Mute Swans is a character-driven novel exploring family relationships and the long-term impact of secrets across generations.

At the heart of the story is Miriam, a woman whose life has been shaped by complicated relationships and the difficult choices she has made.

As the narrative moves between past and present, the history behind the family she has built gradually comes into view, revealing the misunderstandings and hidden tensions that continue to influence the lives of those closest to her.

Miriam's daughters, Rachel and Becky, have grown up with different interpretations of the past and different expectations for their own lives. As they navigate adulthood, unresolved family tensions begin to surface. Events that once seemed settled are reconsidered, and long-held assumptions about loyalty, responsibility and love are quietly challenged.

Through shifting perspectives and reflections on earlier moments in the family's story, the novel shows how the past continues to influence the present. Relationships between parents, siblings and partners evolve as the characters begin to understand one another more clearly. Small acts of honesty and kindness gradually open the possibility of reconciliation.

The novel explores the emotional consequences of choices made in moments of vulnerability and how people later attempt to rebuild their lives. Rather than dramatic confrontation, the story focuses on the quieter processes through which understanding develops over time.

As connections are revisited and truths are brought to light, Miriam and her family begin to see their shared past more clearly. While not everything can be undone, the novel ultimately suggests that understanding can lead to change, and that even after years of distance, relationships can be realigned and new connections formed.

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