"SWAN" by Sidura Ludwig is a moving, heartfelt, and beautifully crafted novel that left a lasting impression on me. The story of Anna, a girl growing up with extraordinary height, is told with such honesty and sensitivity that I found her incredibly easy to relate to. Her emotional journey made me feel seen and understood, allowing me to connect deeply with the story and reflect on my own experiences of feeling different.

The novel follows twelve-year-old Anna Swan as she grapples with the challenges brought on by her unusual height. After moving with her family to her grandmother’s farm, she faces the difficulties of starting at a new school, fitting into desks not built for her frame, and enduring the cruel taunts of classmates who label her the “Giant Girl.” Despite her size, Anna longs to blend in, craving small comforts like shoes that fit and pews that don’t groan beneath her weight. When the idea of exhibiting herself in Halifax arises as a means of helping her family, Anna is forced to question her worth and confront the fine line between empowerment and exploitation.

Told in lyrical verse, Ludwig’s storytelling captures the emotional nuances of Anna’s journey with elegance and clarity. The book explores powerful themes of identity, self-acceptance, and the pain of being different in a world that demands conformity.

What I appreciated most was Anna’s growth. Not physically her height’s growth, but her character development. At first, she sees her height as a curse—proof, perhaps, of a divine mistake. But as she grows, Anna begins to understand that being extraordinary is not something to hide, but something to embrace. This novel beautifully affirms that our differences, though difficult, can become our greatest strength.

I highly recommend "SWAN" to anyone learning to accept and celebrate who they are.

Authored by Sidura Ludwig and published by Nimbus Publishing in 2024, Anna Swan explores the story of Nova Scotia giantess Anna Swan by reimagining her childhood. With a brief biography of Anna Swan accompanying the actual story, Ludwig serves up a story written in verses through the lines of faith, family, and self-love. “A story as big and beautiful as Anna Swan’s own heart”—Kekla Magoon.

Twelve-year-old and seven-foot-tall Anna Swan, a young girl in the new city of New Annan facing bullies and snide remarks about her body, wonders when she will ever stop growing, most importantly when she will be in a world where she feels small. A new rip every day in the seams of her clothes or her father’s old boots, a customized desk at school, a family in debt, and a girl whose heart is filled with immense kindness. As the answer to her and her family’s problems, Anna decides to exhibit herself in the grand city of Halifax, hoping that her body size can be financial relief as well as support her plans to buy a medicine that will help stop her growing and perhaps self-acceptance in a world that sees her as anything but ordinary.

In a world where social media sets unbelievable beauty and body standards and creates a negative environment for some girls, this delightful book gives readers a heartfelt narrative on self-discovery and feeling comfortable in their bodies. I loved the way Ludwig was able to portray loving your body, self-care, and self-love through a reimagination of Anna Swan. The balance between Anna’s journey of self-discovery and the overall weight of being different was perfect. To have created an environment with such realism shows how much hard work and research must have gone into the creation of this narrative. I loved how the book wasn’t just about the “cover” of Anna Swan; rather, you got to truly experience the thoughts of a young girl, her devotion to her family, the external struggle of money, as well as dreams so bright they could light the whole world. To have written this novel through poetry is such a unique concept that introduces a new sort of literature—one that I am very intrigued by. The poems by themselves were beautiful and genuinely gripped my heart in a raw emotional way; however, once put together, it always felt like there was a disconnect in the story. Disclaimer: I am a very detail-oriented person, which is why I felt the disconnect; however, I felt it needed something to tie the book together. One of the aspects that was well crafted in the book were the characters themselves and their journeys. From Anna Swan’s chaotic siblings to her wicked grandmother, their dynamics made the whole novel come alive. Ludwig didn’t just make a book; no, she took a powerful story and curated it into a masterpiece as it breathes the life of Anna Swan’s childhood.

Overall, I give this book 4/5 for its profound storytelling, unique poetic format, and evocative characters, making it a four-star read. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a unique poetic read that explores self-discovery and resilience.