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The Swan
Early 19th Century.
Hariot’s life is changed forever when she makes the fateful decision to take Julia in as her companion…
Tension soon arises with the unexpected arrival of Hariot’s troublesome stepson, sixteen-year-old Pelham, who comes to stay following a short stint in jail.
While Pelham increasingly comes to resist the authority of his stepmother, matters are not helped by the stifling presence of Hariot’s brother, Sir Miles Cary, whose harsh discipline of the young man is also met with resistance.
Caught up in the power struggle is Julia, who is torn between her growing attraction to Pelham and the possibility of finally marrying an eligible bachelor – Miles Carey.
But Pelham’s growing infatuation with Julia and jealous hatred of Miles threatens to turn all of their lives upside down...
The Swan is a compelling tale of dangerous passions and inner conflicts set in the heart of the English countryside.
‘Miss Steen is a superb manipulator of scene, and she makes her places as alive as her people’ - Daily Telegraph
‘Rich and enjoyable’ - The Observer
‘fine scenes and piquant portraits’ - The Sunday Times
‘a vivid narrative’ - Manchester Guardian
‘full of colour and character’ - John o' London's Weekly
‘rich, lavish, violent, passionate’ - Evening News
Marguerite Steen (12 May 1894 – 4 August 1975) was a British writer. Very much at home among creative people, she wrote biographies of the Terrys, of her friend Hugh Walpole, of the 18th century poet and actress (and sometime mistress to the Prince of Wales) Mary 'Perdita' Robinson, and of her own lover, the artist Sir William Nicholson. Her first major success was Matador (1934) , for which she drew on her love of Spain, and of bullfighting. Also a best-seller on both sides of the Atlantic was her massive saga of the slave-trade and Bristol shipping, The Sun Is My Undoing (1941) . She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1951.
Hariot’s life is changed forever when she makes the fateful decision to take Julia in as her companion…
Tension soon arises with the unexpected arrival of Hariot’s troublesome stepson, sixteen-year-old Pelham, who comes to stay following a short stint in jail.
While Pelham increasingly comes to resist the authority of his stepmother, matters are not helped by the stifling presence of Hariot’s brother, Sir Miles Cary, whose harsh discipline of the young man is also met with resistance.
Caught up in the power struggle is Julia, who is torn between her growing attraction to Pelham and the possibility of finally marrying an eligible bachelor – Miles Carey.
But Pelham’s growing infatuation with Julia and jealous hatred of Miles threatens to turn all of their lives upside down...
The Swan is a compelling tale of dangerous passions and inner conflicts set in the heart of the English countryside.
‘Miss Steen is a superb manipulator of scene, and she makes her places as alive as her people’ - Daily Telegraph
‘Rich and enjoyable’ - The Observer
‘fine scenes and piquant portraits’ - The Sunday Times
‘a vivid narrative’ - Manchester Guardian
‘full of colour and character’ - John o' London's Weekly
‘rich, lavish, violent, passionate’ - Evening News
Marguerite Steen (12 May 1894 – 4 August 1975) was a British writer. Very much at home among creative people, she wrote biographies of the Terrys, of her friend Hugh Walpole, of the 18th century poet and actress (and sometime mistress to the Prince of Wales) Mary 'Perdita' Robinson, and of her own lover, the artist Sir William Nicholson. Her first major success was Matador (1934) , for which she drew on her love of Spain, and of bullfighting. Also a best-seller on both sides of the Atlantic was her massive saga of the slave-trade and Bristol shipping, The Sun Is My Undoing (1941) . She was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1951.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
219 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 29, 2016
2 people are currently reading
21 people want to read
About the author
Marguerite Steen
52 books14 followersDaughter of Capt. George Connolly Benson and Margaret Jones, Marguerite was adopted by Joseph and Margaret Jane Steen. Educated at a private school and subsequently, with much more success, at Kendal High School, at 19 she became a teacher in a private school. After three years she abandoned that career and went to London to fulfill her ambition of working in the theatre. Failing to gain entry to the theatrical world, she accepted instead an offer to teach dance in Yorkshire schools. This earned her a comfortable living (rising to over £500 a year) which enabled her to spend long periods travelling in France and Spain—the latter becoming her adopted homeland.
