To hold on to his mermaid | The Mermade by Christina Henry


Title: The Mermaid
By: Christina Henry
Genre: Fantasy / Retelling
Pages: 336
Release Date: June 19th, 2018
Publisher: Berkley

Summary from Goodreads: From the author of Lost Boy comes a historical fairy tale about a mermaid who leaves the sea for love and later finds herself in P.T. Barnum's American Museum as the real Fiji mermaid. However, leaving the museum may be harder than leaving the sea ever was.

Once there was a mermaid who longed to know of more than her ocean home and her people. One day a fisherman trapped her in his net but couldn't bear to keep her. But his eyes were lonely and caught her more surely than the net, and so she evoked a magic that allowed her to walk upon the shore. The mermaid, Amelia, became his wife, and they lived on a cliff above the ocean for ever so many years, until one day the fisherman rowed out to sea and did not return.

P. T. Barnum was looking for marvelous attractions for his American Museum, and he'd heard a rumor of a mermaid who lived on a cliff by the sea. He wanted to make his fortune, and an attraction like Amelia was just the ticket.

Amelia agreed to play the mermaid for Barnum, and she believes she can leave any time she likes. But Barnum has never given up a money-making scheme in his life, and he's determined to hold on to his mermaid.


Review: Christina Henry always has a unique take on my favorite childhood stories. This book followed the story of the little mermaid, but what happened many years after she came to shore. Amelia is living a sad life when Levi finds her on a remote island. He convinces her to join PT Barnam in his strange endeavors. Of course, ignorance and prejudice take their tole and the whole story is turned on its tale. I really enjoyed this read and would recommend it to lovers of retellings.   

Received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review.




No comments:

Post a Comment