What do you think?
Rate this book
The Mermaid of Brooklyn
Hailed by The Washington Post as “tantalizing” and “mesmerizing,” The Mermaid of Brooklyn is a whip-smart, heartfelt exploration of what happens when modern day motherhood meets with a little touch of magic.
Sometimes all you need in life is a fabulous pair of shoes—and a little help from a mermaid
Formerly an up-and-coming magazine editor, Jenny Lipkin is now your average, stretched-too-thin Brooklyn mom, tackling the challenges of raising two children in a cramped Park Slope walk-up. All she really wants is to survive the sweltering New York summer with a shred of sanity intact. But when her husband, Harry, vanishes one evening, Jenny reaches her breaking point. And in a moment of despair, a split-second decision changes her life forever.
Pulled from the brink by an unexpected ally, Jenny is forced to rethink her ideas about success, motherhood, romance, and relationships. But confronting her inner demons is no easy task…
Sometimes all you need in life is a fabulous pair of shoes—and a little help from a mermaid
Formerly an up-and-coming magazine editor, Jenny Lipkin is now your average, stretched-too-thin Brooklyn mom, tackling the challenges of raising two children in a cramped Park Slope walk-up. All she really wants is to survive the sweltering New York summer with a shred of sanity intact. But when her husband, Harry, vanishes one evening, Jenny reaches her breaking point. And in a moment of despair, a split-second decision changes her life forever.
Pulled from the brink by an unexpected ally, Jenny is forced to rethink her ideas about success, motherhood, romance, and relationships. But confronting her inner demons is no easy task…
368 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 2013
33 people are currently reading
1421 people want to read
About the author
Amy Shearn
7 books248 followersAmy Shearn is the award-winning author of 5 novels: How Far Is the Ocean from Here, The Mermaid of Brooklyn, Unseen City, Dear Edna Sloane, and Animal Instinct.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews
April 7, 2013
Keep calm and mermaid on
The tag line for Amy Shearn’s sophomore novel, The Mermaid of Brooklyn, reads “Sometimes all you need in life is a fabulous pair of shoes—and a little help from a mermaid.” Now, if you ask me, that sounds like some kind of light chick-lit novel—and there’s nothing wrong with light chick-lit. But that’s not what you’ll find in these pages. That’s selling Amy Shearn’s novel way too short.
First, it’s not chick-lit at all. If you must classify, put this one down as women’s fiction, but with a sharply-observed, Perotta-esque take on the village-within-a-city that is Park Slope, Brooklyn. It’s the story of Jenny Lipkin, the overwhelmed mother of an infant and a toddler. In the novel’s opening pages, her husband Harry calls to tell her he’s stopping to pick up cigarettes on his way home. He never arrives. Days pass, and no one has heard from Harry, no one can reach him. This would, of course, be upsetting under any circumstances, but this isn’t the first time it’s happened. Harry has issues of his own. But he’s never stayed away this long before…
Jenny is an appealing protagonist, appealing in her imperfection. She’s not extraordinarily beautiful, clever, or together. Quite the contrary, she was barely getting through her days when she had her husband’s support. Now the struggle really begins. The kids, the bills, the home: “This was not one of those ‘Oh, ha, sorry it’s such a mess’ moments. It was dangerously messy. It was call-child-services-doubt-the-mental-health-of-the-mother messy. It was TLC-reality-programming messy. We cohabited with dust bunnies I knew by name…” That’s a funny passage, and there is a good amount of humor and some real wit within the text, but there’s also a fair amount of darkness and desperation. I suspect that more than a few women will relate to Jenny’s feelings of bone-deep exhaustion and inadequacy.
Where, you may be asking, is the mermaid in all this? Where indeed? There’s no mermaid in sight until more than a quarter of the novel has passed. And this nameless entity is not, perhaps, the mermaid you’re expecting. She’s no fairytale friend. This mermaid of Brooklyn is a creature of Slavic myth, a rusalka. I’m a connoisseur of mermaid legends and lore, and this was a new one on me. Per Wikipedia, “In Slavic mythology, a rusalka is a female ghost, water nymph, succubus, or mermaid-like demon that dwelt in a waterway.” I’ll leave you to discover how Jenny encounters her, and the exact nature of their relationship. It’s not entirely negative, as the above might lead one to believe, but it’s not exactly positive either. Jenny muses:
“I was starting to realize the rusalka wasn’t the best person to listen to. What did I know about her? Who WAS she, this new self of mine, this recently arrived Siamese twin? It was beginning to strike me, in moments of sickening dread, that I might be just another sailor coiled in her hair, seduced by her promises of impossible passions, believing I was being buoyed up as she slowly strengthened her squeeze, dragging me down to the ocean floor.”
