Geese Are Never Swans

By: Jamie Steinberg

“Whether goose or swan, I have wings. And I’ll fly.” Gus Bennett is so assured that he is going to be a better swimmer than his brother Danny that he plans to put his memory to shame. That’s right. Danny has recently committed suicide and rather than mourn his passing, Gus is determined to become a more celebrated athlete. Geese Are Never Swans tells the story of a grieving young man who fuels his anger at life, his mother and his past into becoming the best swimmer – even at his own expense.

Gus Bennett is an angry teenager. Scratch that. He’s more than angry. He’s pissed off. He’s father passed away when he was being born and his mother held it against Gus for most of his life and doted on his older brother, Danny – who ended up becoming a star swimmer. His sister Darien was an addict and has left her infant daughter Winter in the care of their mother. So, life isn’t going so well for Gus.

Gus and his lack of filter find their way to Danny’s former mentor, Coach Marks. Gus’ plan is that if he can convince Coach Marks to train him then he feels he is guaranteed to make it to the Olympic Trials. Coach Marks submits and the training begins. Not one for making friends seems to somehow work in Gus’ favor because while his teammates aren’t his pals, his blunt responses and determination do earn their respect. Plus, Gus is not half bad in the pool afterall.

Unfortunately, Gus’ home life remains in turmoil as the Bennett family’s loss has divided them even further than they had been. It isn’t until Coach Marks reaches out to Gus’ mom that he starts getting a bit of true motherly attention. In fact, Gus only seems invested in his family when it comes to niece Winter…but only to a point. He also has been in group therapy to work through the loss of his brother, but isn’t at all interested in bonding with his fellow teenagers united by grief. He really only seems to want to connect in his brother’s former girlfriend Lainey, as she took time to talk to get to know him when she dated Danny.

However, things come crashing down for Gus when he makes his way to a party where he does some drinking…and driving. His mother is seriously sick with the flu and tasks him with getting her flu medicine, but upon seeing Lainey at the drug store he ends up following her to the gathering. Upon drinking plenty of “truth serum,” he spills out his real feelings of guilt over being the cause for his father’s death and how his mother really only ever loved his older brother. Gus ends up at Coach Marks’ home where he is confronted by his mentor. It isn’t until Gus makes it home though that his world really completely crumbles.

I won’t give away the remaining plot, but mental health plays a major role in this book. It shines a light on the pressures that athletes in the limelight face and that grief can take many forms. Geese Are Never Swans is written by author Eva Clark, who is actually a psychologist whose work focuses mainly on mental health, social justice and sports. Therefore, she is quite qualified and gives a truthful insight into Gus’ pain. The book itself was created by basketball legend Kobe Bryant, one of the brightest sports stars there ever was. So, we surely see where the inspiration for Gus’ determination to succeed came from as well.

Geese Are Never Swans is a deep read that reminds its audience that no man is an island – we all need someone to lean on. Mental health is no longer a topic with a stigma, so this book does an excellent job of not just encouraging readers to seek assistance but also provides contact information for two leading mental health organizations within the athletic community – The Hidden Opponent and The Michael Phelps Foundation. And while geese may never be swans, perhaps the mantra from the titular character from Finding Dory of “just keep swimming” might have given this book a better metaphor.