Chapter summaries Swan Song Elin Hilderbrand

Swan Song Chapter 36: Cruel Summer – Summary & Analysis

⚠️ Spoiler Notice

This summary and analysis contains details from Chapter 36 of Swan Song by Elin Hilderbrand. If you have not read the chapter, proceed with caution.

Summary

Coco returns to the Richardson house to find Leslee screaming and crying. The reason: the Richardsons have been denied membership at the Field and Oar Club. Leslee retreats to her bedroom for days, while Bull leaves for Indonesia because his plastics business faces a new ban on single-use plastics. Coco makes Leslee breakfast, drawing on a memory of Garth's kindness after Coco stole money from his diner. During the meal, Leslee confesses the family's perilous financial situation—the Indonesia ban threatens Bull's beverage company, the IRS is pursuing back taxes, and movie investments have all lost money. She jokes about killing Bull with cyanide-laced Viagra. Later, Leslee takes Coco to lunch at Cru as "friends." Bartender Shawn sends champagne—the same man Coco met earlier with Kacy. A woman named Blythe Buchanan warns Coco that Leslee is a manipulative social climber who burned bridges in Palm Beach. Over the next days, Leslee drags Coco to barre class and a pedicure, collecting new acquaintances. When Coco asks permission to attend Chief Kapenash's retirement dinner, Leslee responds with furious, reckless driving at nearly ninety miles per hour. She forbids Coco from going and instead announces a sunset sail where she and Bull will renew their vows.

Key Events

  • Coco finds Leslee crying because the Field and Oar Club rejected their membership.
  • Bull departs for Indonesia, calling his business situation a "sticky wicket."
  • Leslee stays in her room for days; Coco cooks her a breakfast inspired by Garth's mercy.
  • Leslee reveals the Richardsons' financial instability: Indonesia plastics ban, IRS debt, and failed film investments.
  • Leslee jokingly threatens to kill Bull with a cyanide pill hidden in his Viagra.
  • Leslee takes Coco to lunch at Cru; Shawn the bartender sends complimentary champagne.
  • Blythe Buchanan warns Coco about Leslee's destructive behavior in Palm Beach.
  • Leslee networks at barre class and a pedicure salon to build a new social circle.
  • Coco asks to attend Chief Kapenash's retirement dinner; Leslee speeds dangerously and refuses permission.
  • Leslee announces a vow renewal ceremony during a sunset sail on Hedonism.

Character Development

  • Coco grows more empathetic and mature. She cooks for Leslee without judgment, listens to the confession, and feels a genuine "moment" of connection. She also grapples with her secret relationship with Lamont and her loyalty to Kacy.
  • Leslee is laid bare. She shows vulnerability, financial anxiety, and a past as a Vegas bartender. Her reaction to social rejection reveals her transactional nature and fragile ego. The dangerous driving episode highlights her volatility and need for control.
  • Bull remains offstage, but his business crisis dominates the chapter. He is painted as a risk-taker whose luck may be ending.
  • Kacy appears only via text; her concern for Coco after the near-accident deepens their bond.
  • Blythe Buchanan acts as a mirror, warning Coco about Leslee's manipulative history—a warning Coco must weigh against her newfound sympathy.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

  • Social climbing and rejection: The club denial shatters Leslee's self-image. She immediately seeks new friends to replace those who voted against her.
  • Transactional relationships: Leslee's friendships are built on favors—apparent donations to Tiffin Academy, pickleball partnerships. Blythe's warning reinforces that Leslee seduces and then burns people.
  • Financial insecurity beneath wealth: The chapter reveals the Richardsons' precarious finances: a plastics ban, IRS battles, and failed investments, contrasting their lavish summer exterior.
  • Empathy versus manipulation: Coco's kindness blurs the line between genuine care and being used. Leslee's threat-tinged joke about killing Bull and her dangerous driving emphasize her manipulative edge.
  • Cruel Summer motif: The chapter title echoes the Bananarama/Taylor Swift song, reflecting Leslee's emotional turmoil and the destructive potential of her social ambitions.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 36 deepens Leslee from a one-dimensional social climber into a vulnerable, desperate woman. It exposes the cracks in the Richardsons' seemingly perfect life—financial ruin lurking, social rejection, and a marriage built on wealth rather than partnership. Coco's growing connection to Leslee complicates her loyalties and positions her at the center of coming conflicts. The vow renewal announcement sets up a major event that will bring together many characters and tensions. The chapter also raises stakes for Coco's secret relationship with Lamont and her friendship with Kacy.

Study Questions and Answers

  1. Why does Leslee react so violently when Coco asks to attend the Chief's retirement dinner? Leslee feels snubbed that she and Bull were not invited. The dinner represents the same social circle that denied her club membership. Her dangerous driving is a manifestation of her anger at being excluded and a way to reassert control over Coco's schedule.

  2. What does Leslee's confession about Bull's finances reveal about their marriage? Leslee admits she has only been with Bull during his winning streak and does not know what she will do if he loses everything. This reveals a marriage built on wealth and status rather than genuine partnership. Her joke about poisoning him suggests a potential for desperation.

  3. How does Coco's memory of Garth influence her treatment of Leslee? When Coco stole money from the diner, Garth showed mercy instead of punishment. Coco replicates that kindness by making Leslee breakfast without judgment. This memory guides Coco to extend empathy even when she finds Leslee's behavior frustrating, illustrating personal growth.

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