Swan

July 22, 2002
A tinted review in adult Forecasts indicates a book that's of exceptional importance to our readers but hasn't received a starred or boxed review. SWAN Frances Mayes. Broadway, $25 (336p) ISBN 0-7679-0285-8 Combining elements from her own life abroad and at home, Mayes presents her first novel, after a series of wildly popular Italian memoirs (Under the Tuscan Sun, etc.). The author, a Georgia native, has much working in her favor: she's built up a legion of loyal readers through her nonfiction, and this tale—which takes place in a Steel Magnolias-like sleepy Southern town—offers the tried and true matters of family saga, mystery and Americana. The Mason family has owned cotton mills and other valuable real estate in the town of Swan, Ga. for generations. J.J. and Ginger Mason lost their mother, Catherine, when they were children. Now they are in their early 30s, and Ginger is living—where else?—in Tuscany, working as an archeologist; J.J. is still in Swan, a sort of reclusive mountain man who spends his days sketching the arrowheads he finds on fishing trips. They're reunited when bad news surfaces: Catherine's body has mysteriously been dug up, 19 years after her death. Ginger flies home, and she and J.J., while at a loss as to whodunit, begin to unearth previously unknown details about their mother's life. With the steady—if not necessarily riveting—mystery serving as a base plot, Mayes weaves various side stories involving the unfortunate demise of Ginger and J.J.'s father and the fate of their grandfather's mistress, among others. Mayes's writing is smooth and her homespun evocations of the steamy South are moving. And although the story begins to lose its oomph after 200 or so pages, this is a pleasurable read that will please Mayes's devotees. Agent, Peter Ginsberg. (Oct. 8)Forecast:The built-in audience, Mayes's name recognition and probable media play targeted at reading groups will surely ignite sales.

September 15, 2002
Fans of Mayes's memoirs about her life in Italy (Under the Tuscan Sun and Bella Tuscany) will not be disappointed by her first novel, which is set in a backwater town in Mayes's native Georgia. The Masons are the richest family in Swan, but their money couldn't protect them from tragedy. When Ginger and her brother J.J. were children, their beautiful and loving mother committed suicide; their father suffered a stroke soon afterwards, and the children were raised by their Aunt Lily. Now in their thirties, Ginger works as an archaeologist in Tuscany, while J.J. spends most of his time hunting and fishing. But all that changes when their mother's grave is ransacked, and the subsequent investigation proves beyond a doubt that Catherine Mason was actually murdered. As Ginger and J.J. begin to unravel the truth about the past, they also begin to accept their own and others' weaknesses. Mayes clearly never met a quirky character she didn't like, and she's seemingly put every one of them in this book, whether or not they move the plot forward (and most do not). This slows down the pace considerably, especially because these secondary characters aren't well delineated. With that caveat, this remains a solid read, sure to please readers who enjoy Southern fiction.-Nancy Pearl, Washington Ctr. for the Book, Seattle

September 1, 2002
Mayes, author of the very popular nonfiction accounts "Under the Tuscan Sun "(1996) and "Bella Tuscan" (1999), grounds her first novel in her childhood home of Georgia. The small town of Swan, chartered by John Mason and reigned over by his son, Big Jim, was rocked by the suicide in 1956 of Catherine Mason, wife of Big Jim's doctor son, Wills, and mother of 14-year-old J. J and 12-year-old Ginger, who found her mother's body. When Catherine's grave is desecrated and her body exhumed 19 years later, the event turns from tragic to cathartic when an investigation shows that she was murdered, lifting the pall of shame, anger, guilt, and fear from her family. J. J and Ginger had kept a close bond even though their lives had taken different directions; loner J. J., a mostly absent property manager, lives in the family cabin, fishing, hunting, and keeping journals, while Ginger, after a failed marriage and many rootless years, found a love of archaeology. Set during eight days in July 1975, the narrative adroitly flashes back to uncover history (including long-held secrets) and reveal characters--to themselves and each other. With a memorable, full-bodied cast and an evocative sense of place, this is a surefire best-seller. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2002, American Library Association.)