Notwithstanding an amusing tendency to pepper her dialogue with Yiddish, there’s an opaqueness to the rusalka that leaves readers a lot of room for conjecture as to her nature. But despite this supernatural element, this is an unusually realistic look at one woman’s struggle to find her way through neighborhood politics, temptation, depression, and family life. I’m neither married nor a mother, but I related tremendously to Jenny, and I cared about her struggles.
The writing in The Mermaid of Brooklyn is terrific. I don’t use phrases like “chick-lit” or “women’s fiction” in a pejorative manner, but rather to describe genres of fiction. Still, those genres will give certain readers expectations as to literary quality. Whatever those expectations are, the depth of this book will surpass them. Shearn uses language in clever and observant ways. “We’d been in the park all morning, and I was Pompeiied in a gritty paste of apple juice, dirt, and sandbox.” Or, as two mothers express their exhaustion: “It was an exchange we shared about thirty times a day, like songbirds trading musical phrases.”
This was my introduction to Ms. Shearn’s work. I came to it with expectations that weren’t met at all. Fortunately, they were significantly exceeded. The Mermaid of Brooklyn is a whole lot more than a book about a fabulous pair of shoes.
The tag line for Amy Shearn’s sophomore novel, The Mermaid of Brooklyn, reads “Sometimes all you need in life is a fabulous pair of shoes—and a little help from a mermaid.” Now, if you ask me, that sounds like some kind of light chick-lit novel—and there’s nothing wrong with light chick-lit. But that’s not what you’ll find in these pages. That’s selling Amy Shearn’s novel way too short.
First, it’s not chick-lit at all. If you must classify, put this one down as women’s fiction, but with a sharply-observed, Perotta-esque take on the village-within-a-city that is Park Slope, Brooklyn. It’s the story of Jenny Lipkin, the overwhelmed mother of an infant and a toddler. In the novel’s opening pages, her husband Harry calls to tell her he’s stopping to pick up cigarettes on his way home. He never arrives. Days pass, and no one has heard from Harry, no one can reach him. This would, of course, be upsetting under any circumstances, but this isn’t the first time it’s happened. Harry has issues of his own. But he’s never stayed away this long before…
Jenny is an appealing protagonist, appealing in her imperfection. She’s not extraordinarily beautiful, clever, or together. Quite the contrary, she was barely getting through her days when she had her husband’s support. Now the struggle really begins. The kids, the bills, the home: “This was not one of those ‘Oh, ha, sorry it’s such a mess’ moments. It was dangerously messy. It was call-child-services-doubt-the-mental-health-of-the-mother messy. It was TLC-reality-programming messy. We cohabited with dust bunnies I knew by name…” That’s a funny passage, and there is a good amount of humor and some real wit within the text, but there’s also a fair amount of darkness and desperation. I suspect that more than a few women will relate to Jenny’s feelings of bone-deep exhaustion and inadequacy.
Where, you may be asking, is the mermaid in all this? Where indeed? There’s no mermaid in sight until more than a quarter of the novel has passed. And this nameless entity is not, perhaps, the mermaid you’re expecting. She’s no fairytale friend. This mermaid of Brooklyn is a creature of Slavic myth, a rusalka. I’m a connoisseur of mermaid legends and lore, and this was a new one on me. Per Wikipedia, “In Slavic mythology, a rusalka is a female ghost, water nymph, succubus, or mermaid-like demon that dwelt in a waterway.” I’ll leave you to discover how Jenny encounters her, and the exact nature of their relationship. It’s not entirely negative, as the above might lead one to believe, but it’s not exactly positive either. Jenny muses:
“I was starting to realize the rusalka wasn’t the best person to listen to. What did I know about her? Who WAS she, this new self of mine, this recently arrived Siamese twin? It was beginning to strike me, in moments of sickening dread, that I might be just another sailor coiled in her hair, seduced by her promises of impossible passions, believing I was being buoyed up as she slowly strengthened her squeeze, dragging me down to the ocean floor.”
