The Four Swans

I think Graham is getting better at titles as he goes. This one actually worked with the book, the four swans being the four main women whose lives are in upheaval: Demelza, Elizabeth, Caroline, and Morwenna.

Actually, Caroline is barely in this book, which is a shame. Her story takes place mostly on the fringes, but it ends in a place that has me very excited for the next part of her life.

Demelza and Ross once again find themselves looking outside their marriage for comfort and companionship. But it's almost boring at this point. The two of them are so solid that I can't imagine what it would take to break them up. So Demelza's whole affair with Hugh never seems that serious or threatening.

But I really loved getting more of Morwenna's story. And even though it doesn't really end with her in a better place than where she started, I absolutely loved the addition of her sister, Rowella. Rowella reminded me of the main character in Alias Grace. She's so good at manipulating the people around her while playing innocent that I was honestly in awe. Totally rooting for this girl who's probably psychopath, but it helps that her main target was even more vile than her.

The ending of this book left more loose ends than I'm used to. I think Winston was more confident about writing another book after this one. But it also means I'm even more eager to start the next one.

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