Douro Editions "Through reading, we become absent from ourselves and our own lives." Alphonse Karr
Sandra SWANTSON

A book written by several hands, what a strange idea? Two, three? Not even! Five to be exact. Five women decided to pool their writing talent and, more importantly, their life experience to produce a crazy manuscript, written by several hands, which tells the story of a family and, beyond that, the encounter of a young woman of her time with the love that might be the love of a lifetime. They decided to call themselves Sandra Swantson and to have this single common stage name. All equal before their jointly produced work. Their own story, completely invented, but also sometimes so true, is meant to be funny, sprinkled with intrigue, witticisms, and great feelings.

It could have been a banal love story, told as a family at the end of a meal on a Sunday afternoon. But when it calls into question the balance of an entire family, the priority of the relationships between a mother, her daughter, and her own mother, things risk going off the rails. At twenty, Valentine is a future star show jumper on her mare Love-Song, competing in one equestrian competition after another. Her mother is a high school English teacher, and Mounie, her retired grandmother, is the third person in this infernal trio. These three women, with strong personalities, will shake up all the established codes, all the stifling family secrets, because the only thing that matters to them is the respect and love they have for each other. This book is the recognition of a new form of freedom, claimed by three liberated women who speak to those who would not dare, to those who have been silent for so many years. It is also places, in the four corners of the world, that we discover, Singapore, Dubai, the Sultanate of Oman. Finally, this story is intended for all those who love to travel. It describes strong feelings between its characters and thus fits into the genre of contemporary novel exploring personal dilemmas, intergenerational dynamics as well as family conflicts that are resolved in the kitchen without the men of the house having access to it. Publication: July 1, 2025 Order Press release