Books › A Company of Swans
A Company of Swans
560 pages
A lush, Cinderella-esque escape that trades gray Edwardian parlors for the vibrant, sweeping romance of the Amazon.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like stepping out of a cold, gray room into a sun-drenched, exotic garden. It is a masterclass in joyful escapism, blending the sharp, witty social observations of Edwardian England with the lush, sensory overload of the Amazon rainforest. The narrative moves at a brisk, sweeping pace, carrying you along on a theatrical adventure filled with found family, backstage ballet drama, and a deeply satisfying, old-fashioned romance. The prose is elegant and sparkling, never taking itself too seriously but always treating its characters' emotional awakenings with earnest respect. It will thoroughly delight anyone who loves a classic Cinderella story, plucky heroines discovering their own agency, and the transformative, life-affirming power of art and adventure.
- Mood
- lush
- escapist
- joyful
- theatrical
- sun-drenched
- Tone
- charming
- wry
- romantic
- earnest
- whimsical
- Pace
- brisk
- Themes
- coming of age · found family · transformative power of art · escaping oppression · first love
- The writing
- Elegant, witty, and richly descriptive, balancing sharp social observation with lush sensory details.
- The arc
- Moves from stifling, gray oppression to a vibrant, sweeping awakening of passion and self-discovery.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave old-fashioned, sweeping romances with plucky heroines, exotic settings, and a touch of theatrical magic.
Content notes
- familial emotional abuse
- abduction
About the book
Harriet Morton is the daughter of a priggish and pompous professor, living in Cambridge. They live with his maiden sister who is sanctimonious and mean. There is no love in that house. The only concession they have given young Harriet, is dance. Here she is invited to join a ballet company based in Manaus in the Amazon area. Running away from home, she truly begins the adventure of living her life...
Romain Versey, formerly of Stavely in Cambridge has been away from home since the age of 19 due to a wicked stepbrother and after being betrayed in love. He went off to the Amazon to seek his fortune and is now extremely wealthy. As the president of the theatre where Harriet's company is based, Romain meets his one true love.
Will the two manage to overcome abductions and misunderstanding to be together?
Description from Open Library.
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