The Swan House: Book 1
Publication Date: July 1, 2001
A powerful novel of love, compassion, and self-discovery
Mary Swan Middleton has always taken for granted the advantages of her family’s wealth. But a tragedy that touches all of Atlanta sends her reeling in grief.
When the family maid challenges her to reach out to the less fortunate as a way to ease her own pain, Mary Swan meets Carl—and everything changes. For although Carl is her opposite in nearly every way, he has something her privileged life could not give her. And when she seeks his help to uncover a mystery, she learns far more than she ever could have imagined.
For 38 years, Mary Swan Middleton holds tight to a story from her past, keeping the emotions tightly locked away.
Author Elizabeth Musser delivers a powerfully moving story set in an affluent Atlanta neighborhood in the early 1960s. The Swan House confronts prejudice and racism while also dealing with questions about faith and life.
Amid a family tragedy, Mary Swan’s grief gets nudged outward when her family’s maid encourages her to help others. The introduction of Miss Abigail and Carl Matthews to Mary Swan serves as a life-changing moment.
From her 16-year-old, privileged perspective, Mary Swan learns some difficult lessons about life and her mother, and finally discovers the answer to the longing in her soul.
The Swan House serves up a memorable story with a lasting impact well after the final page is read.
Elizabeth Musser writes “entertainment with a soul” from her writing chalet (a toolshed) outside Lyon, France. A Carol Award winner and Christy Award and Georgia Author of the Year finalist, Elizabeth’s critically acclaimed novels have been translated into multiple languages and have been international bestsellers. The Swan House was named one of Georgia’s Top Ten Novels of the Past 100 Years. By Way of the Moonlight was a Publishers Weekly Top Ten Pick in Religion and Spirituality. Elizabeth and her husband, Paul, have worked with the nonprofit One Collective for over forty years.