Notwithstanding an amusing tendency to pepper her dialogue with Yiddish, there’s an opaqueness to the rusalka that leaves readers a lot of room for conjecture as to her nature. But despite this supernatural element, this is an unusually realistic look at one woman’s struggle to find her way through neighborhood politics, temptation, depression, and family life. I’m neither married nor a mother, but I related tremendously to Jenny, and I cared about her struggles.
The writing in The Mermaid of Brooklyn is terrific. I don’t use phrases like “chick-lit” or “women’s fiction” in a pejorative manner, but rather to describe genres of fiction. Still, those genres will give certain readers expectations as to literary quality. Whatever those expectations are, the depth of this book will surpass them. Shearn uses language in clever and observant ways. “We’d been in the park all morning, and I was Pompeiied in a gritty paste of apple juice, dirt, and sandbox.” Or, as two mothers express their exhaustion: “It was an exchange we shared about thirty times a day, like songbirds trading musical phrases.”
This was my introduction to Ms. Shearn’s work. I came to it with expectations that weren’t met at all. Fortunately, they were significantly exceeded. The Mermaid of Brooklyn is a whole lot more than a book about a fabulous pair of shoes.
April 5, 2013
Although one could find the plot of this story implausible, I mean doesn't everyone have their own personal mermaid to step into their shoes, and fix things when one cannot cope. Jenny Lipkin, with 2 small daughters, finds herself unable to cope with motherhood, life, certainly cleaning her house, and a husband who disappears rendering her a single mom. The author does a wonderful job describing the sleepless nights and days, the overwhelming feeling of being unable to cope that is generally the life of young mothers. It is the self deprecating and humorous ways that Jenny confronts her circumstances that make reading this book pleasurable and sometimes even believable. Unfortunately it is carried on a bit too long and by the end of the book I was a bit tired of Jenny's problems humorous or not. This is a fun book though, lighter reading, and if a mermaid could be had I definitely would not turn one down.
April 6, 2013
Jenny is a mother to two children. She is married to Harry. Jenny awakes one morning to learn that Harry has not returned home from work. Jenny calls him but gets his voice message. As time passes Jenny realizes that Harry is not returning home. Jenny is left to care for the children alone or so she thinks. Jenny receives some help in the form of a mermaid.
I liked the premise of this book. It sounded like a fun read. Unfortunately it way missed the mark for me. I struggled to get as far as I did with this book. I held on as long as I could but just did not have the will power to read on and finish this book. This is because I found Jenny to be too whinny and she seemed like she did not have a back bone. It was like Jenny could not operate without her husband. Which I could understand the falling apart for a few if your husband left you however when you have little children you just have to pick yourself back up right away and deal the best you can for them. In addition, I never really got to know Harry so I never felt sorry for Jenny that he left her.
Even the mermaid was telling Jenny to act like an adult. Jenny did get her act together but by then I was so turned off by Jenny that I did not care anymore. This book floundered for me.
I liked the premise of this book. It sounded like a fun read. Unfortunately it way missed the mark for me. I struggled to get as far as I did with this book. I held on as long as I could but just did not have the will power to read on and finish this book. This is because I found Jenny to be too whinny and she seemed like she did not have a back bone. It was like Jenny could not operate without her husband. Which I could understand the falling apart for a few if your husband left you however when you have little children you just have to pick yourself back up right away and deal the best you can for them. In addition, I never really got to know Harry so I never felt sorry for Jenny that he left her.
Even the mermaid was telling Jenny to act like an adult. Jenny did get her act together but by then I was so turned off by Jenny that I did not care anymore. This book floundered for me.
May 14, 2013
I knew immediately that not only was I going to love this book a lot but that I was going to love Amy Shearn. First of all, she is hilarious. And I'd like to think she's been through post-partum depression and everything else that parenthood brings because it was so real. Jenny's story sounds so much like mine, minus the mermaid and cute dad situation, and I felt like I was reading my memoir.
