The Summer of the Swans

As the result of consecutive illnesses at the age of three, 10-year-old Charlie Godfrey lives with an intellectual disability. He has strong attachments to Aunt Willie and sisters Sara and Wanda, and spends most of his time with Sara, attending the same school and socializing together at home. Though he attends school and can read and write, Charlie is nonverbal, his cognitive abilities unaligned with those of his age. He instead communicates with his family via facial expressions, gestures, and the occasional shout when under stress.

Charlie enjoys keeping to routine and becomes overwhelmed when forced to adjust to new or unexpected variables. He tends to retreat into himself or seek privacy when too many people or stimuli disrupt his environment. Apart from his tendency to wander (which directly leads to his disappearance), Charlie is depicted as being easy to care for.

Personality-wise, Charlie struggles with patience and can be very stubborn. He experiences periods of memory loss but is well aware of these lapses. He also fixates on matters such as his missing button, or his watch not working, and often acts rashly in order to rectify said situations. Like Sara, Charlie feels a certain detachment from others. The boy knows when he’s not being included, and can tell when Sara is talking to herself rather than him. As complicated as their bond is, Charlie getting lost proves a harrowing experience, and he’s overjoyed when reunited with her.

Early in the novel, Sara frames Aunt Willie as “too old” to ride on a motor scooter. Aunt Willie objects that she’s barely 40, but aspects of her behavior and habits do align with those of an older woman. She’s described as having a physical limitation wherein her legs prevent her from walking steadily. She’s frequently disgruntled and scolds Wanda and Sara for speaking to each other after dark, accusing them of arguing when they were simply chatting. She’s also a bit theatrical and prone to overreaction. As the novel progresses, it becomes apparent that both loss and responsibility took a toll on her. Aunt Willie’s uncle and brother were killed in a tragic mine accident; her husband passed away after an illness; and her sister-in-law, the children’s mother, also passed away at a young age. Aunt Willie promised to care for the children on their mother’s behalf, recognizing that Charlie needs care and supervision for the rest of his life. Though Aunt Willie relies on Sara to watch Charlie and tend to his needs, she bears ultimate responsibility—describing the boy’s disappearance as her “blackest day.” She’s grateful toward her brother, the children’s father, and speaks warmly about those close to her heart. Whether it be rooted in physical limitation—or expectations of women in rural West Virginia—Aunt Willie’s lack of work is unclear. The woman does what she can with her brother’s financial support and takes her role as caregiver very seriously.