A Company of Swans

infobox Book |
name = A Company of Swans
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption =
author = Eva Ibbotson
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = United Kingdom
language = English
series =
genre = Historical, Romance novel
publisher = Century Publishing
pub_date = 27 June 1985
english_pub_date =
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 256 pp (first edition, hardback)
isbn = ISBN 978-0712608183 (first edition, hardback)
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"A Company of Swans" is a historical romance novel published in 1985 by Eva Ibbotson. The book is dedicated to Patricia Veryan. Critically well received the young adult novel is starting to be obliquely refereed to in review. The type where reviewer try to complement a new work by comparison to another better established work. [cite web | title=Ballet dancer strikes perfect balance review | last= | first= | work=Times Online | url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,23119-2122056,00.html | date=2006-04-08 | accessdate=2007-12-21 ] [cite web | title=Clair-de-Lune review | last=Craig | first=Amanda | work= | url=http://kidslitinformation.blogspot.com/2006/04/clair-de-lune.html | date=2006-04-07 | accessdate=2007-12-21 ]

Plot summary

Harriet Morton has the most boring and dull life you can imagine. She lives with her frugal Aunt Louisa and her father, professor of classics, in Cambridge, England. She is only allowed a few freedoms and one would be ballet. Harriet's great joy is her ballet classes at Madame Lavarre's school. When Sasha Dubrov, a famous ballet master, comes to England, he visits Madame Lavarre, an old friend, and watches her advanced class (which Harriet is in) practice. He comes to find his eighteenth swan for Swan Lake performed in the Amazon. Sasha instantly finds and wants Harriet for his company which is going on a South American tour, with it's first stop in Manaus. He invites Harriet to come with them and be the eighteenth swan.

Later that day, there is a dinner party at her home with Edward Finch-Dutton, who is planning to marry Harriet, even though she may not feel the same way. Harriet being ecstatic with the news brings up that she was invited to go with Dubrov's company. Her father is completely appalled at the idea. He absolutely refuses it. She tries to persuade him, but he thinks that his daughter's life will be ruined if she becomes a ballet dancer, and so he does not even try to accept his daughter's talent and wishes. She is sent up to her room and she decides that she may have to make a sacrifice for her career and her family by runnning away because her happiness urges her on to, but she still questions her happiness and the fact of disobeying her family by running away.

The Trumpington Tea Circle are particularly devoted to architecture and go on a trip to Stavley, dragging unwillingly Harriet along with them. Harriet puts up with the ladies and Edward, who they decided to bring along. She feels bad that the house, as elegant and posh as it is, is so overgrown and forlorn. She finally comes to helping Edward replenish laboratory specimens, when she comes across a sign which points to "Paradise Farm". Intrigued, she follows the road, coming upon a maze. She walks into its core, coming across a small boy reading a book "Amazon Adventure", who introduces himself as Henry St. John Verney-Brandon.

Harriet befriends Henry and when she asks him about the book he says, "I'm not supposed to read it. It was the boy's". Henry explains to Harriet who the boy that he is referring to was. The boy used to live at Stavley, and was brave and strong, though something happened and he left. Harriet, having told him about the Company and Manaus, is told by Henry that he has reason to believe that the boy might be in the Amazon. Harriet promises she will find the boy. She at this time is sure she can go away with the company, because many things are bringing her towards the idea. She decides to go with the Company and writes two letters, one from Miss Betsy Fairfield (a friend of Harriet) to Aunt Louisa saying that Harriet was having a lovely time at their house, and the other to Miss Fairfield from Aunt Louisa saying Harriet's cousin is ill and that she is not able to come. She joins the Company and they practice for a week in Century Theatre before leaving for Manaus. They perform "Giselle", "Swan Lake", "Fille Mal Gardee", and "Casse Noisette".

During Harriet's stay with the Russian ballet in the Amazon, she performs Swan Lake in a grand golden opera house for the wealthy and culture- deprived rubber barons. Harriet performs at the most ornate opera house with the other 18 ballet dancers. She then meets Rom, who is the handsome and mysterious exile she was told about. She and Rom fall in love, and everything seems lavish and wonderful except for the fact that her soon- to- be fiance, whom she feels no attraction to, and her father have begun to track Harriet down.

Publishing details

*1985, UK, Century Press (ISBN 978-0712608183), pub date 27 June 1985, hardback (first edition)
*1985, USA, St. Martin's Press (ISBN 0312153236), pub date ? September 1985, hardback

Footnotes

References

*cite web | title=Ballet dancer strikes perfect balance review | last= | first= | work=Times Online | url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,23119-2122056,00.html | date=2006-04-08 | accessdate=2007-12-21
*cite web | title=Library based review | last= | first= | work=addisonlibrary.org | url=http://www.addisonlibrary.org/linkedContent.aspx?pageId=54&elementId=1785#ibbotsonacompanyofswans | date= | accessdate=2007-12-21