Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Peabody's Mermaid

Rate this book
This is the wholly delightful story of a prosaic shoe manufacturer from Boston who goes fishing off a West Indian island and catches himself a mermaid. How does his wife take it? What do the newspapers say? How does a captive mermaid behave?

Hardcover

Published January 1, 1946

5 people want to read

About the author

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
1 (33%)
4 stars
1 (33%)
3 stars
1 (33%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
Profile Image for C.S. Shoemaker.
109 reviews2 followers
January 7, 2026
Peabody’s Mermaid is a charming read. The Jones’s manage successfully to provide character, beautiful description, a sense of mood and place all while maintaining a very good pace. Min, the mermaid, may have no lines of dialogue but certainly holds her own against a cast of human characters. Peabody’s emotional journey feels relatable and is truly what drives the plot. There are few plot conveniences and racial references that felt unnecessary- but Peabody’s Mermaid is certainly worth the read.
Profile Image for Bernie4444.
2,526 reviews11 followers
October 13, 2023
“…an unearthly song that came from the sea”

From the cover:
“If you cannot bring yourself to believe in the existence of a beautiful and irresistible mermaid, this book is not for you.”

The back of the Dust jacket contains information from Mr. And Mrs. Jones on how they came about collaborating on this story. There is a picture by H.W. Hannau of the authors together.

Contents:
1. St. Hilda’s
2. Villa Marina
3. Cay Oro
4. Thoughts in a Green Bathtub
5. St. Hilda’s Takes Over
6. Absence of a Comb
7. Beach Picnic
8. Land Siren
9. Strange Catch
10. Sea Siren
11. Fish Pond
12. Grapevine
13. Fish Tales
14. Two Bites
15. Blip Protests
16. Polly Protests
17. Enchantment
18. Polly Hesitates
19. Freedom of the Press
20. Interest from Government House
21. Job for Mandrake
22. Cay Oro Again
23. The Wild White Horses

Arthur Peabody and his wife are the type of old Bostonians that one would imagine. They take a vacation to Villa (Marina) in the Caribbean; There Mr. Peabody is getting over the flu. What should be some quiet time for their turns to intone big party and the Organizer of the party insisted the Peabody’ foot the bill.

They just had to meet all the exotic people that live on the island. Naturally, Mrs. Peabody is flirted with and even Arthur is being corralled.

He manages to borrow a boat from the local caretaker and plans on doing a little fishing to the consternation of his wife and dog. I need not tell what is finally caught and fearing evil spirits the household help runs off. His wife suspects hanky panky. And the situation snowballs from there.

If you get a chance, you will want to watch the movie with William Powel “Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid”
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.