Camden, Maine. "Local author Rosemarie Nervelle, after a hiatus of several years, has narrated a stunning and disturbing true story based on her struggle for love and acceptance from her mother, Lizzie Cromwell, a mulatto servant girl. Ambitious, young, and attractive to her white, married, male employer, Lizzie’s ambitions were thwarted by the reputation of the businessman who would never acknowledge her or their child. Lizzie alone bore the brunt of small-town gossip and condemnation and her resentment, contempt and desire for revenge threaten to destroy her illegitimate child.
In Swamp Robin Nervelle looks back on her traumatic young life, reliving the few happy times and remembering her struggles through the bad. From Halifax to Harlem and places in between, Lizzie led her vulnerable daughter through a peripatetic almost-Dickensian existence for the better part of eighteen years. The destructive relationship between mother and daughter, the abuse Lizzie so cunningly devised to wreak the most physical and psychological damage, and the author’s determination to survive her mother’s abuse form the cornerstone of her story. In sharp contrast, Nervelle lovingly recounts times spent with her grandparents who desperately tried to protect her from their own daughter’s contemptible life.
Swamp Robin is a harrowing tale that makes, at times, for uncomfortable reading.
This is Nervelle’s second major work. She is the author of the young adult novel, The Witch of Beaver Creek Mine, a Newberry Award nominee, published by Down East Books in 2007, and several short stories published in six annual anthologies by Goose River Press. Swamp Robin, A Memoir has been nominated for the Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance Award in 2014."
–The Camden Herald
"Is there any evil worse than a miserable and abused childhood? Nervelle’s frank and honest writing allows the reader an insight into the most personal and private aspects of her early life. The author shows that the experience of hunger, neglect and cruelty doesn’t make you a better person; one chooses one’s way out of misfortune. Indeed, he/she chooses the better or worse of the evil. Here, the author chooses the path that shines as an example of good character. Possibly the most moving book I have ever read. The story stays with you long after you’ve read the last line."
–Mairead G., Glasgow
"Swamp Robin is an unusual and powerful story of the author’s determination to survive the life into which she was born. I was riveted from beginning to end, often with tears and then with smiles. It's the kind of story that makes those of us who were fortunate to have a happy childhood feel a great deal of respect for the accomplishments of the author.
–KTW, Pennsylvania
”I had to keep reminding myself that this wasn’t fiction but a true account of the author’s early life. Well written, with humor and surprisingly, no bitterness. The fact that she lived through it all and yet developed the talent to tell her story is, in itself, something of a miracle and a wonderful testimony to the human spirit. A must read for anyone who thinks their lot in life isn’t so good.”
–John F., London
"I finished reading Swamp Robin last night. I have never read a book so fast in my life. I couldn't put it down. The book was so emotional for me. Every page brought a flood of different feelings. As I write this I have a lump in my throat, and my heart aches. But I also have feelings of great joy and admiration.
So many times I wanted to be in the story to save the author or be her best friend. Throughout the book I gave thanks to her grandparents. Remarkable people. I am so sorry that she had to endure such abuse as a child and young adult. All of that was so difficult to read.
The bottom line is I loved it! The author is a strong, intelligent, remarkable woman. I thank her for writing Swamp Robin. It will always be one of my best-loved books."
–Peggy O., Chester, NS.
"Today’s perceived wisdom would be that a child who received the abuse, hate, and neglect that the author suffered would develop a sad, damaged, aggressive, reproachful, and repressed personality. The wonder is that the author has shown that the human spirit can rise above such suffering and become the wonderful, kind, and thoughtful individual that the author has become. Quite remarkable and an example to society. The press might do well to promote this real life story as it clearly can be reality."
– Jeffrey C., Toronto
