The Wild Swans

by Jackie Morris

A girl loses her beloved brothers when they are turned into swans by her wicked stepmother. She embarks on a vital quest with one purpose: to find them and turn them back into boys again.

But the task is complicated. She must pick nettles with her bare hands and turn them to yarn, to spin and knit into shirts for each of the eleven brothers. And all the while she cannot speak, for if she does, even so much as a whisper, it will be like a knife in the heart of each swan-boy. And so she knits, silent. And where there is silence people will put words.

The Wild Swans is a beautiful and lyrical extended version of the fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen in Jackie Morris's enchanting retelling, complete with delicate watercolour paintings throughout this new edition. A story about love and bravery, about how to listen, and about how, when we do not listen, we hear what we wish to hear.

Genres: Fantasy, Fairy Tales, Childrens, Fiction, Middle Grade, Young Adult, Retellings

384 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2015

About the author

Jackie Morris lives in a small house on the Welsh coast. She wanted to be an artist from the earliest she could remember. After studying art at Hereford and Bath Academy she went on to illustrate for magazines and newspapers. She began her first book for children the week after her first child, Thomas was born and has gone on to illustrate and write many books.

Reviews

[Moira Macfarlane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mijn lijf is moe en mijn hoofd te vol om literatuur of gewoon veel letters te lezen, ik wil wel en kijk verlangend naar de boeken in mijn kast, maar het zit er niet echt in nu. Ik krul me op op de bank, thee erbij en grijp dan naar wat ik altijd al graag las als ik even in een boek wil verdwijnen, iets met mooie plaatjes en als een boek dan ook nog sprookje is met zulke fijne eerste zinnen als deze is het helemaal perfect.

'The day that she stopped speaking was the day she began to understand so much more about the world around her, to appreciate the many textures of silence.

She learned to -listen-.

Long months of silence, in which many words came to mind but not a single one passed her lips. But to begin here is to begin in the centre of the story.

At the beginning all she knew was -love-.'

Trouw aan het originele sprookje uit 1838 van Hans Christian Andersen heeft Jackie Morris alleen wat kleine veranderingen aangebracht die er vooral voor zorgden dat de personages tot leven kwamen. Wat een prettige rustige vertelstem. Alles gaf ze kleur, betovering en diepgang, haar personages, de natuurbeschrijvingen en haar illustraties. Ik wist al van haar liefde voor de natuur en hoe mooi ze die in aquarel weet te vangen, maar ze weet ook hoe ze je mee moet nemen in een verhaal. De liefde en zorg straalden aan alle kanten van dit boek af.

'A story about love and bravery, about how to listen, and about how, when we do not listen, we hear what we wish to hear.'

Voor een inkijkje: https://www.instagram.com/p/CdvxK1bggw5/

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eliza and her eleven elder brothers lived happily with their mother and father, the king and queen of a little kingdom beside a forest, until the day that the queen died. Grief-stricken for some time, the king eventually remarried, taking as his bride the daughter of the strange forest-woman he encountered while out hunting. Not sure that he could trust this new wife, he kept his children a secret, hiding them away in a tower guarded by a great maze. This action had terrible consequences, leading to jealousy, hurt, and eventually, a terrible curse that transformed the eleven brothers into swans. Would Eliza, now left alone, find a way to track down her brothers, and if she did, could she find a way to free them from the curse...?

Like her East of the Sun, West of the Moon , British author/illustrator Jackie Morris certainly knows how to pick some of my favorite fairy-tales for her novelized retellings! I have always loved this story, and in Morris' hands it comes alive. Unlike the earlier book, whose altered ending struck me as ill-advised, here I thought the additions to the tale were fitting, and well done. I liked the fact that Morris gave the second queen a believable motive for her actions, other than the stereotypical step-motherly evil so often seen. There is a real feeling of tragedy here, and of missed opportunity, and while the figure of the second queen isn't redeemed - it is still evil to take one's anger out on children, because of what their parent has done, regardless of one's feelings - the reader can at least sympathize. The illustrations, as could be expected, were simply lovely, capturing the avian charm of the swan brothers, and the canine devotion of Eliza's dog Shadow. Recommended to anyone who enjoyed novelized fairy-tale retellings, as well as to fans of Jackie Morris and her artwork.

[Aldi · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolutely stunning little book. Jackie Morris is an incredibly gifted artist and her illustrations are perfectly suited to the fantastic lushness of fairy tales. The Wild Swans is one of my favourite HC Andersen tales, and Morris’s retelling is phenomenal – she keeps all the bones of the story and its hauntingly wistful atmosphere but updates the characters and brings them to life beautifully. I especially loved her portrayal of the stepmother, whom she very much elevates from evil stereotype to a complex, complete person with her own hopes and hurts.

