Cygnet: A Novel

We rated this book:

$26.99


Kid is only seventeen, but she feels older than her years, and for good reason. Months ago, her parents left her with her grandmother, Lolly, and though Kid keeps hoping they’ll return, they haven’t. When Lolly dies, Kid is not only an orphan, but also the only young person on Swan Island. Swan Island, off the New Hampshire coast, is a kind of utopia for elderly men and women who have opted out of living life in the the rest of the world, known as the Bad Place. They have formed a separatist society where they can relish their age and wisdom and make their own rules. Young people like Kid are forbidden, and though the Swans were amenable enough to her temporary visit, the prospect of a permanent stay has alarmed and angered them. Not knowing where she truly belongs, Kid must decide how long she’s willing to hope for her parents’ return. Meanwhile, parts of the island are sliding and crumbling into the ocean, threatening the stability of Swan Island itself.

This wholly original novel questions the reverence with which youth is usually regarded and offers a new idea of happiness, acceptance, and dignity. For example, when a Swan nears the end of his or her life, there is rational discourse about how the life should end. Kid, attached to the dying Dutchess, is unable to understand what she perceives as detachment, even cruelty. Hers is an unwelcome perspective among those who have made a unique peace with the concept of death and departure. For Kid, Swan Island is an unpleasant reminder of the life she’s missing out on. But the world author Season Butler created has contentment and empowerment at its core.


Reviewed By:

Author
Star Count 4/5
Format Hard
Page Count 240 pages
Publisher Harper
Publish Date 25-Jun-2019
ISBN 9780062870919
Bookshop.org Buy this Book
Issue July 2019
Category Modern Literature
Share

Reviews

There are no reviews yet.

Be the first to review “Cygnet: A Novel”

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.