont.html

Advanced Review Copy provided by the publisher

Book Details:

• Title: Saints and Swimmers
• Author: Melanie Doctors
• Publisher: Sorcière Publishing (Published October 22, 2026)
• Format: Kindle Edition, 452 pages
• Genres: Women's Fiction, Literary Fiction, Romance, Magical Realism, Family Drama

Some novels ask whether people can find love.

Others ask whether they deserve a second chance at it.

Melanie Doctors' Saints and Swimmers asks a more complicated question: how much of our lives are shaped by choice, and how much by the stories we've been told about ourselves?

Blending family comedy, romance, grief, Jewish humor, and a touch of magical realism, Saints and Swimmers follows Elaine Goldstein as she attempts to rebuild her sense of self after a devastating confession shatters her twenty-year marriage. What begins as a journey back to Rome becomes an exploration of identity, regret, faith, family expectations, and the terrifying freedom that comes with realizing nobody else gets to decide how your story ends.

The result is a novel that is frequently funny, often poignant, and surprisingly wise about the complicated ways families continue to shape us long after we believe we've escaped their influence.

The Crisis That Changes Everything

At the center of the novel is Elaine Goldstein, a woman whose understanding of her marriage unravels in a single shocking moment.

The premise itself is compelling because it taps into a universal fear: discovering that the life you've carefully constructed may not be the life you actually wanted.

Rather than immediately rushing into a new romance or dramatic reinvention, Elaine does something much more believable. She retreats to a place connected to an earlier version of herself, returning to Rome in search of answers she never fully addressed when she was younger.

As someone who enjoys character-driven fiction, I appreciated that Doctors treats this emotional crisis seriously. Elaine's journey is not simply about romance. It's about reclaiming authenticity after years of compromise, obligation, and self-denial.

Rome as Both Setting and Character

Historical and literary cities often risk becoming little more than scenic backdrops.

Rome, however, feels deeply integrated into the narrative.

Its ancient streets, churches, plazas, and layers of history mirror Elaine's own process of excavation. As she revisits old dreams and confronts long-buried questions, the city itself becomes a symbolic landscape of memory and rediscovery.

Doctors captures the sensory richness of Italy particularly well.

The basil-scented air.

The cobblestones.

The summer heat.

The feeling that every street corner contains centuries of accumulated stories.

For readers who enjoy armchair travel alongside emotional storytelling, this aspect of the novel is especially rewarding.

Francesco: More Than a Romantic Hero

The romance unfolds through Elaine's relationship with Francesco, an Italian whose kindness and spiritual complexity immediately distinguish him from the stereotypical romantic lead.

What I found refreshing was that the relationship develops through conversation, vulnerability, and mutual understanding rather than instant passion alone.

Francesco carries his own burdens, his own doubts, and his own complicated relationship with faith.

As a result, the romance feels earned.

More importantly, it never overshadows the book's larger emotional questions. The relationship matters because it helps Elaine discover who she is becoming, not simply because she has found someone new to love.

The Scene-Stealers from the Afterlife

If Saints and Swimmers has a secret weapon, it is undoubtedly Elaine's deceased parents.

Myra and Ira Jacobs are among the most entertaining characters in the novel.

Watching them observe and comment upon Elaine's life from beyond the grave creates many of the book's funniest moments. Their bickering, scheming, and interference feel both absurd and deeply familiar.

Anyone who has belonged to a close family will recognize the underlying truth behind the magical realism: parents often continue living inside our heads long after they're gone.

Their advice.

Their expectations.

Their criticisms.

Their love.

Doctors turns this emotional reality into a literal narrative device, and it works remarkably well.

The result is a novel that tackles grief without becoming mournful.

Family, Faith, and Self-Determination

Beneath its romantic and comedic elements lies a thoughtful exploration of agency.

Everyone in Elaine's life seems convinced they know what would make her happy.

Her ex-husband.

Her parents.

Francesco.

Friends.

Family.

Yet the novel repeatedly returns to the idea that no one else can determine another person's destiny.

That theme gives the book real emotional depth.

Many stories about second chances focus primarily on whether a relationship can be saved. Saints and Swimmers is more interested in whether an individual can finally become honest about what they actually want.

That distinction elevates the novel above a conventional love story.

Strengths and Limitations

The novel's greatest strengths are its emotional intelligence, memorable characters, and distinctive blend of humor and heartbreak.

The magical-realist elements generally enhance rather than distract from the story, and the Jewish family humor feels authentic and affectionate.

At over 450 pages, however, the book occasionally lingers longer than necessary in certain emotional reflections. Some readers may prefer a slightly tighter structure. Additionally, readers seeking a fast-paced plot may find the novel's focus on internal transformation more deliberate than expected.

For me, these were relatively minor concerns compared with the richness of the character work.

Final Verdict

Saints and Swimmers is a warm, funny, and emotionally satisfying novel about grief, reinvention, family, and the difficult art of choosing one's own future. Melanie Doctors skillfully blends romance, cultural identity, magical realism, and family comedy into a story that feels both deeply personal and universally relatable.

Its greatest achievement lies in its understanding that life rarely offers neat answers. Instead, we are left to make difficult choices with imperfect information, uncertain outcomes, and hearts that remain vulnerable despite our best efforts to protect them.

Readers who enjoy women's fiction, character-driven literary novels, second-chance love stories, and family dramas infused with humor will find much to appreciate here.

Prairiefox Rating: 🦊🦊🦊🦊½ / 5 Foxes

A heartfelt and often hilarious exploration of love, grief, and self-discovery. With an unforgettable cast, a beautifully rendered Roman setting, and enough warmth to balance its heartbreak, Saints and Swimmers reminds us that the most important relationship we ever repair may be the one we have with ourselves. 🇮🇹❤️🦊✨