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Sebastian Ritscher
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THE SWAN GONDOLA

Timothy Schaffert

A lush and thrilling romantic fable about two lovers set against the scandalous burlesques, midnight séances, and aerial ballets of the 1898 Omaha World’s Fair.
Ferret Skerritt, ventriloquist by trade and con man by birth, isn’t sure quite what the fair will bring. Certainly, there will be work for him amidst the cheap magic tricks, carnival rides, hucksters, pickpockets, and exotic dancers on the Midway, but it’s hard to believe anything truly majestic could happen in Omaha—until he crosses paths with the beautiful and enigmatic Cecily.

Part of a traveling troupe of actors, Cecily works in the Midway’s Chamber of Horrors where she loses her head hourly on a guillotine playing Marie Antoinette, never giving Ferret a second glance. When he finally convinces her to take a moonlit ride on the swan gondola, the Fair’s magic begins to take effect.

Reminiscent of "Water for Elephants" and "The Night Circus" (with a dash of Oz), THE SWAN GONDOLA is poised to be Schaffert’s breakout book.

Timothy Schaffert is the author of four novels. He has won the Henfield Award and the Mary Roberts Rinehart Award, and has been short-listed for the O.Henry Prize. He is a contributing editor for Fairy Tale Review, and the web editor of Prairie Schooner. He teaches in the English Department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Available products
Book

Published 2014-02-01 by Riverhead

Book

Published 2014-02-01 by Riverhead

Comments

Enchanting… many romantic and historical delights. . . It’s easy to imagine this charming novel attaining Water for Elephants–like popularity with readers.

Offering an expertly conjured atmosphere complete with soothsayers, cure-all tonics, technological gadgetry, and daring high-wire acts, Schaffert's whimsical epic of illusion and reality at the 1898 Omaha World's Fair promises and delivers grand entertainment... With so many wondrous attractions, this finely spun world feels almost dreamlike, yet Schaffert also takes a sharp look at what's most important in life. A distinctive choice for literary- and historical-fiction readers, as well as steampunk fans wanting to cast their minds back to that genre's origins.

A fresh, gorgeous, witty page-turner full of twists and surprises and all the romance in the world. I couldn't put it down.

Every page of The Swan Gondola shimmers with exquisite detail. Timothy Schaffert has brought a whole universe to life. Reading it, the magic of the day comes alive, complete with seers and balloons, with corsets and lipstick, love letters and the ventriloquism of romance.

The Omaha World’s Fair of 1898 comes to gritty, yet magical life in this enchanting new novel, a mystical tale of love, loss and spiritual reincarnation.

It’s time for him to become a household name…With allusions to the Emerald City in The Wizard of Oz, Schaffert has magically transformed a stretch of field near Omaha into a white, shimmering vision… fans of historical fiction will not be disappointed.