I love Christina Henry and I love mermaids. This was the perfect book for me. It was a great escape. Henry is just one of those authors that can suck you in and make you experience the book.

A Little Mermaid retelling? Well, sign me up!

Honestly, this book didn't resemble the Disney movie of my teenage years much, which is probably a good thing. Henry's take on the story is a lot more feminist, and it weaves in the interesting life of P.T. Barnum. (With the success of The Greatest Showman, we're all a little Barnum crazy, are we not? Though Henry states at the end of the book that she really wasn't trying to portray an accurate historical picture of the man, so be prepared for that.). What I loved most about this book was Amelia's outsider view of humanity. She was haunted the brutality and greed of humans, but she also formed bonds with a few special people who she saw attempt to overcome those baser instincts. I didn't completely connect to the romance, but overall I really loved this book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a unique retelling.

***Disclosure: I received this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was given and all opinions are my own.***

One of my favorite authors. I am always happy to read one of her books. Also a favorite author of mine to recommend to my patrons.

I will 100% admit my hopes were extraordinarily high. I was banking on something D.A.R.K. since that has been Henry’s forte as well as the way she made me crossover into stalker superfan status with not only her spin on Alice but also Captain Hook. Although there was an obvious take on the mermaid legend that could have been presented . . . . . that being an "evil" mermaid. But I was ready for this author to take a less-traveled road regarding this captive mermaid. And for a minute I thought she had . . . .

“You can’t climb out if someone takes your jar of sand away.”

So good, right?????

But then . . . . . A kissing book?!?!?!?!?!

I still anxiously await her next release.

ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley!

Henry takes a genuine historical tale of humbug and creates a charming fantasy version of what-might-have-been, with a feminist twist. A delightful light read.

(With thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing a free ARC in return for an unbiased review.)

While perhaps this book will be for me sometime in the future, it isn't right for me now. The plotline follows a mermaid who becomes part of Barnum's circus. Histroically, he was incredibly cruel and exploited the people working for him. Even if the resolution is some kind of critique of this history, I couldn't get through this book.

“I don’t belong to you,” Amelia said. “I don’t belong to any man—not to Jack, not to Barnum, not to you. I only belong to myself. But belonging to myself doesn’t mean I don’t love you, or that I don’t want to stand beside you.”

This is my first book by Christina Henry, although Lost Boy has been on my TBR for ages, and I really enjoyed it. It might be more of a 3.5 but I thought it had enough good themes to round it up. This is a really fun take on P.T. Barnum's 'Feejee Mermaid' scam, except this time there's an actual mermaid. Most of the page space is spent focusing on Amelia and her relationships with and reactions to people in this world that is so different from where she is from. I really liked how she used the mermaid thing as a metaphor for freedom and the restrictions that were [and still are] unnecessarily placed on women in society. There are a lot of good quotes in here where people keep telling Amelia she can't do this and that because she is a woman and she begins to wonder if she really wants to be in the world of men and begins to miss the ocean.

My main problem with the book and the reason I almost rated it 3 stars instead of 4 is the ending so THE NEXT PARAGRAPH CONTAINS SPOILERS

Amelia marries Lyman and he begins to become more controlling of her and also shows some of his more racist beliefs. She ends up having to flee while pregnant with his child because a mob is threatening her life and then the epilogue is four years later where he finally catches up to her on a far away island so they can presumably live as one big happy family. I guess there are four years that have passed and he could have come to terms with his backward beliefs in that time period but the reader doesn't see any of that so to us it's basically just a cut to him showing up on an island inhabited by people he called savages probably ten pages ago and you're kind of wondering whether Amelia and her daughter might actually be better off without him.

But it was still a great book and had some really great commentary on gender roles and society. I'll definitely be moving Lost Boy up on my TBR after this.

What a great summer read. The story of Amelia and Jack was well told, and bringing in Amelia’s next chapter in her life with P.T. Barnum was so enjoyable. Loved that this mermaid was not at all the half woman/half fish we have all come to know but something so much more believable.

