''Calling the Swan'' is a 2000 young adult novel by Jean Thesman.

Plot

Skylar Deacon is struggling with many things in her life: a toddler brother, a summer school class in another part of town, riding the bus to get there, new friendships at the school, and conflicting advice from her sister. Most of all, she's struggling with a secret tragedy that has been damaging her family for three years. Her mother is even worse, amplifying Skylar's fears and guilt. But Skylar finds help in her strong grandmother, kind priest-counselor, and later her new friends Tasha, Naomi, Margaret, D.J., and Shawn. And with that help, she begins to find the courage to heal her life.

Literary references

Mrs. Vargas, Skylar's summer school English teacher, reads stories and poems for class discussion and essays. The following are mentioned and become part of the plot: * Shirley Jackson, "The Very Strange House Next Door" (short story) * Ray Bradbury, " There Will Come Soft Rains" (short story) *

D.H. Lawrence David Herbert Lawrence (11 September 1885 – 2 March 1930) was an English writer, novelist, poet and essayist. His works reflect on modernity, industrialization, sexuality, emotional health, vitality, spontaneity and instinct. His best-k ...

, "Snake" (poem) *

Frank O'Connor Frank O'Connor (born Michael Francis O'Donovan; 17 September 1903 – 10 March 1966) was an Irish author and translator. He wrote poetry (original and translations from Irish), dramatic works, memoirs, journalistic columns and features on a ...

, "First Confession" (short story)

Reception

Kirkus Reviews ''Kirkus Reviews'' (or ''Kirkus Media'') is an American book review magazine founded in 1933 by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). The magazine is headquartered in New York City. ''Kirkus Reviews'' confers the annual Kirkus Prize to authors of fic ...

'' rated ''Calling the Swan'' "one and a half hankies" and referred to the novel as a "piercingly sad tale of a haunted family". They further highlighted how the novel is "assembled like a jigsaw puzzle, piece by piece" as the author "brings the picture into focus slowly, dropping tantalizing hints". '' Publishers Weekly'' similarly praised Thesman's ability to "expert ycontrol" the narrative so "the reader's grasp of the exact nature of Skylar's tragedy develops in parallel to Skylar's own ability to articulate what has happened". They concluded they review by the calling the novel "hopeful without being sugar-coated" and indicating that it "ffers compassionate insight into loss". '' Booklist'' also reviewed the novel.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Calling The Swan 2000 American novels American young adult novels Viking Press books