When a swan lands in the yard of Rosaleen McAvady's home on Lough Swilly, it is trapped by its narrow confines and cannot escape. She asks her elderly neighbour, Tom Mundy, for help, and unwittingly sets off a chain of events that will have far-reaching repercussions. After a brief career as an architect, Rosaleen has settled for marriage and children. Life is secure and predictable, but she now finds herself longing to stretch her wings. Dramatic political upheaval in Northern Ireland soon casts its shadow and, though such events seem to have no relevance to her life, Rosaleen realizes that, beneath the placid surface of her world, violence and betrayal threaten all she holds dear. Like the swan in the yard, can she hope for escape or must she be trapped forever? 'This is a book to be read with care as well as pleasure. She has packed so many of our 20th century Irish problems into it that at moments you become breathless with anxiety. However, she has an optimism in her writing that is infectious and makes you turn the pages with pleasure.' Jennifer Johnston