This is a wonderful Summer novel! Full of historical fact mixed with characters that make you want to keep reading all day long! Add in the touch of romance, and you almost have a fairy tale for adults! If you've read all of Christina's books, then this one isn't quite as involved, but that just helps make it perfect for lighter Summer reading! This is a fun book for vacation, or for sneaking in bits and pieces while the kids are in the pool! So make sure its on YOUR Summer reading list!

I have read and loved many of Henry’s books. I loved her Madeline Black UF series and have really been enjoying all the fairy tale retellings she’s been doing as well (Alice, Red Queen, and Hook). This book was very well done and is a retelling of The Little Mermaid with some alternate history blended in.

In this book Amelia seeks to learn more about humans and the land. Originally she falls in love with a sailor and spends a long life with him but after he passes away she remains alone for many years. That is until she is invited to join P.T. Barnum’s Museum and be one of his exhibits. As you can imagine what at first looks like an amazing adventure ends up being much more perilous for Amelia.

This book wasn’t as dark as Henry’s previous fairy tale retellings and as a result I didn’t like it quite as much. I found the story a bit predictable and could have probably told you how events would play out right from the moment Amelia stepped foot in Barnum’s Museum.

This is definitely not in the same tone as the recently released “The Greatest Showman” movie. In this book Barnum is a money grubbing jerk and he thinks of nothing but how to make another dime. His wife and daughter are by far the more interesting characters. Aside from Amelia, Levi is the other main character...he works for Barnum and is also an interesting character to read about.

The book is beautifully written and was very engaging. I had a hard time putting it down and whipped right through it. The story is tied up nicely if a bit bittersweet.

Overall I enjoyed this book a lot. I would recommend to those who like dark fairytale reimaginings set in historical settings. While this isn’t as dark as Henry’s previous books, it is not the happy go lucky feel story that The Greatest Showman is. I can’t wait to see what project Henry tackles next!

Christina Henry's The Mermaid is a historical fairy tale with a slight bit of darkness and a twist. It is the author's follow up to such stories as Lost Boy, Alice, and Red Queen. The story is a standalone novel set in 19th century America (1842). The story centers on the creature known as the Feejee Mermaid that was apparently a real humbug perpetrated by none other than P.T. Barnum who went on to found Barnum and Bailey Circus. Henry's version of the story is about a woman named Amelia Douglas who learns to live in a world completely different than her own, with both good and bad sides.

From meeting a fisherman named Jack who caught her and let her escape and later became her husband, to the young lawyer, Levi Lyman, who travels to Northern Maine at the behest of one P.T Barnum to find the woman who rumors claim is a mermaid, to Amelia's time with P.T. Barnum, his wife Charity, and three children, as his main attraction known as the FeeJee Mermaid. Amelia is a very curious character. She always longed to discover other parts of the ocean. She never seemed happy to be among her family.

When she met Jack, he allowed her to escape his net, and didn't tie her down or demand that she stay on land and become human. Amelia could fee Jack's longing and his sadness and found a way to become human for him. She had the freedom to return to the ocean without worrying about leaving Jack forever. Amelia and Jack's story really is a love story as well as the look into the frailty of what it means to be a human and not be immortal like a mermaid, which is what Amelia is. After 10 years of being alone, Levi arrives on her doorstep asking her to come to NYC where P.T Barnum's American Museum is located.

She had no intention of joining him. But, she has a restless soul and changes her mind. Amelia is all about having an adventure after being land bound for decades. She would love to travel the globe and see different places. The story actually alternates between Amelia, Levi, and P.T. P.T. sees Amelia as his ticket to a better life for himself and his family, especially since his previous humbug blew up in his face. As Amelia joins P.T., she realizes that this isn't the way she thought she would see the world. She didn't expect to be leered at, condemned, or treated as some sort of curiosity. She didn't expect to open her heart again after being with Jack for such a long time.

