Daughter of the Swan

by Joan Juliet Buck

A ring depicting Leda and the Swan given to her at age sixteen by her father becomes Florence Ellis's symbol for love, and after seeing a fortune-teller, she is ready for any incarnation the "love of her life" might choose

288 pages, Hardcover

First published September 28, 1987

About the author

Joan Juliet Buck (born 1948) is an American writer and actress. She was the editor-in-chief of French Vogue from 1994 to 2001, the only American ever to have edited a French magazine. She was contributing editor to Vogue and Vanity Fair for many years, and writes for Harper's Bazaar. The author of two novels, she published a memoir, The Price of Illusion, in 2017. In 2020, she was nominated for the Pushcart Prize for her short story, “Corona Diary”.

Buck grew up in Cannes, Paris, and London. As a teenager she met Tom Wolfe and became the subject of his piece, "The Life and Hard Times of a Teenage London Society Girl", which he republished in The Pump House Gang.

In 1977, Buck married John Heilpern, an English journalist and writer; they divorced in the 1980s. She currently lives in Rhinebeck, New York, keeping a part of her 7,000-volume library in storage in Poughkeepsie.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this from a Cafe (that also sells books) that I frequent back in college.

The first line got me, though it was simple as "When I was 12, my father gave me a ring." It was like a spell was cast and I was in trance.

It is a unique story with great metaphors and intriguing characters.

Bucket was able to pull off the shift of POV from the first person point of view to a third person point of view.She executed it well-enough to emphasize the change in the temperament of the main character.

There were some loose ends , but over all I really liked it.

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joan Juliet Buck has an extraordinary ability to describe the indescribable - emotions, sensations and memories - in a detailed, comprehensible way. We recognize her characters, they are so multi-faceted and seem so very real.

[Tiffany Griffiths Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed the tips to Paris, New York, and England. The twists and turns kept my interest.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good holiday reading!