Flight of the Swan

A renowned Russian ballerina is stranded in Puerto Rico as a revolution tears her homeland apart—and she finds herself in the middle of another uprising

In a truly multicultural story and a daring example of global fiction, Rosario Ferré uses her prodigious talents to deliver an unforgettable tale of love, politics, and the power of female expression. Based loosely on a real episode in the life of famous prima ballerina Anna Pavlova,  Flight of the Swan follows Niura Federovsky as she flees Russia when revolution breaks out in 1917.

Adrift in San Juan, Niura falls in love with a much younger man. Her passion for revolutionary Diamantino Márquez mirrors the turmoil of the strife-torn island, and her dance troupe soon becomes caught up in Puerto Rico’s struggle for independence. Niura’s maid and confidant, Masha, the heart and soul of the novel, is devastated by Madame’s apparent abandonment of her art. Masha tries to save her mistress from heartbreak—only to lose her own heart to a most unexpected arrival.