I’m so going to chase down all of her books now. This one has rather sparse illustrations – a few gorgeous full-page spreads and the rest mostly small page adorners here and there – but just looking at them makes my soul breathe deep.

[Marquise · Rating 3 out of 5]

Looks like Jackie Morris can't resist either changing the original fairy tales or adding superfluous external elements, but at least this time she's not overdone it or gone too far that the original's point is missed. Still, not an author worth following for me in spite of her lovely watercolour artwork.

[Jade Ratley · Rating 4 out of 5]

7.57 on CAWPILE

[Deb (Readerbuzz) Nance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've always been a fan of fairy tales. Princesses. Wicked stepmothers. Clueless fathers. Brothers who need tending. The dark and mysterious forest. Magic spells.

This story has all of these things. It's an old folktale, though you probably know best the version by Hans Christian Andersen.

I won't be surprised if this is your new favorite version of the story.




Jackie Morris has taken the short story and expanded it into a 175 page tale, complete with rich characters and a magnificent setting.

It's illustrated into a beautiful treasure of a book.




The plot? The king and his wife and their twelve children are very happy until the queen dies.




Soon after, the king meets and marries a strange woman in white.




Inexplicably, the king hides his children from their new stepmother. When she learns of the existence of the children, the stepmother finds them and turns the brothers into wild swans.




The beautiful princess must sew shirts for each of her eleven brothers in order to restore them into humans. And, while she sews, the princess must not speak or her brothers will die.

It's a rich, beautiful story. So happy I got to read and review this book.

[Jennifer Kirkwood (Levac) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Stop by the blog tour Oct 29 on Genuine Jenn

This is such a beautiful book. I fell in love with the watercolor pictures throughout this book. It is an amazing story of love, silence, magic, and courage. Eliza and her brothers are put through so much in their lives, losing their mother, then being locked into a tower with a maze outside, ultimately losing their father to another women because he didn't trust her with the children. There is magic within this story as the brothers are turned to Swans during the day and boys at night. Eliza wants to save her brothers but need to make a pact with a fae to break the spell on her brothers. It is a sad story of loss and growing up on her own, so much courage Eliza has. She shares her time with a hound named Shadow that was her mothers dog. Love finally finding Eliza. A must read!

[Michael Earp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning (as always), Jackie Morris has done it again. Her illustration style is so suited to fairy tales that I sometimes forget that her writing is just as perfectly matched for the lyrical and engaging story-telling style of fairy tales.

If she were to do 'The Snow Queen' in this format, I would be beside myself with joy as wild as these swans.

[Callum McLaughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rather than reimagining the story, as most modern takes on fairy tales do, this is very much the classic Hans Christian Andersen story, retold in Morris’ own words, accompanied by her stunning watercolour illustrations. Sticking faithfully to the original text, any small changes and additions feel well placed, fleshing out the characters and adding greater emotional depth by exploring their motivations, especially where the “wicked stepmother” trope is concerned.

It stands fairly unique among the fairy tale canon; our princess very much the heroine of the piece as opposed to a damsel, and the primary focus on familial love over romance, as Eliza strives to outsmart a vengeful queen and save her brothers. It’s not easy to maintain the inherent air of whimsy and magic that comes with a fairy tale throughout a full-length text without it feeling overly twee, but Morris pulls it off. Her prose is simple yet lyrical, the perfect accompaniment to her artwork, which is as ethereal and enchanting as ever.

[Alexandria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I so loved this book! It is a new all time favorite!! The inner child in me love the fantastical fairy tale of it all. It felt like a book that I should have grown up loving! A childhood classic though it is a little sad & tad-bit dark as all classic fairytales are. It was whimsical though as well! The illustrations are so beautifully done. It's a sorrowful tale but shows the value of family and love and bravery. I SO SO Highly recommend! I've already ordered East of the Sun, West of the Moon and cant wait to read that! I love her illustration style so much I will be looking into more of her works!

[Ehryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this story. The way Jackie Morris writes is so lyrical, magical, readable. It truly is reading a fairy story and being engulfed in a world of possibilities. She did a fabulous job on retelling this story, capturing the dual importance of words and silence.

[Freya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come :)

[Nyxie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A top favourite. From now until forever.

[Jen (The Jenerator) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books that's fun to read 'cuz of it's size and weight and the feel of it. You know what I mean! I also really enjoyed the illustrations and the story was fun too :)

[Sophie Toovey · Rating 5 out of 5]

gorgeous retelling with beautiful pictures.

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might just be the perfect book? The writing is beautiful and lyrical, and the illustrations are breathtaking. The retelling works on every level, and without becoming jarring in its expansion. I will now be seeking out everything Jackie Morris has ever created.

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fan of fairy tale adaptations and this is a beautiful one with lovely illustrations. There is much hardship in the tale of the sister who attempts a seemingly impossible task to rescue her enspelled brothers, but also much bravery and truth.

