Ten Swamps

A January 2026 Reading Is a Lifestyle Subscription Book Pick

A poignant coming-of-age tale that follows a resilient young girl wading through the emotional mire of feuding divorced parents and the haunting mystery of a vanished brother, uncovering hard truths and hidden strength in the murky depths of family.

In the town once known as Ten Swamps, twelve-year-old Ellie walks a precarious line between her warring parents, each armed with their own version of the truth. Her father’s house is a minefield, with each step potentially dangerous. Her mother’s home stands empty of the brother who vanished without explanation. And the ancient woods that surround them all hold mysteries that have been lurking beneath the surface for generations. When Ellie forms an unexpected friendship with Larry, a peculiar classmate who seems to understand her in ways no one else can, they create a sanctuary in the threatened woods behind her house. But as strange signals call from the trees and unexplained red dots flicker across her television screen, Ellie begins to wonder if the forest is trying to tell her something—something about the town’s forgotten history, or perhaps about Edward, the brother who either escaped or was taken.

Nancy Doyne’s Ten Swamps masterfully captures the raw confusion of adolescence, the ache of fractured families, and the magic of discovering a friend who sees the world the way you do. With unforgettable characters and a setting rich in atmosphere, this novel is a poignant exploration of memory, myth, and the choices that define us.