Goodreads Reviews: Not a Swan/A Little Love Song

Not a Swan by Michelle Magorian

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

(When the book was published it came out under two titles. For American audiences, it was Not a Swan, for UK/Canadian audiences it was titled A Little Love Song)

In a nutshell, if you loved The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, you will love this book! A beautiful coming of age story set in WWII England that has mystery, romance and humor. This is really the story of two woman, one from the Edwardian Era and the other from the 1940's whose stories are brought together through diaries, letters and a seaside village of remarkable people.

17 year old Rose and her two older sisters, Diana and Lettie have been evacuated to the small village of Salmouth. They move into Lapwing Cottage, which is the abandoned home of 'Mad Hilda.' Residents are wary of the odd home, however Rose herself becomes intrigued by the mystery surrounding Lapwing. Soon she finds the origins of who Mad Hilda is and how Hilda's story will alter Rose's life in more ways than she could imagine.

Compared to her two older sisters, Rose is considered the ugly duckling of the family-hence the meaning of the American title, Not a Swan. However, she throws her time and energy into her one love, writing. Rose plans on writing and finishing her first story before she and her sisters leave, but inspiration seems to be lacking at time. When Rose comes across several hidden diaries from the famous Mad Hilda, she not only finds material for a story, but she also delves into the private life of one extraordinary woman who refused to surrender to the restrictive social attitudes of her time.

While at Salmouth, Rose and her sisters make unexpected friends, find trouble, fall in love and grow stronger with each other everyday. Rose also becomes victim to the selfish ambitions of one resident in the village; but an unlikely hero, with his own painful and secret past, helps her to reach beyond her dreams and desires and make them real.

Such a beautiful story, appropriate for ages 13+. Mild adult content dealing with sex, pregnancy and childbirth that wasn't by any means graphic, but well written and added to the reality of the lead characters story arc.

Certainly adding this book to my favorites and I might even re-read it! Anyone with a love of WWII fiction, romance or a history lover should read this book!