Which legitimately felt a little cheated because now I feel like I have a different route to go on my own memoir someday. But, that's a story for another day. Literally.
Literally on the first page there was a line that I found myself saying, "dammit, I hear you on THAT", and here it is so you get a sampling of her voice:
"I would by lying if I said his leaving wasn't a tiny bit of a relief, at least at first. My initial thought-due mostly to sleep deprivation, the effects of which, as any mother or political prisoner knows, never entirely fades- was that once the girls were in bed, I could ignore the dishes to be done and laundry (still in a compact three-day-old brick from the Laundromat drop off service) to be put away."
Um, hello. I remember when Matt and I went through a rough patch and I made him leave, I was secretly grateful that all of a sudden, the pressure to be a good wife AND mother were temporarily gone. To make matters worse, Jenny's infant, Rose, is the epitome of what you don't want in a second child when you are already exhausted, questioning life, and basically over it all. She cries a lot, she is very high needs, and she never sleeps. It summed up what Olivia was for me. And when Jenny repeats, " shut up, shut up, shut up, please shut up" hoping for just a little respite, and maybe a nap, I totally got it. Totally freaking got it. It's everything you never want to admit to a mother and I laughed out loud when Jenny's character referenced "the sheet they make you sign saying you won't shake your baby no matter what" because honestly, been there. I get it.
So I felt like Jenny was me. I connected with her throughout the book. Even with cute dad, a neighborhood dad that is basically a stay at home dad and leads Jenny astray even though her husband has seemingly up and left. And side note? When he sends her a god damn post card basically saying he needs time, but oh don't worry- he'll come back? Stab. I would have been homicidal. Like, oh- please. Take all of the time you need while I'm sleep deprived and trying to feed the dog cereal because I can't force myself down the stairs and down the street to the store one more time with two high demand children in tow.
What else I loved? How her relationship with Laura starts out kind of indifferent, just like any relationship would be when you make a new mommy friend, and eventually grows into a lasting friendship. The irony here is how I finished this book and one of the books I'm reviewing tomorrow made me think of this book again. I'll talk more about that tomorrow. But it's hard to make friends when you become a mother, especially if these are other mommy friends, because you feel judged. It's really difficult to get past that and really not care what others moms are thinking because you know you are doing the best that you know how to do, but at the same time, want to know what you can do to be better.
I don't want to talk about the mermaid aspect, or if Harry comes back, or what transpires with cute dad, or none of that. Because it would ruin it for you and this is too good of a book to do that. But I will tell you this, I have mixed emotions about the ending. You knew it was going to happen (well, I suspected) and when it does.. I feel bad for Jenny. It made me wonder if it's really what she wanted or if she really just felt trapped. But at the same time, I totally understood it because I had a similar ending and look at Matt and I now. So who knows. (Is that enough of a spoiler?)
http://strandupdate.blogspot.com
Which legitimately felt a little cheated because now I feel like I have a different route to go on my own memoir someday. But, that's a story for another day. Literally.
Literally on the first page there was a line that I found myself saying, "dammit, I hear you on THAT", and here it is so you get a sampling of her voice:
"I would by lying if I said his leaving wasn't a tiny bit of a relief, at least at first. My initial thought-due mostly to sleep deprivation, the effects of which, as any mother or political prisoner knows, never entirely fades- was that once the girls were in bed, I could ignore the dishes to be done and laundry (still in a compact three-day-old brick from the Laundromat drop off service) to be put away."
Um, hello. I remember when Matt and I went through a rough patch and I made him leave, I was secretly grateful that all of a sudden, the pressure to be a good wife AND mother were temporarily gone. To make matters worse, Jenny's infant, Rose, is the epitome of what you don't want in a second child when you are already exhausted, questioning life, and basically over it all. She cries a lot, she is very high needs, and she never sleeps. It summed up what Olivia was for me. And when Jenny repeats, " shut up, shut up, shut up, please shut up" hoping for just a little respite, and maybe a nap, I totally got it. Totally freaking got it. It's everything you never want to admit to a mother and I laughed out loud when Jenny's character referenced "the sheet they make you sign saying you won't shake your baby no matter what" because honestly, been there. I get it.
