The Swan's Nest

“Enriching, multilayered, and subtly mesmerizing… McNeal’s reconstruction of this famously improbable marriage, underscored by the Barrett family’s dysfunctional trauma and immoral ties to sugar plantations in Jamaica, is as elegant and sleek as the bird for which it’s named. The ensemble cast also has no weak links, with each character adding a distinct and melancholic flavor to the overall narrative.”–The Lantern (Ohio State Student Paper)“A delicately shaded portrait of a marriage only Elizabeth and Robert could perhaps have envisioned.”–Alida Becker, New York Times“An irresistible page-turner and an exquisite tribute to true love.”–Toronto Star“Sinking into The Swan’s Nest is like being cocooned in a down comforter. Laura McNeal’s deeply researched historical novel is an ode to the great love between two 19th-century English Romantic poets, Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning… McNeal’s achievement is to dramatize how Elizabeth’s great escape from a severely limited life came to pass. In suitably lyrical language, The Swan’s Nest thrillingly captures a marriage of true minds and the triumph of hope, love-and poetry.”–Heller McAlpin, Christian Science Monitor“Written with elegant prose, The Swan’s Nest by Laura McNeal explores the relationship between Robert Browning and Elizabeth Barrett and the risks they made for love while also exploring important social issues and the source of the Barrett family’s wealth.”–History Through Fiction”[THE SWAN’S NEST] doesn’t shy from social injustices and exploitative aspects of the British Empire, exploring colonial privilege alongside a realistic portrait of the legendary couple.“​–Zoomer“A moving, well-written novel and a fitting tribute to the power of love and poetry.“​–Historical Novel Review“McNeal capably evokes her protagonists’ poetic sensibilities both with dialogue… and with her own lyrical descriptions… This insightful novel is a must for devotees of the romantics.”–Publishers Weekly“This delicately rendered novel offers much that will appeal to fans of the Victorian poets.”–Booklist“Compelling, convincing and richly woven, The Swan’s Nest conjures the lives of two legendary poets with true drama and nuance. In McNeal’s talented hands, we are intimately drawn into the age the Barrett-Browning’s lived and loved in, with all of its cultural complexity; into the thorniness of well-meaning but destructive families, and into the fascinating and evocative entanglement of two peerless minds. Gorgeous and provocative storytelling. ” –Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife and Circling the Sun“Laura McNeal is one of my favorite writers and The Swan’s Nest is a stunning accomplishment. Assiduously researched, gorgeously brought to life, this literary love story will keep you up all night.” –Lily King, author of Five Tuesdays in Winter

“Let me count the ways I love The Swan’s Nest: as a transporting romance, as a meticulous recreation of history, as a compelling examination of social hierarchies, and as an expose of the evil that can lurk behind fortunes. It’s a bold feat to enter the minds of geniuses, but Barrett and Browning, as well as the wonderful cast of supporting characters, are as believable as they are beautifully written. Laura McNeal has constructed a gorgeous, faithful, and gripping rendering of poetry’s most enduring love story.”

–Ron Hansen, author of The Kid

Laura McNeal is the author of Dark Water, a finalist for the National Book Award in Young People’s Literature in 2010, the historical novel, The Practice House, The Incident on the Bridge, and four critically-acclaimed novels co-written with her husband Tom, all of them published by Knopf Books for Young Readers. She holds an MA in fiction writing from Syracuse University and was awarded a 2022 research residency at Baylor University.

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