By Iwan Ross
There are books you read, and then there are books you inhabit.
This Whiteness of Swans falls firmly into the second category.
From the very first page, G. Lawrence draws you into a world where myth and history tangle like ivy around stone — a world where swans glide through the mist and young Anna of Cleves grows up beneath the weight of expectation, duty, and looming danger. I stepped into Swan Castle and felt as though the walls breathed with me.
What struck me most was the quiet power of the storytelling.
This is not a tale of courtly spectacle or Tudor theatrics; it is a deeply intimate portrait of a young girl coming of age in a world shifting beneath her feet. Lawrence paints the Holy Roman Empire with such texture that I could almost smell the winter air of Cleves and hear the faint rustle of skirts as the women of the castle moved through their sheltered world.
And yet, Anna is never ignorant.
The brilliance of this book lies in how Lawrence allows her to observe — keenly, silently, thoughtfully — as political storms gather beyond her windows. When whispers of Henry VIII begin to drift across the borders, the dread is tangible. You feel what Anna feels: the sense that her life may soon be claimed by a king she has never met, simply because her birth and beauty made her useful.
What surprised and delighted me was how much I fell in love with Lady Mother — Anna’s mother, whose strength shines through every scene. She is gentle, steady, luminous. In many ways, she stole the book for me. Her presence is the emotional heartbeat of this story.
And the swans…
Oh, the swans.
Their imagery is woven through the narrative like a haunting refrain — symbols of purity, danger, myth, transformation. The Swan Lady, the folklore, the feathers glistening in the moonlight — all of it gives the story a dreamlike quality, as if the world of Cleves belongs half to history and half to a forest spirit’s tale. It’s rare to find a book so steeped in atmosphere that you feel the folklore brushing past your skin.
The cover promises something beautiful and ethereal — and the writing absolutely matches it.
This first installment focuses on Anna’s life before her marriage, and it feels very much like the laying of sacred ground.
A foundation.
A quiet breath before history sharpens its teeth.
It left me with the deep, satisfying ache of wanting more — which is why I’ve already plunged into Book Two.
If you love historical fiction rich in detail, myth, feminine strength, and emotional depth, This Whiteness of Swans will capture you completely. G. Lawrence’s writing is elegant, haunting, and enveloping.
A beautiful, evocative beginning to Anna of Cleves’ story.
Five stars, wholeheartedly.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Read my Goodreads review here.