I loved that Amelia is written as a woman with a mind of her own who is not willing to just go along with the so called normality that is the human world, including how women are supposed to dress, and act. Amelia is definitely a challenge for all characters in this book, but most especially P.T. Barnum who never thought he would be outmatched by a spunky mermaid with drive, and determination. Henry also doesn't do the whole Little Mermaid makeover and have Amelia be half mermaid, and half human. Nope, she is all mermaid from her skin, to her teeth, to her long black hair, and black eyes.

You, as the reader, need to really put history in perspective as you read this story. Levi is a factual character. He really did exist, as well as his alias Dr. Griffin who supposedly found the FeeJee Mermaid. Of course, P.T. Barnum is also a historical figure, but the author has stated that she took freedoms with his character since there have been so many author biographies, and even movies depicting his life, and that of his families. I have to say that I came to really love Charity Barnum, as well as her daughter Caroline. They both become Amelia's strongest supporters and friends.

One could say that the author also puts forward a message as to how we, as humans, treat those who are different. Different skin color, different religions, different backgrounds, etc. She even travels to the deep south where life is not so wonderful for the slaves who are still not freed, and won't be for many years to come. Remember, this story is pre-Civil War era. Things have come a very long way since then but we can't never forget are past.

I read the first chapter of The Mermaid in one gulp and then was briefly but intensely afraid to read the second. If you've read a Christina Henry novel, you understand my trepidation. Her Alice duology and Lost Boy are knife-twisting phantasmagoria of horror, playing on our sympathies in order to rip our hearts out. (You know, in a good way.) The title of The Mermaid might as well be Something Awful Happens to the Mermaid because you really can't expect anything else.

Except, you can. In a surprising but not unwelcome left turn from her vicious reimaginings, Henry washed her Lady Macbeth hands and has penned a more melancholy tale of a mermaid, young but not little, and with far sharper teeth. Rather than rescuing a prince, she herself is rescued from a net and set free by the tenderhearted fisherman. Freedom does what capture cannot, and she is entranced by the human world in general, and the fisherman in particular.

But not all humans are so gentle, or so willing to let her be what she is. They disbelieve what they see, or graft their beliefs on to her, turning her into a monster or a harlot. Or worst, they do believe and want to possess her, as if she were an object. Amelia soon finds that trying to be human means far more and less than she ever expected. And being a human woman? Well, that’s even more confusing, a series of restrictions and contradictions that begin to chafe almost immediately. But is it worth it if she gets to see the world, the way she has already traversed the sea?

All the trappings of the era shine, but we only see them through the stunning prism of the mermaid. Amelia gives us new eyes to see the strangeness of human customs, but shares our incredulity at the strange world that is 1830's New York City. Time makes all of us foreigners, and having P. T. Barnum as our touchpoint makes everything stranger still.

This is not an historical novel, as Henry freely discusses in her afterward. Instead, it succeeds in capturing the spirit of an era and a man mired in troubles and hungry for wonders. P. T. Barnum is an engine powering through the narrative, making wonders from nothing but flash and his own greed. He’s absurd at times, and tragic too, but always he returns to that indomitable drive to make something from nothing, just as he did with the historical “Feejee mermaid.”

The real “Feejee mermaid” was a monkey corpse sewn to the tail of a fish, a pitiful humbug that has nothing on Amelia, but that haunts the narrative all the same. Worth considering is the unmentioned but likewise hovering figure of Charles Darwin, who would still be exploring the Galapagos while the "Feejee mermaid" was on exhibit. No theories of evolution yet existed in the public consciousness. Henry subtly hints at this by also having an orangutan also appear in the story, another object of fascination and contempt for the wider public to consume. Mermaids, monkeys, and exactly what, in the end, is the human inheritance? Our myths or our deductions? What we learn or what we believe?

