The Swan House: A Novel

Rating:
Summary: Great book.
Review: "The Swan House" immediately took me back to a time that touched the deepest part of my memories. The early 60s were a wonderful time for young white girls to enjoy the undeserved pleasure of a happy life when men and blacks' jobs were to care for them and ensure their happiness. These memories stir the inner struggle of ultimate selfishness masked with a beautiful acceptance to be served and yet not to serve in return.
Elizabeth Musser captured my heart and drove right to my very soul by exposing my sinful desire to be special. However, in the acceptance of this confession, I am rewarded with the wonderful good news that I am special and served and cared for by the Creator of the universe. My service is to understand the equality of all, at the "foot of the Cross" and serve my brother.
Every chapter of Musser's book, surprised me with memories of a city I love, Atlanta. I am no longer the selfish little girl that received while others did not, but now stirve to first serve with a thankful heart.

Rating:
Summary: Encouraging, a wonderful must read!
Review: ... It is a truly delightful book, full of color and character and really hard to put down. Elizabeth Musser is a wonderful writer. I am anxious to read her other books.

Rating:
Summary: The Swan House--WONDERFUL BOOK!!!!
Review: Elizabeth Musser captures the spirit of Atlanta in the 1960s in an incredible manner, from the traditional language of the Varsity (one of our best-known fast food resturants) to the Georgia Tech vs. University of Georgia football game. The characters were believable, with believable faults and talents. Everybody in the book was startlingly real. The plot was well developed, and it kept me guessing until the last few pages. I was caught up into the story very quickly. Musser's writing style is exceptional. The story flows well and is an easy read. Musser talks about buildings and places in Atlanta and the surrounding areas that still exist, making the story even more real. The main character is a 16-year-old girl, who is dealing with the loss of a parent, racism against her friends, and a kind lady named Miss Alice who has something special in her heart. I think this book is absolutely wonderful and should be read by anyone who has even heard about Atlanta. I wish Amazon.com gave me the option for more stars! "The Swan House" deserves many more than 5!

Rating:
Summary: Good for high school aged girl or people from Atlanta
Review: I found the book tolerable, but it did not captivate me. Mary Swan rings hollow in her teen angst except in her early grief for her mother. I was not that interested in the contrived situations and responses of the characters and would have stopped reading a hundred or so pages into the story, but finished since my book club had selected this to read. We all felt our teenaged daughters would enjoy this story. I can see where some women from the south with ties to Atlanta society might also enjoy it. It was not my cup of tea, but I have several friends to whom I plan to lend the book expecting they will like it better.

Rating:
Summary: Boooring.
Review: I have this thing about finishing books regardless of interest, well bad philosophy!! This has been the hardest one yet. Yes, one person commented about if this isn't your genre, don't read it, well, I shouldn't have. I don't recommend it for anyone, though.

Rating:
Summary: An amazing book about unconditional love!
Review: I live in Atlanta and have been to the Swan House,I remember the airplane tragedy, and I can draw a mental map of the Buckhead area. Although this knowledge may have enhanced my enjoyment of this book, anyone from any city will get into the conflicts shown here. I laughed out loud and cried until I had to step outside for a few minutes. I wish everyone would read it! I'm sending my sister a copy for Christmas.

Rating:
Summary: A Well Written Book
Review: The Swan House was about a young girl, Mary Swan, who lost her mother in the tragic Orly plane crash. This book shows how Mary Swan struggles with her loss, when her family maid suggests volunteering at a church, serving meals to the poor and homeless. During that time, she meets two people who change her life: a black boy named Carl and a kind woman named Abigail, who leads her to Christ. In the meantime, she is asked to solve a mystery for her school, where she learns more about her mother and about herself than what she has bargained for.

I loved the character development in this book. The author did a great job describing the characters and what made them the way they are: how Mary Swan's mother suffered from depression due to issues from her past, Carl's family background, and how Abigail came to serve at the church in the inner city.

This books was clearly well researched. I traveled to Atlanta once for work, and it was so interesting hearing about the various sites in that city. I loved the history of Coca-Cola. It was also clear that race relations in the 60's in the south were well-researched and well-depicted, as well as the plane crash. I also thought that the author did a great job with presenting mental illness, that depression is not something really terrible, but something that there is no shame getting help for.

The author also described several lessons very well. She described that black and white people can and should be friends with one another, and that the truth shall set you free. I loved the Raven/Swan symbolism (ie. the black and white races, life and death, etc). I really loved how Mary Swan's mother described church--as a place where one should be able to be him/herself and not have to paint a happy face all the time.

I did feel that some of the dialogue was a little lengthy. There was some confusion over Mary Swan's gifts--was she a poet or an artist? The book leads you to think initially that she was a writer, then midway, shows that she paints. Also, it would have been interesting to see what happened to the characters. Obviously, Mary Swan does have a daughter, but did she marry Robbie? What happened to Carl, Miss Abigail, and her brother? How far did Trixie and her dad get in their new relationship?

All in all, this was a great book and well worth your money.

Rating:
Summary: A Well Written Book
Review: The Swan House was about a young girl, Mary Swan, who lost her mother in the tragic Orly plane crash. This book shows how Mary Swan struggles with her loss, when her family maid suggests volunteering at a church, serving meals to the poor and homeless. During that time, she meets two people who change her life: a black boy named Carl and a kind woman named Abigail, who leads her to Christ. In the meantime, she is asked to solve a mystery for her school, where she learns more about her mother and about herself than what she has bargained for.

I loved the character development in this book. The author did a great job describing the characters and what made them the way they are: how Mary Swan's mother suffered from depression due to issues from her past, Carl's family background, and how Abigail came to serve at the church in the inner city.

This books was clearly well researched. I traveled to Atlanta once for work, and it was so interesting hearing about the various sites in that city. I loved the history of Coca-Cola. It was also clear that race relations in the 60's in the south were well-researched and well-depicted, as well as the plane crash. I also thought that the author did a great job with presenting mental illness, that depression is not something really terrible, but something that there is no shame getting help for.

The author also described several lessons very well. She described that black and white people can and should be friends with one another, and that the truth shall set you free. I loved the Raven/Swan symbolism (ie. the black and white races, life and death, etc). I really loved how Mary Swan's mother described church--as a place where one should be able to be him/herself and not have to paint a happy face all the time.

I did feel that some of the dialogue was a little lengthy. There was some confusion over Mary Swan's gifts--was she a poet or an artist? The book leads you to think initially that she was a writer, then midway, shows that she paints. Also, it would have been interesting to see what happened to the characters. Obviously, Mary Swan does have a daughter, but did she marry Robbie? What happened to Carl, Miss Abigail, and her brother? How far did Trixie and her dad get in their new relationship?

All in all, this was a great book and well worth your money.

Rating:
Summary: great read!
Review: This was a great read! I grew up in Atlanta during the '60's in the same area of Atlanta as the character in the book, as well as the area the author lived.(I attended the "other" private school just down the road she mentions in the story!)Elizabeth writes from a point of view one could only do having been there or knowing someone who had. I kept feeling I was experiencing "deja vu" with every page I turned.When I read about Mary Swan going to the High Museum and seeing the J.J.Haverty Collection it was too much! I too went as a young girl and viewed the same collection with my mother, who was also an artist--"Mr. J.J." was my great grandfather!If anyone wants to know what Atlanta was like back then, this is a great and very enjoyable resource of historical fiction. An interesting side note - The author writes that she is married to a protestant minister and has two sons named Andrew and Christopher. Same here!"Deja vu" again!