The Swan Keeper

From USA Today featured novelist and Western Writers of America Spur award finalist Milana Marsenich, The Swan Keeper is an historical, coming-of-age novel set in 1920s Montana. On her eleventh birthday, Lilly's family visits the Cattail Marsh to see the newly hatched cygnets. The family outing turns tragic when Dean Drake shows up with his shotgun. Lilly sees him kill her father, injure her mother, and slaughter the bevy of trumpeter swans. The sheriff, her mother, sister, and best friend all think Lilly is trying to make sense of a senseless accident by blaming Drake. But Lilly knows the truth. Left alone she must bring him to justice. "Author Milana Marsenich has penned a dramatic page-turner brimming with authentic detail. She knows this Montana countryside inside and out, her vivid descriptions capturing the spirit of the craggy Mission Mountains."—Maggie Plummer, author of Spirited Away – A Novel of the Stolen Irish and Daring Passage: Book Two of the Spirited Away Saga Girlhood, Courage, Nature, And Flight From A Tyrant¿s Hand In Post-frontier Montana.¿lillian Connelly Loves Trumpeter Swans And Vows To Protect Them From A Hunter Who Is Killing Them And Leaving Their Carcasses For The Wolves And Coyotes To Ravage.¿on Her Eleventh Birthday Lilly¿s Family Visits The Cattail Marsh To See The Newly Hatched Cygnets.the Family Outing Turns Tragic When Dean Drake Shows Up With His Shotgun And Fires On Not Only The Swans, But On Lilly¿s Family. Unable To Prevent Tragedy, Lillian Witnesses Drake Kill Her Father, Injure Her Mother And Slaughter The Bevy Of Trumpeter Swans. The Sheriff, Charlie West, Thinks That Lilly Is Reacting To The Trauma And Blaming Drake Because Of A Previous Conflict Between Drake And Her Father. Lilly¿s Mother, Sister And Her Best Friend, Jerome West, The Sheriff¿s Son, All Think The Same Thing: That Lilly Is Trying To Make Sense Of A Senseless Accident. ¿left Alone To Bring Dean Drake To Justice, Lilly¿s Effort Is Subverted When Drake Woos Her Sister, Courts Her Mother, And Moves Into Their Home.¿the Swan Keeper Is An Historical, Coming Of Age Novel Set In Northwest Montana's Mission Valley In The Late 1920s. Girlhood, courage, nature, and flight from a tyrants hand in post-frontier Montana. The Swan Keeper is an historical, coming of age novel set in Northwest Montana's Mission Valley in the late 1920s. Lillian Connelly loves trumpeter swans and vows to protect them from a hunter who is killing them and leaving their carcasses for the wolves and coyotes to ravage. On her eleventh birthday Lillys family visits the Cattail Marsh to see the newly hatched cygnets. The family outing turns tragic when Dean Drake shows up with his shotgun and fires on not only the swans, but on Lillys family. Unable to prevent tragedy, Lillian witnesses Drake kill her father, injure her mother, and slaughter the bevy of trumpeter swans. The sheriff, Charlie West, thinks that Lilly is reacting to the trauma and blaming Drake because of a previous conflict between Drake and her father. Lillys mother, sister, and her best friend, Jerome West, the sheriffs son, all think the same thing: that Lilly is trying to make sense of a senseless accident. Left alone to bring Dean Drake to justice, Lillys effort is subverted when Drake woos her sister, courts her mother, and moves into their home. "On her eleventh birthday, Lilly's family visits the Cattail Marsh to see the newly hatched cygnets. The family outing turns tragic when Dean Drake shows up with his shotgun. Lilly sees him kill her father, injure her mother, and slaughter the bevy of trumpeter swans. The sheriff, her mothers, sister, and best friend all think Lilly is trying to make sense of a senseless accident by blaming Drake. But Lilly knows the truth. Left alone she must bring him to justice." -- back cover