In today's moment, I felt an even deeper level. She must accomplish her task of making nettle shirts (painful enough) without saying a word. She just wants to do her work in peace, but a powerful man tries to force himself upon her. When she refuses him, he spreads lies that she is a witch.

At the close of the tale, there are two powerful scenes of apology. The prince apologizes for believing the lies told about her. and the result that she was nearly burned at the stake. But Eliza also apologizes to her youngest brother because he loved being a swan and flying. He is also trapped in the human world with the constant reminder of having one wing, since the final shirt was unfinished.

[Jenny Mitcham · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book as a Christmas present. I was already a fan of Jackie Morris's beautiful illustrations from her work on Spell Songs but didn't realise she wrote too. This book is really special. Made me feel like a kid again. Adults don't normally read pictures books. The writing is beautiful and the presentation and pictures really lovely.

[SageM · Rating 5 out of 5]

My grandmother gave me this book a few years back thinking I would like it, and I never got the chance to read it. Recently I found it again and decided I needed to finally look into it. I absolutely loved this book. Everything about it is so calming, even when it's stressful I've never read anything that made escape easier.

In short, The Wild Swans is about a princess named Eliza who has eleven brothers and a father. She lives in a large castle with her father, however once her father remarries, she and her brothers are moved into a smaller, separate tower where her stepmother does not know they exist. Once her stepmother learns of their existence, she curses them and leaves the tower. The eleven brothers run away, but Eliza is not cursed. She and her dog, Shadow, go on a journey to find her brothers, and reverse the curse put on them, but stumble into a few problems along the way.

This book is so interesting, and even when you think nothing crazier is going to happen, something does. There are so many twists and turns, it keeps everything so interesting and intriguing. The writing style used is entrancing, and fits the contents of the story incredibly. Often the writing is calm and flowing, as Eliza journeys through the forest or on the beach. When conflict occurs, the pace picks up and heightens your anxiety to match that of the main characters. Nothing is written too quickly and all of the words truly make you think about the predicament the characters are in. Morris delves deep into the emotions running through Eliza's mind and fully shows just how she struggles with her tasks.

I will say, however, that the course of Eliza can be slightly confusing every now and then. Lots of things happen at once and sometimes it's very hard to keep up with the story and events. Oftentimes, though, these parts are followed by slower, calmer parts that explain further what is going on, so even when you're kind of confused, Morris guides you through her story. Altogether, The Wild Swans is an incredibly well-written story with a very nice plot. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who's into fantasy, especially fairy-tale and kingdom fantasy. It's 100% worth the read.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Wild Swans is a pretty basic retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale of the same name, but Morris’s gorgeous illustrations and lyrical writing helps breathe beauty and richness into it. There were moments when I did grow a little annoyed with the writing, but all together the effect is quite pretty and helps make the retelling memorable.

I did like how the white queen gets a bit of a more complex motive than in the original fairytale. There was the implication throughout the novel that the queen would have welcomed and loved the children if she had been given the chance. She turns the brothers into swans out of jealousy and rage and, perhaps, sorrow, rather than out of the Andersen fairy explanation of “because stepmothers are evil and don’t love their stepchildren.”

Since the retelling is basic, so is the characterization and the world. Eliza is pretty one-note all the way through, but I do like how she’s the quiet, strong protagonist type. I think she’s given perhaps a little too much wisdom than the situation warrants, but maybe not.

So, yes, The Wild Swans is simple, but its dissimilarity to other fairytale retellings that are currently in vogue makes it stand out. Its simplicity makes it beautiful, helped along by the illustrations and the at times annoying, but mostly beautiful writing. This is a great little book with which to read to or with a child.

[Alissa J. Zavalianos · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was probably one of the best fairytales I have ever read. I loved birds and nature and all things whimsical, and this was so well-written and portrayed. I loved Eliza's character and all the characters, really. Just so so good.

I would definitely read this book again. That being said, I want more of Jackie Morris' books.

[Sofia2p · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant illustration and a fresh narration of Andersen's tale, the Wild Swans. Very enjoyable, I feel lucky to have discovered Morris' books.

[Jessica]

The illustrations are beautiful! But this book could have used a bit more editing, and I lost interest about halfway through.

[Mirabella. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I love Jackie Morris’s dreaming power and poetics in her books. This is the third book by her I I’ve read this month because I just feel so at home in her writing, she could be my favourite author. Because she is an artist the imagery is dreamy, descriptions of wooden chairs set with sea glass, fine damask dresses and arches of yellow roses, the green nettle shirts. As an artist/writer myself I value this romantic visualising of everything. She weaves the two worlds of the opulence of the royal court with the wild beauty of the forest so well, her red-headed wood princess is endearing in a huge way and gosh does she write with so much emotion. I wanted to cry at all the scenes with the girl and her hound shadow, the muse for it was Jackie’s own dog.

