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Island Of The Swans (2010)

by Ciji Ware(Favorite Author)

3.74 of 5 Votes: 1

ISBN

1402222688 (ISBN13: 9781402222689)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

Sourcebooks Landmark

review 1: Ciji Ware is a really good writer. The story was smooth and easy to understand. This was my second historical romance novel. I would choose this book to read in a book club, because there would be a lot to talk about. I was amazed at the series of unfortunate events that took place. I was in agony! Jane and Thomas cannot catch a break, and when opportunities are given to them to be together... something happens. It was a page turner.
review 2: (3.5 stars) Based on the actual Jane Maxwell, the 4th Duchess of Gordon, this is a fictionalized account of the actual events in her life from the mid 1700's to the early 1800's. Starting with Jane as a young child living in Scotland with her parents living separate,and consequently, somewhat impoverished lives,the Scotti... moresh are still suffering after the defeat at Culloden, which has reduced the fortunes of many of the former gentry. We see Jane as somewhat of a reckless daredevil, with her devoted companion, Thomas Fraser, enjoying tearing down English royal proclamations and engaging in pig races. It is one of those races, where a tragic accident leads to the severing of one of her fingers, that Jane first encounters Alexander, soon to be the Duke of Gordon. Jane's mother despairs at Jane's activities as she wants to make a suitable match for her to uplift her family's fortunes. She and Thomas' uncle, Simon Fraser, want to split up the two before they become engaged. Thomas and Jane have other plans, and secretly become engaged before Thomas ships out as a soldier to America. Jane wishes to elope, but Thomas asks her to wait until his return, hopefully with means to improve their future together. When the families hear of Thomas' death in an Indian raid, Jane is inconsolable and slowly warms to Alexander, particularly due to his own tragedies in the past which have left him without the love of his life and with a bastard son. Fate strikes when Thomas is found to be alive, and this sets up an ill-fated love triangle that haunts Jane for the rest of her life. We see her as she struggles to have the independence she desires in a society where women, particularly married women, lacked this ability. Within her scope, she made a significant splash on society, advising royalty, and as a patroness for the poet Robert Burns. While there was quite a bit of romance/sex, the historical period and Jane's character were intriguing to me. Fans of the Outlander series would enjoy the historical context of the novel. less

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