The Third Swimmer

by Rosalind Brackebury

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Pub Date Mar 07 2016 | Archive Date Nov 09 2018

Daniel & Daniel Publishers

Historical Fiction | Literary Fiction

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Description

This is the story of a marriage between two Britons, Olivia and Thomas. The first part of the novel takes place in London, on the brink of war, bracing for invasion. It ends with a bomb that would have killed Olivia, had Olivia not been spending the night with her married lover, Felix.

Part Two opens in 1952, after the war, but with the effects of the war still haunting the survivors as well as the landscape. Thomas and Olivia, now married with children, have traveled to the south coast of France, to have what might be their delayed honeymoon. But their marriage has cooled down almost to the point of dying out. The central event of the novel is an attempt by Thomas to rescue a stranger seen drowning out at sea.The couple’s future will depend on the outcome of this impetuous act of bravery.

This is the story of a marriage between two Britons, Olivia and Thomas. The first part of the novel takes place in London, on the brink of war, bracing for invasion. It ends with a bomb that would...

A Note From the Publisher

Poet and novelist Rosalind Brackenbury is the author of Paris Still Life and Becoming George Sand. A former writer in residence at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, she has also served as poet laureate of Key West, teaching poetry workshops. She has attended the yearly Key West Literary Seminar as both panelist and moderator. Born in London, Rosalind lived in Scotland and France before moving to the United States. She spends part of each year in Paris. Her hobbies include swimming, reading, walking, travel, the cinema, and talking with friends. For more on the author and her work, visit www.rosalindbrackenbury.com.

Poet and novelist Rosalind Brackenbury is the author of Paris Still Life and Becoming George Sand. A former writer in residence at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, she has...

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A Note From the Publisher

Poet and novelist Rosalind Brackenbury is the author of Paris Still Life and Becoming George Sand. A former writer in residence at the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia, she has also served as poet laureate of Key West, teaching poetry workshops. She has attended the yearly Key West Literary Seminar as both panelist and moderator. Born in London, Rosalind lived in Scotland and France before moving to the United States. She spends part of each year in Paris. Her hobbies include swimming, reading, walking, travel, the cinema, and talking with friends. For more on the author and her work, visit www.rosalindbrackenbury.com.

Advance Praise

"Brackenbury’s elegant prose and fractured narrative make this novel about impulsive choices that reverberate for a lifetime a stunning little feat of concise and compelling storytelling."—Michael Nelson

"A tremendous read, about love, loss, family history and how the unspoken costs of war cling to survivors and the landscapes they inhabit. This book's perspective on the impacts of World War II on individual lives is entirely fresh. Thomas and Olivia's story is embedded with bits of historical detail which, rather than distracting from the fictive motions of the plot, create a powerful resonance that invites the reader to wonder at how the characters' and our own lives are constantly touched by the past and the way we translate and are enfolded by its meanings. And rise from them to embrace the present moment more fully.

Brackenbury's fully realized and evocative narrative and lyrical language reflect her skill as both poet and novelist. This literary memoir deserves a wide public and academic readership. Bravo."—R. Orlandi