A mermaid walks out of the sea to live with a man she's fallen in love with. Years later, the sea takes him away from her. That's the beginning of the story in Christina Henry's newest fairy tale for young adults and grownups, The Mermaid. Living in a small seafaring Maine town, most of her neighbors are respectful of Amelia's - the name her husband gave her - privacy, but rumors have a way of spreading; this time, they spread all the way to New York, and to the ears of none other than The Greatest Showman himself, P.T. Barnum. Barnum dispatches his partner, Levi Lyman, to Maine to talk to the "mermaid" and convince her to become one of Barnum's spectacles. Amelia, a strong, smart woman in a time when women have no voice, no property, and no agency of their own, she decides - after sending Lyman on his way - to make her way to New York and negotiate with Barnum. She wants to travel the world, and she agrees to work with Barnum on her own terms for six months, in order to be able to finance it. The partnership between the two headstrong characters is tenuous, and Lyman finds himself falling in love with Amelia. The Mermaid is amazing storytelling that has a distinctly feminist voice.

The Mermaid gives us a Barnum that isn't quite so friendly and fun as Hugh Jackman's portrayal in The Greatest Showman; this Barnum is concerned with money, who's paying it out, and how much of it he can make off the back of his "spectacles". He's recovering from the backlash of one of his exhibits gone wrong, and trying to recover his reputation; he's known as a liar and a "humbug" (not exactly untrue); he treats his wife and daughters shabbily, and cares little for anyone outside of himself. That's enough about him.

Amelia is the star of this story. She's a real mermaid who touches the lives of those who lay eyes on her. Charity, Barnum's put-upon wife, resists believing in her at first, but later comes to treasure her friendship with Amelia, finding her own voice to stand up against her bulldozing husband. Caroline, Barnum's young daughter, is enchanted with the idea of knowing a mermaid, and discovers her own young voice thanks to Amelia. Levi Lyman finds his scruples and love in her stormy eyes. Amelia refuses to be taken advantage of, and demands to be heard. She empowers those around her. She reminds Barnum that at any moment, she can walk away from him and he'll never find her: she's a mermaid, for crying out loud, and the Earth is 75% water; good luck finding her. We don't learn about her family or her people; she is the focus of the novel and the narrative. She stands alone. An adult novel, this can easily cross over into YA/Teen for fantasy readers. There are discussion questions available at the end of the book.

Want more circus and sideshow books? Booktalk and display with Sara Gruen's Water for Elephants and H.P. Wood's Magruder's Curiosity Cabinet. Want more of Christina Henry's fairy tales? Check out her website and learn about her other books.

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 agrees to play the mermaid but the crowd isn't always so nice about it. She falls for a new love and their love is put to the test. How long will she stay with the museum?

Quick and fun read .

This book really took my by surprise, in a good way. I wasn't sure where the story was going to go after reading the synopsis, would it be light-hearted or go dark? It turns out it was done just the right way.

We begin the story learning about a mermaid, named Amelia, and how her life among humans begins. I loved getting to know Amelia and the way that Christina Henry created such a depth to her characters in what seems like a small number of pages. This was more so a character driven novel and I loved every bit of learning about each of the characters. This is one of those stories that you can't stop reading because you care so much about the characters. I had to know what they were feeling next, what their next decision was going to be.

The setting was another favorite part for me. I was fascinated reading about upper Maine and also Barnum's museum. The historical setting pairing with some magical realism had me hooked immediately. I really loved how Christina Henry made a mermaid story her own in a way that felt authentic and unique. The story felt consistent, there weren't any parts that felt boring or dragged on. It was a steady stream of wonderful character development and captivating story-telling. Though the romance wasn't a huge part, I loved that as well.

If you're looking for a unique mermaid story that has wonderful character development, a fascinating setting and a tale that will hook you in - then this is the book for you.

Opening line:
"Once there was a fisherman, a lonely man who lived on a cold and rocky coast and was never able to convince any woman to come away and live in the forbidding place with him."

This was an interesting mermaid story that is NOT a Little Mermaid retelling but a story of P.T. Barnum's Feejee Mermaid hoax. And this is NOT about Hugh Jackman. Please get himoout of your head before you read this.
Amelia is a real mermaid who left her home to be with a lonely fisherman. She stayed with him for years and one day, he was lost at sea. In her sadness, she never left the cottage, always watched the sea and resigned herself to living forever alone.
Until Levi Lyman comes along and entices her on an adventure. He is smitten with her and falls in love. But Amelia has no thoughts of ever loving again.
This is just one of the relationships in the book. The other is, obviously, P.T. Barnum, who is portrayed like a money-hungry-grabbing-always-on-the-lookout-for-a-quick-sale who doesn't care about anyone else but himself. He tried his best to keep Amelia with him at any cost....and it almost cost her her life.
This was a well-written story and interesting story. If you like fantasy, mermaids, and romance, you might like this book.

