The Swan House: 25th Anniversary Edition of a Beloved Classic
The bestselling, award-winning Classic is getting a little refresh for her 25th Anniversary!
Sixteen-year-old Mary Swan Middleton has always taken the advantages of her family’s wealth for granted. But nothing can insulate her from a sudden tragedy that touches all of 1962 Atlanta and sends her and her family reeling in grief.
When the family maid challenges her to reach out to those without the same benefits of wealth in an attempt to ease her own pain, Mary Swan meets Carl—and everything changes. For although Carl is her opposite in nearly every way, he possesses something even her privileged life could not give her. And when she seeks his help to solve the mystery of three famous missing paintings, she discovers far more than she ever could have imagined.
This updated 25th anniversary edition of The Swan House by award-winning and bestselling author Elizabeth Musser is a moving Southern fiction book of healing, compassion, and self-discovery.
“This is a beautifully executed story of a young girl coming of age in a year of grief, loss and discovery. Highly recommended.” Kristine Wilson, CBA Marketplace, August, 2001
“This beautiful story of a young girl coming of age in the midst of racial turmoil and personal tragedy in 1960s Atlanta convincingly describes how religious faith satisfies the girl’s deepest longings…This creative novel is highly descriptive but not overdone, brimming with touches of humor, factual Atlanta settings, historical incidents and well-developed characters. A book that stands out in recent Christian fiction for its excellent writing and overall quality.” Publishers Weekly, June 2001
“The Swan House is a sweet read for ‘old Atlantans’ and a vivid picture of a young girl living through the history of Atlanta in the 1960’s for newcomers.” Atlanta Magazine, January 2002
“Musser’s tale poignantly confronts the stereotypes and taboos of 1962 from the perspective of a privileged teenager. It is an excellent portrayal of the era from a unique point of view, evocatively written and nicely paced.” Church Libraries, Winter, 2002
“A rich novel, full of historical fact, full of multi-dimensional characters, full of emotion.” BookBrowser, Maureen O’Connor
“The author excels at depicting the civil rights struggle.” Marcia Matthews, The Historical Novels Review, February, 2002
“The Swan House is equal parts coming of age novel, mystery and Christian fiction. Elizabeth Musser has used facts to create a book full of reconciliation and hope.” Pam Kingsbury, Southern Scribe Review, March, 2002
“Ms. Musser has written a truly remarkable story about self-discovery, devotion, compassion and love, which is sure to touch your heart and emotions.” Thea Candee, The Romance Reader’s Connection, November 2001
“Elizabeth Musser’s elegantly narrated The Swan House takes its young white narrator from the genteel precincts of 1960s Buckhead to her nursemaid’s neighborhood on the other side of Atlanta.” Andy Crouch, Books & Culture, July/August 2002
Amazon Editors’ Choice: Top 15 Christian Books for 2001-Literature & Fiction
Book Sense/SEBA Bestseller List (top 15), February, April, May, June, July 2002
Book Sense Extended Trade Paperback Bestseller Fiction List (top 50) for all USA, February, April, 2002
Rendezvous Magazine’s pick of the month (August, 2001)
Atlanta Magazine’s best novel about Atlanta for the year 2001
Consistently in the top 10 bestsellers at Atlanta’s Chapter 11 chain bookstores for 2001-2002
Selected as one of the Top Ten Georgian authored Novels in the past 100 years, right behind Gone with the Wind. (Georgia BACKROADS, Fall, 2009 and 2019)
Elizabeth Musser 