GUEST WRITER BRIAN DIXON RECOMMENDS THE SWIFTS: A DICTIONARY OF SCOUNDRELS BY BETH LINCOLN WITH ILLUSTRATIONS BY CLAIRE POWELL
“We are blessed. Normal people go their whole lives trying to find themselves. Once we are named, we know ourselves, our role, from birth to death. Good or bad, we just…are.”
The Swifts follows the misadventures of Shenanigan Swift, a young girl on a journey to discover whether or not she can overcome expectations and her presumed destiny. This book, while suitable for younger readers, contains plenty of murder and mayhem, as well as thought-provoking questions of identity.
I was excited to sit down with this recent book by Beth Lincoln. As her debut novel, I was curious if she would be able to capture the magic of other favorite middle level/YA authors like Michelle Lovric (The Undrowned Child) or V.E Schwab. As it had been a good while since my last middle level or YA book reading, I was also concerned that the story might be too simplistic and not hold my interest.
I’m happy to report that I had no cause for concern. The Swifts exemplified all that makes middle level literature so appealing. Fun, quirky characters, imaginative setting, and a romping story filled with twists. The story is, on its face, a murder mystery. Victims fall and a killer runs loose as our heroes search for clues and confront dangerous situations. The narrative is far from simple, however, as the characters take center stage in the storytelling. As the book’s subtitle alludes, the Swift family members are all named after a dictionary word, chosen at birth. Our main protagonist, Shenanigan, finds herself surrounded by family members of all stripes attending a reunion.
Uncle Maelstrom, Aunt Inheritance, Atrocious, Candour and Aunt Dither form part of the cast of characters, sporting their name’s characteristics. The book’s themes become apparent in this naming convention. Are we bound by our names, by our past? Are we destined to become what we came from? Shenanigan struggles with these questions. She is determined to see whether she can overcome her dictionary name, which presumes her to be a “walking disaster” who creates chaos wherever she goes.
The Swift family story serves as an allegory for a person’s quest for identity, regardless of age. Younger characters explore assumptions of who they are expected to be, while older characters confront the confines of their supposed destinies. I truly enjoy exploring and discovering with the Swifts and have no doubt that readers young and old will find plenty to enjoy.
Brian Dixon is a pre-service teacher in the Education program at UNB in Fredericton. He plans to teach social studies and English and can’t wait to meld the disciplines together where they belong!