So I felt like Jenny was me. I connected with her throughout the book. Even with cute dad, a neighborhood dad that is basically a stay at home dad and leads Jenny astray even though her husband has seemingly up and left. And side note? When he sends her a god damn post card basically saying he needs time, but oh don't worry- he'll come back? Stab. I would have been homicidal. Like, oh- please. Take all of the time you need while I'm sleep deprived and trying to feed the dog cereal because I can't force myself down the stairs and down the street to the store one more time with two high demand children in tow.
What else I loved? How her relationship with Laura starts out kind of indifferent, just like any relationship would be when you make a new mommy friend, and eventually grows into a lasting friendship. The irony here is how I finished this book and one of the books I'm reviewing tomorrow made me think of this book again. I'll talk more about that tomorrow. But it's hard to make friends when you become a mother, especially if these are other mommy friends, because you feel judged. It's really difficult to get past that and really not care what others moms are thinking because you know you are doing the best that you know how to do, but at the same time, want to know what you can do to be better.
I don't want to talk about the mermaid aspect, or if Harry comes back, or what transpires with cute dad, or none of that. Because it would ruin it for you and this is too good of a book to do that. But I will tell you this, I have mixed emotions about the ending. You knew it was going to happen (well, I suspected) and when it does.. I feel bad for Jenny. It made me wonder if it's really what she wanted or if she really just felt trapped. But at the same time, I totally understood it because I had a similar ending and look at Matt and I now. So who knows. (Is that enough of a spoiler?)
http://strandupdate.blogspot.com
April 2, 2013
While this novel is definitely something of a summer read, with relatively simple themes of overcoming adversity and self-rediscovery, it's rewarding beyond that simplicity because of its language and the lens through which the themes are approached. Jenny, a disillusioned young mother, narrates the tale and manages to be quippy and funny even in the midst of chronicling her descent into despair. What would otherwise be an oppressive look at the sadness and lack of fulfillment in everyday life comes off instead like a bitter joke, delivered one wise-crack, one cutting observation at a time. The language would be enough to elevate this book to the level of literary humor, but it's the basic concept that really separates this book from the others on the new release shelves. There's a mermaid (a Russian rusalka, to be exact), who decides to take up residence inside Jenny, and who becomes a constant commentator on Jenny's life. It's a strange conceit, to be sure, but it serves as the perfect lens through which to view the ridiculousness of our own sadness, and more importantly the ridiculousness of our values, and how those values contribute to our sadness.
Is the rusalka real or merely a creation of Jenny's troubled mind? I'll leave it to the lit critics to debate that point. For me, I always read the fantastical as literal, and it's the weird realness of this novel that makes it worth a read, for the summer or any season thereafter.
Is the rusalka real or merely a creation of Jenny's troubled mind? I'll leave it to the lit critics to debate that point. For me, I always read the fantastical as literal, and it's the weird realness of this novel that makes it worth a read, for the summer or any season thereafter.
May 9, 2013
This book has an audience that will enjoy it immensely; I'm just not in that audience
This didn't sound anything like the kind of book I'd normally pick up, but the publisher offered me a free advanced copy because Maria Semple blurbed it and my review of Semple's Where'd You Go Bernadette somehow earned more than 200 likes.
Jenny is a run-down mom in Brooklyn whose gambling-addicted husband doesn't come home one night. Pushed to her breaking point, Jenny decides to end her life but, in a magical realism twist of fate, becomes physical host to a mermaid instead.
The thing is, I just didn't like Jenny. I know that being a stay-at-home mom can be an exhausting and unfulfilling experience for some women, especially when your marriage isn't exactly sound. But it felt to me like Jenny wasn't really trying to do anything to improve her life other than whine. I didn't find her interesting and I didn't feel any sympathy or empathy for her, and so I ultimately caved and decided that this book is just not for me.
This didn't sound anything like the kind of book I'd normally pick up, but the publisher offered me a free advanced copy because Maria Semple blurbed it and my review of Semple's Where'd You Go Bernadette somehow earned more than 200 likes.
Jenny is a run-down mom in Brooklyn whose gambling-addicted husband doesn't come home one night. Pushed to her breaking point, Jenny decides to end her life but, in a magical realism twist of fate, becomes physical host to a mermaid instead.
