I have read all of her books at least a dozen times. I was thinking about the books today while looking for a name for a new horse. the books are just wonderful.

Mindful Addiction

A historical romantic story of the journey of a woman.
The story of trauma, displacement, courage, selflessness, and adventure. It is also a beautiful story of love, loss, heartache, passion, faith, strength, and deeply rooted intimacy not only with the other characters, but with herself.
I’ll be reading the next book in the series.

If ever you were looking for a book that was the definition of an epic story, you would be hard-pressed to find one that fits better than this sprawling novel from Celeste De Blasis. Originally released in 1985 as Wild Swan, it is part one of a trilogy and brings to mind other grand novels, such as The Thorn Birds, when some books were written with extensive detail and read like a movie. I was swept away by the descriptions and writing style of the author. She truly was able to take me out of time and put me into when- and wherever Alexandria was. If you can get past the long passages that discuss horses (one of the topics of great detail in this book), you’ll find a story about a woman torn between two men – one of the very simplest of conflicts – but one that is very well-done. Be warned, however, this is not a quick read. At nearly 800 pages, it’s one that you’ll have to put time aside for and allow yourself to be drawn into a new world. For a full review, please visit Fireflies and Free Kicks. Thank you to Bookouture and NetGalley for a digital copy of the book.

Love it. Beginning in the early 19th century this is a wonderful story of a young woman who has a very sad and difficult childhood but who grows into a strong, resourceful wife and mother. The writing is wonderful, drawing the reader into this amazing story.

Seriously, one of my favorite books of all time. This is a re-read for me. I first read this back in the 80's and never forgot it. Can't wait to read the next two, though I'll savor this one for a while first.

Completely old school and detailed to extreme, this romantic (definitely romance genre)epic of the Napoleonic and Post-Napoleonic period is also classic mid-20th century style American historical fiction writing. Within 5 or 6 main characters, but essentially with Alex, St. John, Rane and their immediate family members- you will end up knowing all minutia of days. Down to everything but the waste pots agenda. I do believe that is the only movement or activity somewhat obscured. Do I sound like this is a bad thing? For most readers it certainly is not, because it seems that the 700 page tome length is often celebrated lately, and especially in regional or historical fiction. But to me, anything with that verbosity has considerable redundancy. And especially in the first two books (this is divided into 5 book designations just for the first third of a Swan trilogy)the rejection of Alexandria by her Mother and ineptitude of her father, Caton- became extremely repetitive. That lost the star for me, although in real life when a child does not "fit" that absolutely happens. It was just annoying to read 75 more pages of excuses for leaving England again, that's all. But it sure did give her good reasons for emigration.

Other than that, the tumultuous progression was adventurous, daunting, and also psychologically intriguing. Different than the common romance or historical fiction work, for sure.

Alexandria holds a lot of different perfections, and that makes it hard for me to connect to her staid maturity when so young in the first books. But Books 3-5 were nearly 5 star for my enjoyment and for my education upon horses, thoroughbreds, and the early days of racing in the USA, amongst other politico story lines.

There's a lot of change, she loves two different men, most everything has a timely closure (do not find that in real life at all)and the emotional story is told in all angles. Being 90% sure that Samson's story could never have been that simple, nor the Carrington's inclusion in Annapolis society been that complete under 2 or 3 conditions, I still felt that the tone and narrator thought pattern was possible for the early decades of the 1800's in Maryland.

I'm absolutely sure I will read the other books of the trilogy but not for awhile. I need something now, where the bad people are not as evil nor the good, nearly perfect conscience models. But I truly was enthralled in parts, as the voyage to Halifax. And I look forward to reading about the next generations. You know Sam and Morgan are in for it already. LOL!

