The Singing of Swans

In this work of visionary fiction by Mary Saracino, Madalene Ross is a a thirty-year-old American who "lives in her head," cut off from her body, her heart, and her sense of purpose in the world. En route to and from her job as a computer programmer in Minneapolis, Madalene is hounded on the downtown streets by a homeless woman who asks "Got a match?" At night bizarre dreams haunt her sleep. Women fly through rooftops, chant in ancient temples, paint tongues of fire on vivid white canvases.Madalene's story is interwoven with the lives of three women: Rosalina, a priestess of Persephone in 70 B.C.E. Sicily; Ziza, a strega (Italian witch) in 16th century northeastern Italy, and Ibla, an herbalist and painter in 18th century southern Italy. An environmentally compromised lake in Sicily also acts as a portal to the rich tradition of pre-Christian spirituality that lies beneath Church dogma.The Singing of Swans takes readers on a multi-century journey to uncover long-silenced traditions, crack Madalene's spiritual code and reclaim her soul. Elements of magical realism dovetail with historical storytelling as this compelling tale of redemption unfolds.The Singing of Swans was a finalist in the spirituality category for the 2007 Lambda Literary Awards.

From the Publisher

The newest novel by Mary Saracino tells the story of Madalene Ross, a 30-year-old American who "lives in her head," cut off from her body, her heart, and her sense of purpose in the world. Madalene's story is interwoven with the lives of three women: Rosalina, a priestess of Persephone in 70 BCE Sicily; Ziza, a strega (Italian witch) in 16th century northeastern Italy, and Ibla, an herbalist and painter in 18th century southern Italy. An environmentally compromised lake in Sicily also acts as a portal to the rich tradition of pre-Christian spirituality that lies beneath Church dogma. Margaret Starbird, author of The Woman with the Alabaster Jar & Mary Magdalene: Bride in Exile, calls it "a remarkable narrative calling--even compelling--us to connect with our own ancestral roots, to seek our own inner wisdom, and to reclaim our own inner voices."

From the Inside Flap

"The Roman poet Ovid sang of the beautiful Sicilian lake where Persephone descended to the otherworld--a lake now dying from overdevelopment. No siren's song could be more commanding than this novel centered on that magical lake. Generations of women of the streghe tradition--call them pagans, call them witches--join their voices in this tightly wrought magical chorus." Patricia Monaghan, author of The Goddess Path & The Red-Haired Girl from the Bog

From the Back Cover

"Women who fly through the night skies, priestesses who receive initiations, and girls who do vision quests in ancient sacred caves--all this wonderful pagan lore Mary Saracino juxtaposes against an all-too-modern heroine's chaotic awakening to the deeper purpose of her life. This well-researched page-turner is packed with herbal knowledge, her-story lessons, and a genuine understanding of ancient and contemporary women's spirituality. Rich and powerful--I hope it will become a movie!" Vicki Noble, author of Shakti Woman: Feeling Our Fire, Healing Our World & The Double Goddess: Women Sharing Power; co-creator of Motherpeace

About the Author

Mary Saracino is a novelist and an independent scholar of the Sacred Feminine. She currently lives in the Denver metro area (after residing in Minnesota for many years) and teaches creative writing and Divine Feminine workshops. Her first novel, No Matter What, was a 1994 finalist in the fiction category of the Minnesota Book Awards. Her second novel, Finding Grace, was a 1999 ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year finalist in the children/young adult category & won the 1999 Colorado Authors' League award for adult fiction.

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