The Swan Gondola: A Novel
by Timothy Schaffert
by Timothy Schaffert
Synopsis
A lush and thrilling romantic fable about two lovers set against the scandalous burlesques, midnight séances, and aerial ballets of the 1898 Omaha World’s Fair.
On the eve of the 1898 Omaha World’s Fair, Ferret Skerritt, ventriloquist by trade, con man by birth, isn’t quite sure how it will change him or his city. Omaha still has the marks of a filthy Wild West town, even as it attempts to achieve the grandeur and respectability of nearby Chicago. But when he crosses paths with the beautiful and enigmatic Cecily, his whole purpose shifts and the fair becomes the backdrop to their love affair.
One of a traveling troupe of actors that has descended on the city, Cecily works in the Midway’s Chamber of Horrors, where she loses her head hourly on a guillotine playing Marie Antoinette. And after closing, she rushes off, clinging protectively to a mysterious carpetbag, never giving Ferret a second glance. But a moonlit ride on the swan gondola, a boat on the lagoon of the New White City, changes everything, and the fair’s magic begins to take its effect.
From the critically acclaimed author of The Coffins of Little Hope, The Swan Gondola is a transporting read, reminiscent of Water for Elephants or The Night Circus.
Review
This was the selection for my book club recently. I absolutely loved this book (however I will say not everyone agreed at our recent book club meeting). This was just up my alley… with nods to Water for Elephants, Wizard of Oz, The Night Circus, The Devil in the White City and The Great Gatsby - all books which I really enjoyed. The book is part love story and part history lesson on the 1898 World's Fair. It had it's quirky parts (the Emerald Cathedral didn't seem to make a lot of sense - but was definitely a Wizard of Oz reference) and some may say too tidy of an ending. However, the cast of characters was superb, I find myself missing Ferret, Cecily, Dox, August and even Mrs. Margaret. I really enjoyed the adventure the book took the reader on and that makes this a book that I heartily recommend.
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I love your new blog! This is just what I need -- I've been in a rut of reading really bad books, your recommendations are awesome (I absolutely loved The Night Circus, so I can't wait to read The Swan Gondola) and I've already put a ton of them on hold at the library. Thank you so much -- great work!
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