Swan Season

Elegy on the Lake

In Swan Season, Caroline Fabre invites readers to the mist-shrouded shores of Loch Ardlin in the Scottish Highlands, where the arrival of majestic swans each spring heralds both beauty and hidden sorrow. Young wildlife photographer Fiona Sinclair journeys north to capture the elegance of these regal birds, seeking refuge from a painful breakup and the relentless pace of London life. As dawn’s pale light glimmers across the water, Fiona’s camera lens frames more than feathers—it reflects her own longing for renewal. Yet beneath the tranquil surface, ripples of ancient legend swirl: locals whisper that the swan’s return signals a chance to mend broken hearts…if one dares to listen.

Wings of Longing

Drawn by the loch’s haunting call, Fiona befriends Callum MacLeod, the solitary keeper of the old boathouse whose rugged kindness conceals a tormented past. By day they track graceful cygnets through cattail marshes; by night they share stories beneath the half-lit rafters, their voices blending with the cry of curlews. As Fiona unearths Callum’s childhood trauma—an accident that claimed both sibling and sanctuary—she finds her own wounds mirrored in his silence. Fabre’s lyrical prose captures every mist-laden dawn and the weight of love held back by fear, weaving a tapestry where human and animal lives entwine in a fragile dance of trust.

Seasons of the Heart

When a sudden storm threatens the swans’ nesting grounds, Fiona and Callum must race against rising tides and their own hesitations to guide the flock to safety—and protect each other from the storms within. In a stirring climax set beneath the swirling gray skies, they confront the choice between retreating to familiar pain or embracing the uncertain promise of spring. Swan Season is a poignant reminder that, like the loch’s swans, our hearts can find grace in even the coldest waters—if only we dare to spread our wings.

. Caroline Fabre is a bestselling British novelist celebrated for her evocive depictions of nature, richly drawn characters, and stories that illuminate the resilient power of love and renewal.