Much has been written about the rich history of the Sacramento Valley - the Gold Rush of 1849, Sutter's Fort, the Donner Party and the Pony Express. "The Swan" brings you tales inspired by the people who live in the valley today: their dreams, their hopes and loves, their weaknesses and their personal tragedies. Beginning with two children who meet in a field under the stars to face life and death together, author Andy O'Hara explores how ordinary people face extraordinary challenges with quiet determination and unseen heroism. For some, the line between courage and cowardice is a thin one, the choices difficult, and the paths they follow full of surprises. It is no coincidence that, in one, a police officer is overwhelmed by his job and fights thoughts of suicide.This book is not without controversy. It's not a collection of warm and fuzzy "feelgood" endings--only life at its enigmatic, often confusing but truthful best. There are parts you will love, even hate, but they will force you to think (or retreat into whatever safe corner is yours). A thread of ancient legend and mystery binds the people of these dramatic tales together in a web that will endear you, forever, to the charm and beauty of the Sacramento Valley.
THE SWAN: Tales of the Sacramento Valley
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Andrew O'Hara is a retired California Highway Patrolman who spent much of his boyhood and career in the Sacramento Valley. He lives in Sacramento with his wife, Lisa.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best of Show Second Time Around...,
By
This review is from: The Swan: Tales of the Sacramento Valley (Hardcover)
This is the new Swan, the 2007 Edition with feathers all bright white, fluffed and ready to lull and captivate you at the same time. Andy O'Hara has improved on the un-improvable this time around. The weave is tight, but so smoothly done the stories blend into each other, carrying two common themes to fruition by the turn of the last page. The fun is how Andy has taken the reader on a swing through his beloved Sacramento Valley. He describes obscure towns giving us a mental picture along with the smell of the dust, the fields, the eucalyptus groves and more. The stories, Andy claims, are fiction, but I would bet most have been drawn from his own experiences. A great read and a great buy, one I will enjoy over and over again...J.B. Bergstad
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Reading,
By "dcurtin777" (Sacramento) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Swan: Tales of the Sacramento Valley (Hardcover)
I began this book with the expectation of the usual "local color" stories about an area. A nice surprise to find myself immersed in something new and original from a writer. This hooked me from the beginning. Each chapter took me to a new town in the Sacramento Valley and kept me engrossed. With the trivia being produced today, it's nice to read something that is thoughtful and leaves you with something. This was great.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A vivid look at the Sacramento Valley,
This review is from: THE SWAN: Tales of the Sacramento Valley (Paperback)
Andy O' Hara's tales in "The Swan" offer a historically charged and compelling look at the people and events that shaped the Sacramento Valley. Poets, soldiers, lost souls, and dreamers come to life in an informed, often earthy account steeped in the lore of humanity. While each story can be enjoyed on its own, a complete tale in and of itself, together they present an evocative, and at times heartrending, portrait of a place that is clearly close to the author's heart. Silvery like the river that crosses its vale, polished with the hues of humidity and oak, "The Swan" is storytelling at its powerful best. Put this one on the shelf next to "To A God Unknown" by Steinbeck and Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "Love and Demons."
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Inside This Book
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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jazz jubilee Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
River Bend, Irene Manning, Chief Jenkins, Harlan Jenkins, The Bad Voice, Hans Cobham, Sacramento Valley, Alice Boatright, Milky Way, Hallelujah John Brown, Sacramento River, San Francisco, Memorial Day, Red Bluff, The Maidu, Sally Goodin, Neue Messingspieler, Old Sacramento, Viet Nam, Citrus Heights, American River, O'Hara There, The Stroll, Florin Road, North Carolina Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
jazz jubilee Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
River Bend, Irene Manning, Chief Jenkins, Harlan Jenkins, The Bad Voice, Hans Cobham, Sacramento Valley, Alice Boatright, Milky Way, Hallelujah John Brown, Sacramento River, San Francisco, Memorial Day, Red Bluff, The Maidu, Sally Goodin, Neue Messingspieler, Old Sacramento, Viet Nam, Citrus Heights, American River, O'Hara There, The Stroll, Florin Road, North Carolina Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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