A Company of Swans

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A Company of Swans
Author Eva Ibbotson
Country United Kingdom
Language English
Genre(s) Historical, Romance novel
Publisher Century Publishing
Publication date 27 June 1985
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages 256 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN ISBN 978-0712608183 (first edition, hardback)

A Company of Swans is a historical romance novel published in 1985 by Eva Ibbotson. The book is dedicated to Patricia Veryan. Critically well received the young adult novel is starting to be obliquely refereed to in review. The type where reviewer try to complement a new work by comparison to another better established work.[1][2]

Contents

[edit] Plot summary

Harriet Morton lives with her frugal Aunt Louisa and her father, professor of classics, in Cambridge, England. She is allowed few freedoms, though her great joy is her ballet classes at Madame Lavarre's school. Restraining Aunt Louisa and her group the Trumpington Tea Circle in effect run Harriet's life. When Sasha Dubrov comes to England, he visits Madame Lavarre, an old friend, and watches her advanced class (which Harriet is in) practice. He instantly wants her for his company which is going on a South American tour, with it first stop in Manuas. He invites Harriet to go and she kindly thanks him for his offer, but says her father would not allow her.

Later that day, there is a dinner party with Marchmont, the new Classics lecturer, and his wife, and Edward Finch-Dutton, who is planning to marry Harriet. Harriet brings up that she was invited to go with Dubrov's company and her father is appalled at the idea. She tries to persuade him, but in vain because Edward also states, by means of a fish which swim into orifices, that she shouldn't go. Her father sends her to her room for causing a scene at the table, and she cries in her room for her lost adventure. The Trumpington Tea Circle are particularly devoted to architecture and go on a trip to Stavley, dragging unwilling Harriet along with them. Harriet puts up with the ladies and Edward, who they decided to bring along. She feels bad that the house, as elegant and posh as it is, is so overgrown and forlorn. She is helping Edward replenish laboratory specimens, when she comes across a sign which points to "Paradise Farm". Intrigued, she follows the road, coming upon a maze. She walks into its core, coming across a small boy reading a book "Amazon Adventure", who introduces himself as Henry St. John Verney Brandon.

Harriet befriends Henry and when she asks him about the book, he say "I'm not supposed to read it. It was the boy's". The boy used to live at Stavley, and was brave and strong, though something happened and he left. Harriet, having told him about the Company and Manaus, is told by Henry that he has reason to believe that the boy might be in the Amazon. Harriet promises she will find the boy. Harriet decides to go with the Company and writes two letters, one from Miss Betsy Fairfield (a friend of Harriet) to Aunt Louisa saying that Harriet was having a lovely time at their house, and the other to Miss Fairfield from Aunt Louisa saying Harriet's cousin is ill and that she is not able to come. She joins the Company and they practice for a week in Century Theatre before leaving for Manuas. They are performing Giselle, Swan Lake, Fille Mal Gardee, and Casse Noisette.

[edit] Publishing details

  • 1985, UK, Century Press (ISBN 978-0712608183), pub date 27 June 1985, hardback (first edition)
  • 1985, USA, St. Martin's Press (ISBN 0312153236), pub date ? September 1985, hardback

[edit] Footnotes

  1. ^ Ballet dancer strikes perfect balance review. Times Online (April 08, 2006). Retrieved on 2007-12-21.
  2. ^ Craig, Amanda (April 07, 2006). Clair-de-Lune review. Retrieved on 2007-12-21.

[edit] References

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