Infinite Books

A young mute girl, Clara, spends her days writing, reading books from the extensive library, and strolling in the areas surrounding the beautiful English estate of Mr. Crowe, her benefactor. Clara possesses a magical gift, the strength of which she does not realize yet. Mr. Crowe himself has a gift, we learn, the one that is sought after by others and deeply appreciated. Their talents are those compared to the force of the sun and moon, two symbols that the candlesticks on the estate dinner table suggest. But who is what, whose powers are stronger?

Clara is watched over by a butler, Eustace, who is much closer to her and more protective than Mr. Crowe, a man who, despite his intelligence and charms,  can be quickly enamored of a pretty soprano, Arabella. Eustace is not a good-natured fellow, the version of the model British butler we can quickly summon in our imagination; he has a dark past, about which we gradually learn as we read. He is good at using a pistol, and his passions and tragedies in life could fill the pages of another book.

“The Maker of Swans” is a beautiful, dark novel, and Paraic O’Donnell weaves his book with extraordinary language. Like a tapestry, the golden threat of Clara’s adventures skillfully intertwines with the fate of Mr. Crowe, the story of Eustace, and those who seek to possess Clara’s gift, using everything in their power: yes, there is a murder, kidnapping, and intrigue.

However one wants to define this captivating novel – a gothic story,  a crime story, a puzzling mystery –  it is beautiful literature. It takes a reader into a magical world and shows the power of the written word – and maybe the gift of creating this other world and taking us there is the greatest?

THE MAKER OF SWANS, Paraic O’Donnell, Tin House Books, 2022