The thing is, I just didn't like Jenny. I know that being a stay-at-home mom can be an exhausting and unfulfilling experience for some women, especially when your marriage isn't exactly sound. But it felt to me like Jenny wasn't really trying to do anything to improve her life other than whine. I didn't find her interesting and I didn't feel any sympathy or empathy for her, and so I ultimately caved and decided that this book is just not for me.
March 3, 2013
I recently read this book on a recommendation and loved it. I live near and work in, Park Slope, Brooklyn where this book takes place. It's so much fun to read a book where you can recognize the places and people that are being written about - but it's not just a book about being a mom in Brooklyn. It's almost like a love story to motherhood, it tells about the daily struggles and heroics that Jenny Lipkin survives every day and they're the same struggles and heroics that mothers of young children everywhere go through. I think the writer does a great job of tapping in to this consciousness and telling the story of of how it is to raise little kids - no matter what your family situation or how many mythical creatures you have living in your head telling you what to do.
April 7, 2013
It was crystal clear to me in less than 30 pages that this book and I were not going to get along. At all. By page 75, I threw in the towel. This is a horrible portrait of a stay-at-home mom, and in a lot of ways it's very scarily accurate. I'm a stay-at-home mom, and the very last thing I want to read about is my own life. And that is what it feels like. Breastfeeding, messy house, etc. I'm living it to a certain extent; this is not enjoyable fiction. The MC is incredibly whiny and so far has done nothing to try to improve her life. She's obviously not satisfied with her marriage or even being a mother. But on top of that, she also can't show any compassion to her pet!
From the book:
Juniper regained her senses, cowering, tail tucked under her butt. It was too late. I grabbed her nose and smacked her side as hard as I could without jiggling the baby. "You fucking dog," I hissed into her watery eyes. "I am going to take you to the fucking butcher, you hear me?" Rage pumped through my veins. My hands shook. Why did the world hate me? Why was I so incompetent? Why was the dog such an asshole?
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find a dog to pet.
From the book:
Juniper regained her senses, cowering, tail tucked under her butt. It was too late. I grabbed her nose and smacked her side as hard as I could without jiggling the baby. "You fucking dog," I hissed into her watery eyes. "I am going to take you to the fucking butcher, you hear me?" Rage pumped through my veins. My hands shook. Why did the world hate me? Why was I so incompetent? Why was the dog such an asshole?
Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go find a dog to pet.
August 7, 2019
This book is keeping me interested. As I read, I keep thinking..."Am I like this mom, or am I totally different?" I don't care about shoes, never lived in a big city, never cared that I gave up a "career" for life as a stay at home mom. I loved being home, and always stayed motivated and positive.
But I certainly did worry about all the things in the world that could harm my children. I experienced sleep training (but I didn't wait till I was so sleep deprived I couldn't think straight.)
And quotes like this, I can identify with completely, "...it had occured to me that this whole having-children situation was essentially a process of unspooling. Once [my child] had been so close to me that her feet had gotten stuck in my ribs. We lived literally tethered. And then she was born and screamed if she wasn't being nursed or held. But with each day, she unspooled a little farther away--rolling over, eating food, sitting, walking, screaming, 'Go away, Mommy!'--the crimson thread connecting us unraveling more and more as she wandered out into the woods of the world." page 142 As one of my daughers heads (back) to college in a few weeks, and my other daughter goes away to camp for 7 full days (never been away that long before)....I feel our tether growing longer, stretching and loosening as they grow.
In the end I feel like generously giving the book 4 stars, I still feel uncertain whether or not I liked the book. Jenny is truly living a different life than mine, and yet I could relate to her in some ways. This book illustrates the idea that, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." I'm not sure if I would've taken Harry back in the end....but who knows?
Saw this book on a fb post.
But I certainly did worry about all the things in the world that could harm my children. I experienced sleep training (but I didn't wait till I was so sleep deprived I couldn't think straight.)
And quotes like this, I can identify with completely, "...it had occured to me that this whole having-children situation was essentially a process of unspooling. Once [my child] had been so close to me that her feet had gotten stuck in my ribs. We lived literally tethered. And then she was born and screamed if she wasn't being nursed or held. But with each day, she unspooled a little farther away--rolling over, eating food, sitting, walking, screaming, 'Go away, Mommy!'--the crimson thread connecting us unraveling more and more as she wandered out into the woods of the world." page 142 As one of my daughers heads (back) to college in a few weeks, and my other daughter goes away to camp for 7 full days (never been away that long before)....I feel our tether growing longer, stretching and loosening as they grow.
