Review: And The Swan Begins to Sing

Good morning my loves.

Today is a super exciting post for me as it is the first time I’ll be taking part in a blog tour organised by the wonder Anne Cater from the equally wonderful Random Things Through My Letter Box. The minute that I joined the crew and saw that a blog tour was happening for this book, I knew I had to try to get onto it somehow. What book is it I hear you ask? Well. It’s a non-fiction (perfect for non-fiction November) and it is one that is deeply moving.

The swans on the pond, quite abruptly began to sing. It was a singing so loud they
were almost screaming. The swans were screaming, screaming as
if they saw the horror of the world.

Synopsis

Gudbjorg Thorisdottir has been hiding from the ghost of an ugly secret for most of her life. When she finally faces the truth of what happened throughout her childhood, the ghost floats away. Painting an evocative picture of her life in Iceland, this is the story of a little girl who didn’t know how unnatural it was to experience both heaven and hell in the same house.

Review

It isn’t often that a book takes my breath away. It is even more rare when that book is the true account of someones life. And The Swans Began to Sing by Thora Karitas Arnadottir is a brutally profound story of one woman’s childhood and the sexual abuse that she suffered at the hands of her Grandfather. A stunning tale of her mother growing up in Iceland, Thora walks her mother down memory lane, allowing her to let go of the shame she had be feeling since the abuse began.

Obviously there is a trigger warning in this book for sexual abuse, and if that it something that you struggle to read about, I would considered very carefully if you are thinking of picking this book up. What I will say, is that it is not written in sensationalised or gratuitous way.

I found this achingly familiar, not that I myself have experienced such things, but a very close family member has. It brought to the forefront of my mind the lasting impact that such abuse can have, but a sentiment that is expressed so well, is one of faith, strength, forgiveness and survival.

The writing was also beautiful. The setting was incredibly vivid and I do not feel that there was anything lost in translation, as can happen on the odd occasion. Thora will be publishing her first novel in 2019 and I would very much like to read some of her fictional work.

And The Swans Began to Sing will be published by Wildpressed Books on the 10th of January 2019 and I cannot wait to see what the world thinks of a book that I enjoyed (that’s such a strange word to use in this context) an awful lot.

Peace and pages
Amy
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