The Dancer and the Swan
James L. Peters
Independently Published (2025)
ISBN: 979-8998588402
Reviewed by Stephanie Elizabeth Long for Reader Views (07/26)
When Pauline Swanson becomes a hospice volunteer, she quickly becomes enraptured with seventy-six-year-old Deborah Deneaux. Despite being terminally ill, DeeDee has a contagious effervescence, and her intriguing past is full of joy, heartbreak, and adventure. Struggling as a Black woman in the 1960s and her little community being destroyed, she heads to San Francisco with her brother Alfred, who gets involved with the Black Panthers, in search of greener pastures.
Pauline is determined to uncover all her secrets before DeeDee’s body succumbs to her disease, and delving into DeeDee’s checkered past forces Pauline to face the demons that have held her back for much of her life.
The Dancer and the Swan is an absorbing novel that weaves in and out of the present, following Pauline and interspersed with flashbacks of DeeDee’s exciting albeit tumultuous life. Both women must come to terms with parts of their lives that they’ve avoided for years. Peters explores themes of family, trauma, and resilience while providing readers with a character-focused and emotionally driven story.
Peters deftly explores how trauma can bleed into all aspects of one’s life. Particularly in Pauline’s case, she was accustomed to dulling her feelings through addiction. Coming to terms with her past meant drudging up feelings of guilt, shame, and grief, and the author did an excellent job illustrating her resistance and ultimately her breakdown. I loved how her relationship with DeeDee acted as sort of a catalyst for Pauline’s burgeoning strength. Despite the differences in timeline and the subject matter, the women shared similarities in their stories, such as dealing with men who always seemed to want something from them.
Beyond the depth in characters, Peters has transported readers back to the late 1960s and 70s, exploring the palpable tension in New Orleans. You could sense the collective exhaustion and despair as Black communities were taken over. But the prospect of change was on the horizon as the Civil Rights movement and desegregation were about to shake things up.
For readers who enjoy novels led by strong females, The Dancer and the Swan will scratch that itch. Deborah (DeeDee) Deneaux’s life was fascinating, brimming with grit and bravery, and Pauline Swanson, while a victim of abuse, did not let it define her. While the weighty topics were difficult to endure, the overarching message was one of healing and redemption, and readers will finish the novel feeling inspired.
At a Glance
Historical literary fiction set between the present and New Orleans and San Francisco of the 1960s and 70s. A hospice volunteer bonds with a terminally ill woman whose past holds secrets that force both to confront what they buried. Themes of addiction, abuse, and racial violence appear throughout.
Best for Readers Who Enjoy
Dual-timeline historical fiction, literary fiction, Civil Rights era stories, character-driven drama, trauma and recovery narratives, female friendship, New Orleans settings, redemption arcs