A sweeping saga from Kent to Devon, back to Kent and on to America

Alexandria learns of healing and life from her beloved grandmother. She learns of horses and riding from Sinje who marries her sister against her advice. When her own mother turns irrevocably against her, Alexandria goes to Devon to live with the Falconers. She lives as a beloved child and has a magical childhood with her closest cousin, Rane at her side. Together they rescue Caleb, an American POW. When her sister dies at home, she leaves Rane and returns to care for her niece and nephew (her sister’s twins) and winds up caring for Sinje, who loses his right arm in the last war against Napoleon. They cannot marry in England but live together as man and wife until they come to America, which they had heard about from Caleb. Long wonderful story of a decade or more with Sinje and their eventual farm and famous stables, Wild Swan. It is long after Sinje is severely injured in a riding accident that Rane comes back into her life. It is a powerful story of America in the last throes of slavery, thoroughbred horse and racing, boating and free traders avoiding the tariffs and much love. Alexandria rules over it all with her fierce love of home and her children, great friends, strong horses and a persisting love. I laughed and cried and lost sleep and was so sorry to see it end; i must begin the next one immediately! I am not doing the story justice but i loved every minute of it.

Epic historical fiction romance that takes the reader from Regency era Britain to the state of Maryland in the late 1820s. Well written and extensively researched it focuses on Alexandria and her family.

3.5 White Swan is a fascinating work of Historical Romance primarily taking place in the American antebellum south. The story begins in England in the early 19th century when two young men,
St. John Carrington, and Rane Falcone (Ashley Wilkes and Rhett Butler), fall in love with the adolescent Alexandria Thane (Scarlett O'hara). Alex is in love with Rane, but becomes irrevocably entwined with St John (to her Sinje) as he is widowed with twin babies and then returns from the battle of Waterloo having lost his right arm. So her feelings for St John are compounded by his tragic needs. They marry and young Alex soon develops a lasting love for Sinje and her young family, although the flame of Rane Falconer still burns within. Unrequited love is always a page turner for women. Or, at the risk of seeming sexist, I should say for anyone. The young couple, finding nothing but sadness and a desolate future in England, migrate to America and, with a small inheritance, open a tavern. When Sinje wins a thoroughbred race horse in a wild wager at the race track, they step into the world of breeding and racing thoroughbreds. They parlay their holdings into a plantation that they christen Wild Swan, and over a decade they build into a master stable, and earn a big name in the horse racing world.

The book follows the lives of The Carringtons, Rane Falconer, and a myriad of other characters who become deeply enmeshed in their lives. The plot is fairly predictable, and plays out much like a jigsaw puzzle or soap opera, with people seemingly entering and leaving for the convenience of the story line. When a woman becomes inconvenient to the story, she can always lose her mind and/or commit suicide. The historic events have proven most accurate, and include English free trading. The specifics of horse racing at the time. The finer points of breeding thoroughbreds. The various beliefs about slavery, before and after Nat Turner. The political air at the time of Andrew Jackson with the opposing beliefs in states rights versus government control, and the growing challenges facing the north and the south. I would have been perfectly happy without the frequent smatterings of rather graphic sex scenes. For me, a suggestion of intimacy is plenty. After all, how much can a person read of hard thrusting shafts. Skimming over those rather brief sections was simple, and the story was engaging enough that I was willing to do that.

As with other trilogies, the book is set up to be continued, and I will continue, sometime. Much as I did enjoy the story, I will need to take a break from Historical Romance for a while.

I have history with this book. I first read "Wild Swan" (original title) back in 1989 shortly after the death of my grandmother. Even though I was very young, I enjoyed the book immensely and found it comforting. As an adult, I wondered if I would feel the same. I do. It's a story that is deeply sad in parts, but has so much life to it. The writing is beautiful, pulling you in and wrapping you up in the lives of the characters, and helping you to put your own problems into perspective. "A Wild Hope" is perfect historical fiction.

My thanks to the author (RIP), publisher, and NetGalley for an advance copy to review. This review is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

Great story. I had read this book about 30 years ago at the recommendation of my Aunt. I enjoyed the story again. Looking forward to reading the next book again.

LOVED this whole series !