At least 10 swear words; the word 'breast' is mentioned several times in reference to mermaids; a gunshot wound.

Thanks to netgalley for the early read!

I was a little afraid to read this book simply because I loved "The Greatest Showman" so much. Of course, I read a little more about Barnum and so I wasn't expecting a saint. On the other hand, I didn't want my version of him to be sullied. I have absolutely no doubt that Christina Henry began this book long before "The Greatest Showman." In fact, she admits that she spent a great deal of time researching P.T. Barnum and eventually created a man that fit her purpose which, incidentally, is very near the kind of man my mind created. Human, fallible, complicated, interested in making money, and a very good showman.

"...the trick, really - making sure nobody could prove what Barnum wasn't true."

"A bird in a cage still knows it's in a cage, even if the bars are made of gold."

The author creates a story of the "Fee Jee Mermaid." The book begins by telling the story of a lonely fisherman who catches a mermaid and cuts her loose. The mermaid recognizes the loneliness in the fisherman and chooses to come ashore and be his wife. For the years of the fisherman's life, Amelia, the mermaid, lives as a human woman, Jack's wife, weathering the wagging tongues of where she came from and why she never ages, and also returns to the sea at night to swim and be who she is. But Jack grows old and eventually dies. Amelia continues to be a young woman and she waits for Jack. For decades.

Enter P.T. Barnum, or rather, Levi, his lawyer. Little is known of Levi hence the author takes creative license to create him perfectly for the story. He is sent to offer the alleged mermaid a place in his museum. The story navigates this beautiful, terrifying, and honest creature through the constructs of P.T. Barnum's belief system of acquiring interesting objects of curiosities including animals, creatures, and different human beings. Barnum is not the main character, by any means, yet he makes decisions that drive the story.

The author brings depth to characters both real and fictional. Amelia is an interesting and complex character who sees things honestly and simply without all the political tainting of modern(ish) society. There is a lovely interchange she has with Levi as he tries to explain to her what "savages" are on the Cook Islands. Her reasoning is so innocent and beautiful and his is so entrenched in society. Additionally, and relevant to this point, Amelia has grown close to Charity and Caroline, Barnum's wife and oldest daughter.

"Amelia finally realized it was because he himself did not understand what it meant to be different and to have people expect you to change for their sake. She realized that no man could understand this, really, though they expected their wives to do so every day."

Really wonderful book. Great for a book club.

5 Out Of 5 "lonely eyes" STARS

This was truly fantastic! A beguiling, slightly fantastical tale about a curious mermaid, and where her curiosity took her. Taking us from the coast of Maine to New York, Charleston and beyond. Amelia, the name she picked for herself, is haunting and alluring and you can't help but love her.

Centered around a reimagining of a hoax played by P.T. Barnum about the Feejee Mermaid, in early 1840's New York, with a tour ending in Charleston, SC.

description
-Advertisement for the Feejee Mermaid from the Charleston Courier, January 1843


The Mermaid is a story about what it means to be human or humane, actually. It's also about love, friendships, and loyalty. I highly recommend.

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~~~~~MY RATING~~~~~
☆5☆STARS - GRADE=A+
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~BREAKDOWN OF RATINGS~

Plot~ 5/5
Main Characters~ 5/5
Secondary Characters~ 5/5
The Feels~ 5/5
Pacing~ 5/5
Addictiveness~ 4.5/5
Theme or Tone~ 5+/5
Flow (Writing Style)~ 5/5
Backdrop (World Building)~ 5/5
Originality~ 5/5
Ending~ 5/5
Book Cover~ It's very good
Publisher~ Berkley Publishing
Setting~ New York City, 1840's
Source~ I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
description

The nitty-gritty: A lovely blend of history and fantasy, The Mermaid is a beautifully written ode to the sea and one of the iconic creatures who lives there.