In the end I feel like generously giving the book 4 stars, I still feel uncertain whether or not I liked the book. Jenny is truly living a different life than mine, and yet I could relate to her in some ways. This book illustrates the idea that, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." I'm not sure if I would've taken Harry back in the end....but who knows?
Saw this book on a fb post.
March 12, 2013
This is a book about motherhood but also more than motherhood - being a person and still being a mother. Shearn does a beautiful job of expressing the difficult emotions of a new mother with a toddler and encompasses post partum depression in all it's terrible glory. The writing is spectacular - Shearn made me laugh out loud over and over again! She manages to mix beautiful prose, witty satire, and describes the intricacies of motherhood in a way you only speak of with your closest mom friends - and she is spot on! My only issue with the book was that as she moved away from the depression - she still mostly portrayed motherhood as difficult. I would have like to hear/feel more of the joy a mother feels in her children. Great book!
March 18, 2013
Too much angst! Too much self! Written in the first person and all about that. Jenny, married five years & with a baby & a toddler, wakes up to find her husband gone. Well, he is bipolar & a gambler, aloof from his children, and he smokes. Is it time to say good riddance? Not for Jenny. She has to spend the summer analyzing it but accepts Harry when he shows up again in September. Really?
September 24, 2012
Lots of grim details about life with kids; not a lot of forward momentum or interest. Great title, but the mermaid turns out to be an irritating cheerleader in the protagonist's head who drops in and out of the narrative at random, adding nothing to the story.
March 13, 2014
i have liked Amy Shearn for so long, just from FB and twitter and Instagram, pictures of her kids, posts about her kids, articles and lists published in so many places, that I finally read her book. She gets the day to day despair and joy of urban motherhood, I was almost breathless.
October 12, 2020
Me and this book just didn't get along very well, had some good bits but I just got annoyed with the characters
July 14, 2018
Full of neurotic wandering. Way too long. Unsympathetic and unlikable characters.
April 10, 2013
What initially appealed to me about this novel was its Brooklyn setting. Jenny Lipkin is married to Harry, a man who works for his family's failing candy supply business. They have two daughters, preschooler Betty and baby Rose.
They live in a cramped (but expensive) Park Slope walk-up, and they seem to argue a lot. Harry has a gambling problem and feels he is meant to do better things. One day Harry calls and says he is stopping to get cigarettes and doesn't return. Jenny is a little worried, but to be honest, Harry has done this before; gone on a gambling binge, and returned flush with enough money to buy off Jenny's anger.
But this time feels diferent. Harry's brother and mother seem to be more worried than usual, and there is money missing from the business. Jenny is angry, but she has two girls to care for, and has to figure out a way to make ends meet without Harry's sales commissions coming in.
Jenny takes the kids to the park everyday, where she hangs out with her good friend Laura and Laura's daughter while they swoon over Sam the Cute Dad, whom all of the mommies have a crush on. The playground scenes are so real, and as I pass the city playgrounds and parks I see these women and wonder what it is like to raise young children in the city. Thanks to Shearn, I now have some insight.
I had two children 18 months apart, and Shearn expertly captures the claustrophobia of two young children and a mom stuck inside. Trying to keep them fed, entertained, bathed and put to bed is exhausting, let alone doing in in a tiny, hot apartment with toys everywhere.
One day, Jenny reaches the breaking point. She makes a bad decision, and this is where it gets really interesting. Jenny is saved by a mermaid, a rusalka as they are known in the Slavic fairy tales that Jenny studied.
This mermaid now inhabits Jenny's body along with Jenny, and she is ready to have some fun. She encourages Jenny to get her act together, and to go after Sam the Cute Dad because the mermaid wants to have sex. The interaction between Jenny and the mermaid provides much of the humor in the story.
Jenny does get her act together, and finds that she is really good at sewing, starting a home business copying fancy boutique dresses for the other, wealthier Park Slope mommies. She is at odds with her husband's family, although her relationship with Harry's mother Sylvia improves as Sylvia comes to help with the children.
