Flight of the Swan: A Novel

Rosario Ferré

Apr 2014 · Open Road Media

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A renowned Russian ballerina is stranded in Puerto Rico as a revolution tears her homeland apart—and she finds herself in the middle of another uprising

In a truly multicultural story and a daring example of global fiction, Rosario Ferré uses her prodigious talents to deliver an unforgettable tale of love, politics, and the power of female expression. Based loosely on a real episode in the life of famous prima ballerina Anna Pavlova, Flight of the Swan follows Niura Federovsky as she flees Russia when revolution breaks out in 1917.

Adrift in San Juan, Niura falls in love with a much younger man. Her passion for revolutionary Diamantino Márquez mirrors the turmoil of the strife-torn island, and her dance troupe soon becomes caught up in Puerto Rico’s struggle for independence. Niura’s maid and confidant, Masha, the heart and soul of the novel, is devastated by Madame’s apparent abandonment of her art. Masha tries to save her mistress from heartbreak—only to lose her own heart to a most unexpected arrival.

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Rosario Ferré (1938–2016) was born in Puerto Rico, where her father served as governor. She earned a doctorate in Spanish from the University of Maryland and is best remembered for her novels and short stories. Her literary career began with the publication of the controversial literary journal Zona. Carga y Descarga in 1972, and her first short story collection, The Youngest Doll, was published in 1976. She served as a faculty member at the University of Puerto Rico, Rutgers University, and Johns Hopkins University. In 1992, Ferré was awarded the Liberatur Prix award at the Frankfurt Book Fair for the German translation of her novel Sweet Diamond Dust. She was a finalist for the National Book Award for her novel The House on the Lagoon in 1995. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from Brown University and received a Guggenheim Fellowship in creative arts. She was also the recipient of the prestigious Medal for Literature of the Institute of Puerto Rican Culture in 2009.