She does this in East of the sun too, marry the worlds of the wild with the grandiosity of the royal court in a perfect way. Being a bit of a bare footed princess myself I really adore it. These new editions in hardback small thick books are so well made with thick pages and just feel precious, I bought a handmade linen bag just for her books because I treasure them so much and because these are old mythic tales [retold] that really get at your centre. I’m so sad that I have not many books at all left by her to read. I hope I can find more books akin to this, poetic fairy tale retellings in beautifully bound books with fluid/flowing beautiful litttle illustrations. Reading this was a constant pleasure and beautiful escape from my rather hard life atm. It nourished my soul genuinely when nothing else was.

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jackie has proven in her original writing that she knows how to write a fairytale; she understands the language and the lyricism, the pacing and the indefinable way it needs to feel. Here she takes on the old story of the Swan Princes, using elements that are in the 'original' but don't always show up, while fleshing everything out and illustrating it with her own artwork. It makes for a fantastic package all together, a really beautiful story.

Although it feels like a fat book, the pages speed by. The language would suit a younger child, although some elements of the story might need to be bowdlerised - the prince doesn't have a wicked stepmother in this version, it's a bishop who finds himself drawn to the princess and tries to force himself on her. I absolutely think children could understand this, but parents might like to have a read through first.

The art is absolutely amazing. There are some full colour pages, but almost every page has a little sketch or a header or something. Jackie's style is beautiful, managing to be both realistic and ephemeral. The swans are beautiful and the princess is fabulous. I adore the dog Shadow; some of my favourite illustrations are the princess sitting with Shadow close beside her.

Jackie makes a full length story out of this relatively brief folktale, and it's absolutely brilliant. One to keep and admire. I love it.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a lovely book, beautifully illustrated, that retells Hans Christian Andersen's tale The Wild Swans. The story is retold sympathetically by Jackie Morris, whose illustrations fit the story as told by her very well. I was interested to see that she described a rather more likeable version of the stepmother than Andersen did, at least in the version in our copy of Andersen's Fairy Tales. This stepmother did not ask to marry the widowed king, but did come to love him. The terrible transformation of his sons came about at least in part because their father did not trust his new bride. I must try and track down a more original version than ours, which is a retelling by E. Jean Roberton from the original English version by Caroline Peachey, to quote its title page. I must also find my copy of Zoe Marriott's The Swan Kingdom and reread it!

[Cindy Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another lovely illustrated fairytale by Jackie Morris. Morris's lush descriptions of nature make her extended fairytales worth reading. And of course the exquisite watercolor illustrations add the cherry on top. This is the tale of 11 princes who are turned into swans by their stepmother, and the lengths their sister is willing to go to in order to save them by helping them return to their human form. Underneath the book sleeve, the hard back edition includes a gold foil outline of a swan gliding on a pond against an emerald green background. I am a fan of beautiful hardbacks with extra details because I often remove the book sleeves before adding them to my shelves (I also find that they get in the way while I am reading, so they simply must go).

[Naomi J · Rating 4 out of 5]

🦢Eliza is a young princess, with eleven older brothers, living in a castle filled with love. Her mother dies and all in the household are consumed with grief.

🦢Years pass and one day the King becomes lost in the forest and meets an enigmatic woman who offers him safe passage back home if he marries her daughter. The King agrees, but hides his twelve children in a tower, away from his new wife who he does not completely trust.

🦢The wife eventually learns his secret and, in anger, turns his eleven sons into swans. Eliza, who the Queen did not see, is then left with the task of reversing the enchantment, a task, in which she is helped by Morgan’s, Queen of the Fae, but which will take unbelievable patience and fortitude.

🦢Another poetic, beautiful re-telling from Jackie Morris. I just love becoming lost in her beautiful fairytale world and magical illustrations. A wonderful book!

[Brandee Shafer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this to my almost 12yo daughter and really enjoyed it. I do think I enjoyed it more than she. This fairy tale was familiar to me but only vaguely, as it is not one from my childhood, fairy-tale collection. This is a beautiful retelling with lovely illustrations, and I appreciated feeling immersed in this world of good, evil, romance, and enchantment. One word of caution is that--as is typical in fairy tales--there are dangerous and manipulative characters. One endangers the protagonist in sexual and physical ways. The content was not inappropriate for my daughter but may be for a younger child.

[Sheena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lyrical writing in this expanded tale of princes turned into wild swans and their sister's devotion. Beautiful complementary illustrations too. I have owned this book for some time. It is a signed copy picked up when I was on holiday years ago and though I have admired it over the years never got around to actually reading it so it was appropriate I did so whilst on holiday in the Lake District where I fell across it in the first place.