In 1921, she joined the Fred Terry/Julia Neilson drama company, at £3 per week, and spent three years touring with them. She was befriended by Ellen Terry, and when she found herself unemployed in 1926, took her advice and wrote The Gilt Cage, published in 1927. She went to write 40 more books.
Her first major success was Matador (1934), for which she drew on her love of Spain, and of bullfighting. This was picked up by both the Book Society in Britain, and the Book of the Month Club in the USA. Also a best-seller on both sides of the Atlantic was her massive saga of the slave-trade and Bristol shipping, The Sun Is My Undoing (1941); this was the first part of a trilogy, but the remaining volumes were far less popular.[5] Though never quite accepted by literary critics, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1951. Her two volumes of autobiography, Looking Glass (1966) and Pier Glass (1968) offer some delightful views of the English creative set from the 1920s to the 1950s.
In 1921, she joined the Fred Terry/Julia Neilson drama company, at £3 per week, and spent three years touring with them. She was befriended by Ellen Terry, and when she found herself unemployed in 1926, took her advice and wrote The Gilt Cage, published in 1927. She went to write 40 more books.
Her first major success was Matador (1934), for which she drew on her love of Spain, and of bullfighting. This was picked up by both the Book Society in Britain, and the Book of the Month Club in the USA. Also a best-seller on both sides of the Atlantic was her massive saga of the slave-trade and Bristol shipping, The Sun Is My Undoing (1941); this was the first part of a trilogy, but the remaining volumes were far less popular.[5] Though never quite accepted by literary critics, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1951. Her two volumes of autobiography, Looking Glass (1966) and Pier Glass (1968) offer some delightful views of the English creative set from the 1920s to the 1950s.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
February 16, 2017
Hariot’s life is changed forever when she makes the fateful decision to take Julia Jardine in as her companion, whilst they have been friends Hariot wonders if she has made a mistake & they decide on a six month trial period.
Tensions rise more with the unexpected arrival of Hariot’s troublesome stepson, sixteen-year-old Pelham, who is the illegitimate son of her late husband Richard who comes to stay following a short stint in jail, Pelham is now under the guardianship of Hariot’s brother Sir Miles Cary.
While Pelham increasingly comes to resist the authority of his stepmother, matters are not helped by the stifling presence of Hariot’s brother, Sir Miles Cary, whose harsh discipline of the young man is also met with resistance.
Julia is caught up in the power struggle & she is torn between her growing attraction to Pelham and the possibility of finally marrying an eligible bachelor.
The characters are very well portrayed & certainly not two dimensional. I found it quite a disturbing read & certainly not a frivolous Regency novel. It is quite a dark book but gives an insight to how a teenage boy was dealt with following his foolish prank. Also his reactions to his treatment & his feelings towards his stepmother who wants to mould him into her idea of a gentleman.
This novel was written in the early 1950s & released again
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy
Tensions rise more with the unexpected arrival of Hariot’s troublesome stepson, sixteen-year-old Pelham, who is the illegitimate son of her late husband Richard who comes to stay following a short stint in jail, Pelham is now under the guardianship of Hariot’s brother Sir Miles Cary.
While Pelham increasingly comes to resist the authority of his stepmother, matters are not helped by the stifling presence of Hariot’s brother, Sir Miles Cary, whose harsh discipline of the young man is also met with resistance.
Julia is caught up in the power struggle & she is torn between her growing attraction to Pelham and the possibility of finally marrying an eligible bachelor.
The characters are very well portrayed & certainly not two dimensional. I found it quite a disturbing read & certainly not a frivolous Regency novel. It is quite a dark book but gives an insight to how a teenage boy was dealt with following his foolish prank. Also his reactions to his treatment & his feelings towards his stepmother who wants to mould him into her idea of a gentleman.
This novel was written in the early 1950s & released again
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC copy
Displaying 1 of 1 review