Author. Writer. Lover of stories.
SWALLOWS IN THE WIND
Book
In the depths of Africa, a beautifully vibrant land filled with natural curiosities, fantasy and adventure, lives a small community. As a little girl full of imagination and adventure, Bradley learns the lessons of life brutally in the summer if 2008 during the cusp of maturity. When wishes come at a cost, and reality floods youth away.
Teetering on the edge of the Zambezi River and surrounded by miles of sugar cane, the small secluded expat farming community of MSE blossoms friendships and adventures to last a lifetime. Bradley and her friends experience the bonds of friendship, of growing up wild in a place where freedom is substantial, and experience first loves, first times and first losses as they learn to navigate the world as young adults on the cusp of adulthood.
Swallows in the Wind is a poignant story about coming of age, untameable nature, irresistible adventure, hard truths and a portrait of a rare and unique town.
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The story follows Bradley from a young age, when imagination is abundant, and through the integral years of growing up, when relationships that will impact the rest of your life are formed, and experiences that mould you as a person are faced. The bonds of friendship play an important part of the story, where Bradley, Kaylee and McKenzie share a connection that runs deep.
When one day, the unthinkable happens, and suddenly the characters are forced to grow up, and childhood and imagination are ripped away.
As much as Swallows In The Wind is about love, coming of age and family, it also looks at loss, and how that affects mental health.
THE ZAMBEZI
"'This is Africa' cheers ring across the water as they smack their cups together, the sun small as it sits low on the horizon. Sparse streaks of white clouds crisscross over the pinking sky, which sets the skyline alight with vivid shades of a campfire. Cool blue hues of the day retreat as nightfall approaches, the world around them darkening. Brown river water is replaced with reflected molten gold of the horizon, so it’s as if they float on a river of lava. Lapping at the side of the boat, gentle waves bob softly, guiding them downstream. Small, dark specs of sparrow silhouettes litter the sky, flying in flocks that act as one organism, moving together, dashing this way and that, catching the bugs that begin to emerge. It is quiet, except for crickets singing on the banks, water licking at the boat, and the rustle of bulrushes." - Swallows In The Wind extract
 The Zambezi River |  No Mans Land - The Zambezi River |  The Zambezi River |
|---|---|---|
 The Zambezi River |  The Zambezi River |  The Zambezi River |
THE SHUMBA
"The building is large and open with no walls, green railing running its perimeter, and big metal pillars extending to the tall roof. It sits majestically at the edge of the bank." - Swallows In The Wind extract
 The Shumba |  The Shumba |  The Shumba |
|---|
MVUU SUGAR ESTATE (MSE)
"In the air, it circles over the great Zambezi River, mouth of the delta in the distance, snaking towards the open ocean. Waterways zig-zag through grass and blue and green rooftops wink in the sun before they are lost to the vast cane fields. Crop circles pattern the ground, a plume of dust floating behind a tiny tractor on the road. Finally, they're high enough that all the characteristics of the landscape are lost, and it turns to infinite patching greens and browns. A single dirt road running east, away from the small town that is MSE, that disappears quickly, blending in as if it was never there. " - Swallows In The Wind extract
 MSE |  MSE |  MSE |
|---|---|---|
 MSE |  MSE |  MSE |
 MSE |
CHARACTER BOARDS
 Kaylee Riley |  Bradley Harper |  McKenzie Blake |
|---|---|---|
 Brooke Harper |  Jessica Riley |  Noah |
 Mikala Harper |  Tristan Hayes |  Rhys Morgan |