When I picked up Swamplandia! for the first time, I was confused. Depicted on the cover in cartoon-style artistry is a little girl, braids blowing in the breeze, sitting atop a man’s shoulders while both girl and man gaze into the open jaws of an alligator. From the looks of it, I had just picked up a 316 page children’s book. I was intrigued.
As I began reading, I found that the element of fantasy conveyed by the book jacket is initially the most prominent feature of author Karen Russell’s novel. Her protagonist, Ava Bigtree, and her family are every bit as whimsical as the book’s appearance, dwelling on an island off the coast of the continental United States and, as a family, running Swamplandia!, an alligator-themed amusement park that draws tourists from all around.
Told from the point of view of thirteen-year-old Ava, the reader is made to see the world that Russell creates as happily whimsical. Ava’s childhood is so deeply intertwined with her involvement in the success of Swamplandia! that the two are almost indistinguishable, giving her childhood a blissful appearance. This only makes the death of her mother and idol Hilola all the more tragic. The author creates a stark contrast between the fancifulness of Swamplandia! and the reality of her mother’s battle with cancer and the subsequent toll that her death takes on the Bigtree family.
I couldn’t help but see the similarities between Russell’s novel and the typical children’s book as I made my way through the novel. Like a children’s book, the story’s imaginative aspect immediately strikes the reader, reeling them in. Yet, as one continues, he or she will be surprised to find the tale’s deeper meaning, as portrayed through the struggles of the characters. Also, the innocence the thirteen-year-old narrator brings to the story only adds to Swamplandia!’s children’s book feel. That being said, Russell’s impressive ability to seamlessly combine fantasy with real issues makes this book expressive without being overly emotional.
