This story follows four characters who are joining together for a symposium on Mary Swann, a would be poet who was brutally murdered by her husband. Her life comes to an end on the very day she takes her poems to a publisher. This was the only insight left into who Mary Swann was. Each character invents there own Mary Swann from the poems she has created. In reality no one was very close to her.

As the novel progresses a mystery cloaks the story as a thief is systematically stealing every copy of her book.

“This novel delightfully satirizes academia and the literary world, wryly exploring the notion of textual criticism.”

It was very interesting to see how each character had there own assupmtions as to who Mary Swann was based on just a few poems she had written. Carol Shields had an amazing gift. I would definitely read anything she has written.