I’m a big fan of Christina Henry’s darker books like Alice and Lost Boy, and so I was a little hesitant when I saw the cover of her latest, The Mermaid. With such a vibrant, happy looking cover, would there be any of her trademark darkness between the covers? Well, the answer to that question is mostly no, but I really enjoyed this, even without the darker elements. The Mermaid is filled with so many interesting historical details about the life of P.T. Barnum and his ability to create astounding attractions. Henry images how things might have gone down if Barnum had managed to get his hands on a real mermaid.

Most of the story takes place in New York City and focuses on the larger-than-life personality of showman P.T. Barnum, during the years when he created and ran Barnum’s American Museum, filled with marvels and oddities. Barnum gets wind of a rumor that there is a real, live mermaid living up north on the coast of Maine, and he knows a display like that could make him a fortune. He tasks his associate Levi Lyman  to find and bring back the mermaid no matter what. Levi does indeed find her, a woman named Amelia living alone by the sea, but what he doesn’t expect is her refusal to go back to New York with him. Levi is dazzled by Amelia’s beauty and strength, and reluctantly leaves without her.

But later, Amelia realizes that she’s been waiting in vain for her husband Jack, lost at sea many years ago, and she decides she’s ready to leave the small village and see what New York has to offer. Filled with determination to earn enough money from Barnum’s show to one day travel the world, she tracks down Barnum in New York and agrees to work for him, provided he lets her quit whenever she wants. Barnum’s plan works and Amelia becomes the star of the museum, because she is, in fact, a real mermaid, who changes into her form when her legs touch sea water.

But the city turns out to be a very dangerous place, as Amelia discovers, and not even Barnum can always protect her.

My favorite section of the book is also the shortest. I adored the beginning which briefly describes Amelia’s charmed life when she meets and falls in love with Jack, a fisherman who catches her in his net but lets her go. I would have loved to read more about their life together. Jack stole my heart because he knew that Amelia was a creature of the sea and didn’t belong to anyone but herself. This section has a dreamy, fairy tale quality to it, and once Amelia makes her way to New York, this fairy tale quality disappears.

I couldn’t help but think about Alice Hoffman’s The Museum of Extraordinary Things, which also takes place in New York and involves a girl who pretends to be a mermaid for her father’s freak show. Hoffman’s story has historical elements as well, so it was hard not to compare the two. But Henry’s story felt quite different. The story develops slowly, but it gives the reader a chance to really get to know the characters. I loathed P.T. Barnum, he was such an ass, especially to his wife Charity. If you’ve seen The Greatest Showman, don’t expect a charismatic Barnum like the one played by Hugh Jackman. This Barnum is sneaky and will tell whatever lies he must to make a buck. I felt so sorry for Charity, and it isn’t until later in the story that Amelia finally breaks through her tough veneer and the women become fast friends.

Amelia is a wonderful character, not only because she is a mermaid, but because she has the strength to say “no” to just about every male in the story. I loved the way she embraces her mermaid self, but she’s also curious about the world and wants to experience life as a human woman as well. I also loved that she doesn’t look like the mermaid on the cover AT ALL. She’s covered in silver scales and has stormy gray eyes and sharp teeth. She’s more monster than fantasy creature which makes her unique.

The main theme of The Mermaid is being able to ultimately choose your own life, an especially difficult thing for a woman living in the early nineteenth century. Amelia is not only forced to deal with Barnum, who thinks he owns her, but she’s also trying to find her place in the world. She also eventually finds love in New York, but it only makes her choices harder: does she stay and make someone else happy, or should she follow the pull of the ocean, her true home, and leave? There is a bit of a twist at the end that I admit I saw coming, but even so I thought it was a lovely way to wrap up the story.

Even though I missed the darker themes of her other books, I’m glad I got to see a different side of Christina Henry. Fans of historical fiction and just a touch of fantasy will really enjoy this book.

