Anna and the Swallow Man
AuthorGavriel Savit
LanguageEnglish
SubjectWorld War II
GenreHistorical fiction, Young adult fiction
PublisherKnopf Books for Young Readers
Published in English
January 26, 2016
AwardsSydney Taylor Book Award, Odyssey Award

Anna and the Swallow Man is a young adult historical fiction novel by Gavriel Savit, published January 26, 2016 by Knopf. The book is a New York Times best seller and received the Sydney Taylor Book Award for Teen Readers[1] and the Odyssey Award.

Reception

Anna and the Swallow Man is a New York Times best selling book.[1] It was generally well-received by critics, including a starred review from Publishers Weekly, who noted, "Savit’s economical prose beautifully captures a child’s loss of innocence and the spiritual challenges that emerge when a safe world suddenly becomes threatening."[2]

Also commenting on Savit's writing style, Booklist wrote, "Full of sophisticated questions and advanced vocabulary, Savit’s debut occasionally feels like an adult novel, but young readers with the patience for his gauzy pacing and oblique plot turns will be rewarded by a moving, thought-provoking story about coming-of-age in the midst of trauma."[3] Shelf Awareness added that the novel "has the classic feel and elegant, precise language of a book that's been around forever."[4]The School Librarian also highlighted Savit's writing, noting, "Savit's writing is lyrical, with a haunting simplicity that renders this odyssey utterly compelling."[5] The Guardian wrote, "Savit aims for a fable-like narrative with an omniscient narrator, but the style, alas, can be dry."[6] They further added, "There is something contrived about the diction, as if he is striving for fine writing."[6] However, they noted, "The novel has many coldly beautiful images, and is fully aware of the starkness of life and the bestial nature of man," emphasized in the way the Swallow Man tells stories about the world: "the Nazis are Wolves; the Russians, Bears; he himself is on a mission to find a beautiful, rare bird, which both sides wish to claim and devour."[6]

Shelf Awareness also commented on the book's ability to co-mingle action and deep meditation: "Amidst a riveting survival story of brutal cold, hunger and chilling narrow escapes are musings on the power of words and the power of silence, the value of truth and the necessity of lies, the horrors of war, the resilience of people, love, death, the keen intuition of children, living with uncertainty."[4] Further, they noted, "Alongside the purposeful detachment that comes with the storyteller's voice, though, is real, edge-of-seat suspense and powerful emotion."[4]

The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books highlighted the book's central message: "love can endure, but it must transform after chaos has consumed it and spit it out."[7]

Kirkus Reviews called the book "[a]rtful, original, [and] insightful."[1]

The Guardian provided a mixed review, stating, "This is a bold first novel that promises more from the undoubtedly talented Savit. Though, structurally, it is beautifully and carefully wrought, it is like a glass case, airless. Thematically, it never reaches the ambitious targets it sets itself: the climax is rushed over, and we are left as bemused about her journey and the Swallow Man as we were at the start."[6]

The book also received reviews from The New York Times[8] and School Library Journal.[9]

The audiobook, narrated by Allan Corduner, received a starred review from Booklist, who wrote, "Corduner turns in a masterful performance of this debut novel about the effect of war on innocent bystanders."[10] Publishers Weekly highlighted how Corduner adds "the lightest of accents" to moments in the book when "Anna and the Swallow Man speak in Polish, German, Russian, Yiddish, and French," noting that the accents "[flavor] the story and never overwhelming the listener."[11] Further, "Corduner’s gentle tone of voice makes young Anna come alive without resorting to high-pitched breathiness. His Swallow Man is mysterious but also comforting, setting up great tension in the story."[11]

Accolades for Anna and the Swallow Man
Year Accolade Result Ref.
2016 Shelf Awareness Best Teen Books of the Year Selection [12]
Publishers Weekly Best Books of the Year Selection [13]
Indies Choice Young Adult Book of the Year Winner [14]
Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book Selection [15]
2017 Sydney Taylor Book Award for Teen Readers Winner [1][16]
Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production Winner [17][18]
YALSA's Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults Top Ten [19]
Notable Children's Recordings Selection [20]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Anna and the Swallow Man". Kirkus Reviews. November 3, 2015. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  2. ↑ "Children's Book Review: Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit. Knopf, $17.99 (240p) ISBN 978-0-553-51334-9". PublishersWeekly.com. 2015-11-02. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  3. ↑ Hunter, Sarah (December 15, 2015). Anna and the Swallow Man. Retrieved 2021-12-22 – via Booklist.
  4. 1 2 3 Snelson, Karin (2016-01-26). "Anna and the Swallow Man". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  5. ↑ Brumwell, Alison (Spring 2016). "Anna and the Swallow Man". The School Librarian. 64 (1): 59 – via ProQuest.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Womack, Philip (2016-01-09). "Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit review – a bold debut about wartime abandonment". the Guardian. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  7. ↑ Quealy-Gainer, Kate (2016). "Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. 69 (6): 291–292. doi:10.1353/bcc.2016.0107. ISSN 1558-6766. S2CID 201792398.
  8. ↑ Wein, Elizabeth (2016-03-11). "'Anna and the Swallow Man,' by Gavriel Savit". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  9. ↑ "Anna and the Swallow Man". School Library Journal. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  10. ↑ Rockman, Connie (April 15, 2016). Anna and the Swallow Man. Retrieved 2021-12-22 – via Booklist.
  11. 1 2 "Audio Book Review: Anna and the Swallow Man by Gavriel Savit, read by Allan Corduner. Listening Library, , unabridged, 5 CDs, 6.5 hrs., $40 ISBN 978-1-101-89181-0". PublishersWeekly.com. 2016-02-29. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  12. ↑ Robbins, Emily (December 13, 2016). "Our Best Children's & Teen Books of the Year". Shelf Awareness. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  13. ↑ "Best Books 2016 Publishers Weekly". PublishersWeekly.com. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  14. ↑ "2016 Indies Choice and E.B. White Read-Aloud Award Winners Announced". the American Booksellers Association. 2016-04-13. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  15. ↑ "2016 Blue Ribbons". Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  16. ↑ Gershowitz, Elissa. "2017 Sydney Taylor Book Awards announced". The Horn Book. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  17. ↑ Odyssey Award Winner: 2017. January 23, 2017. Retrieved 2021-12-22 – via Booklist.
  18. ↑ "Anna and the Swallow Man | Awards & Grants". American Library Association. January 24, 2017. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  19. ↑ "2017 Top Ten Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults". Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). 2017-01-25. Retrieved 2021-12-22.
  20. ↑ Notable Children's Recordings: 2017. March 2, 2017. Retrieved 2021-12-22 – via Booklist.
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