Big thanks to the publisher for supplying a review copy.

"He loved the sea more than any person and so was never able to take a wife, for women see what is in men's hearts more clearly than men would wish."

Despite all the warnings of her people, there was once a mermaid who longed to know more about humans and the world beyond the sea. She swam farther and farther and ended up trapped in a fisherman's net. But he saw the wildness in her eyes and she saw the loneliness in his heart, and though he freed her from his net, he captured her all the same. She evoked ancient magic that allowed her to walk the land and became Amelia, the fisherman's wife.

But magic is tricky and the sea is unforgiving. So while he grew old, she did not. One day he went to the sea and didn't return. Rumors of a woman who stood on the cliffs of a far-off shore, never aging, waiting for her lost love to come back, reached the ears of a man who knew the power of a good story. And how to sell it.

Amelia agrees to become the Fiji Mermaid in P.T. Barnum's show, desperate to remember the wild girl she had been when her fisherman caught her, desperate to let go of the grief haunting her heart. She believes she can leave at any time. But Barnum has never been one to let money walk away from him. Not if he can help it.

"Barnum knew, better than anyone, that human tendency to want to believe, to want to see the extraordinary."

I fell in love with Christina Henry's writing last year when I read Lost Boy. Her dark take on fairy tales sing to my black heart and The Mermaid did not disappoint! The Mermaid, at its heart, is an examination into the darker tendencies of humanity. How we want to own things that are beautiful. How we sometimes fear the things that are magical. Yet, for all the darkness that she presents, Henry gives us a powerful view on love and acceptance. Both of ourselves and from others.

PT Barnum was a real person, as was the spectacle of the Fiji Mermaid. Henry has taken the idea of fairy tale retellings and given them a new twist, retelling instead moments in history, changing the story and the people to weave a new narrative. Just like other retellings, the result is magical and intoxicating. What would a man like Barnum do if presented with such a woman? With the allure of all that potential money?

"There was really nothing more ridiculous than the thought of Barnum getting taken; if there was any taking to do, Amelia knew very well that he would be the one to do it."

From the very beginning, Henry weaves the story in a lulling rhythm, that makes it feel like a fairy tale, but also not. Her writing is poetic but precise, drawing the reader in to the deepest parts of her characters hearts. While we see into these deep parts, and often the darker tendencies, The Mermaid is a melancholy examination into the nature of love. Romance isn't always roses and sweet sentiments. At it's best, it is simply loving each other for who they are, without demanding change, restraint, or any other trappings.

What makes this story bittersweet, is that Amelia learns just how special her love with Jack was, after she has to navigate the world without it. This exploration of love goes far deeper than the passionate romance of lovers, which is so often the focus. It is the kind of love that lasts centuries. The kind that never dies. That force of love can be good. Or it can be bad. And Henry gives us the entire spectrum to experience.

"Once I loved Jack and lost him, I wasn't the same as before. Love does that. It changes you in ways that can't be undone."

Amelia is one of those characters that I can't help but love. She is bold, brave, strong. I love how she questions norms and customs, particularly the way women are expected to dress or behave. This commentary doesn't feel preachy, or as if the author is making a point. Rather it is subtle, and fits with the heart of Amelia's character.

In fact, the entire novel is a subtle but fierce conversation in feminism. Charity and Caroline, along with Amelia, have to decide what kind of life they want to live. Who they want to be in a world that favors men over women, boys over girls. Even Levi, has to decide what type of man he wants to be, which is a conversation in feminism that needs to happen more frequently.

"Women who did what they liked instead of what other people wished were often accused of witchcraft, because only a witch would be so defiant, or so it was thought."

I devoured this book on a plane in one sitting. It pulls you in and doesn't let go. There is a sad, melancholy feel to the book, to Amelia, but it is a beautiful sadness. While it is heartbreaking in some ways, it is a story of resilience and strength. It is about the power of love and how magical finding that love can be. Henry wooed me last year with Lost Boy, and again I am swooning over The Mermaid. Highly, highly recommend!

Thank you First To Read and Berkley Publishing for sending me a review copy!