The Mermaid of Brooklyn is a story that combines some hard truths about marriage and motherhood with a splash of a fairy tale. There is some question as to whether the mermaid truly exists or is something that Jenny conjured in her mind to help her deal with her husband's desertion, and the fact that Jenny had some emotional issues in the past feeds into that speculation. It is up to reader to ultimately decide.
Shearn takes us inside not only this intriguing woman Jenny's mind and apartment, but also the unique world of Park Slope. Everyone there feels pressure to keep up, and we go inside the various haunts- Two Little Red Hens bakery, Donuts diner and of course, beautiful Prospect Park, where much of the action takes place.
Don't overlook the Q&A section at the end where Shearn gives the origins of her story and characters.
It took a awhile to get into this book, but once I did, I was hooked on Jenny's story. It is a smart, sparkling and well-written novel that captured my heart and my mind.
They live in a cramped (but expensive) Park Slope walk-up, and they seem to argue a lot. Harry has a gambling problem and feels he is meant to do better things. One day Harry calls and says he is stopping to get cigarettes and doesn't return. Jenny is a little worried, but to be honest, Harry has done this before; gone on a gambling binge, and returned flush with enough money to buy off Jenny's anger.
But this time feels diferent. Harry's brother and mother seem to be more worried than usual, and there is money missing from the business. Jenny is angry, but she has two girls to care for, and has to figure out a way to make ends meet without Harry's sales commissions coming in.
Jenny takes the kids to the park everyday, where she hangs out with her good friend Laura and Laura's daughter while they swoon over Sam the Cute Dad, whom all of the mommies have a crush on. The playground scenes are so real, and as I pass the city playgrounds and parks I see these women and wonder what it is like to raise young children in the city. Thanks to Shearn, I now have some insight.
I had two children 18 months apart, and Shearn expertly captures the claustrophobia of two young children and a mom stuck inside. Trying to keep them fed, entertained, bathed and put to bed is exhausting, let alone doing in in a tiny, hot apartment with toys everywhere.
One day, Jenny reaches the breaking point. She makes a bad decision, and this is where it gets really interesting. Jenny is saved by a mermaid, a rusalka as they are known in the Slavic fairy tales that Jenny studied.
This mermaid now inhabits Jenny's body along with Jenny, and she is ready to have some fun. She encourages Jenny to get her act together, and to go after Sam the Cute Dad because the mermaid wants to have sex. The interaction between Jenny and the mermaid provides much of the humor in the story.
Jenny does get her act together, and finds that she is really good at sewing, starting a home business copying fancy boutique dresses for the other, wealthier Park Slope mommies. She is at odds with her husband's family, although her relationship with Harry's mother Sylvia improves as Sylvia comes to help with the children.
The Mermaid of Brooklyn is a story that combines some hard truths about marriage and motherhood with a splash of a fairy tale. There is some question as to whether the mermaid truly exists or is something that Jenny conjured in her mind to help her deal with her husband's desertion, and the fact that Jenny had some emotional issues in the past feeds into that speculation. It is up to reader to ultimately decide.
Shearn takes us inside not only this intriguing woman Jenny's mind and apartment, but also the unique world of Park Slope. Everyone there feels pressure to keep up, and we go inside the various haunts- Two Little Red Hens bakery, Donuts diner and of course, beautiful Prospect Park, where much of the action takes place.
Don't overlook the Q&A section at the end where Shearn gives the origins of her story and characters.
It took a awhile to get into this book, but once I did, I was hooked on Jenny's story. It is a smart, sparkling and well-written novel that captured my heart and my mind.
March 26, 2013
2.5/5
Mon avis en Français
My English review
Wow this book is not what I expected at all and yet I did not have many things in mind. After reading a book about mermaids, I really wanted to find another one. I must say that we do not find a lot novels featuring them and I wanted to learn more. But this book is not like that, even far from that. It is not a pretty story about a mythical character, but rather a psychological drama about the life of a young mother.
Jenny is a young woman who is depressed but raises her two children, two girls quite agitated like all children, but she loves them with all her heart. But one day, her husband Harry, who was on his way to go home, doesn’t return and the Jenny's life is turned upside down beyond recognition. Poor thing, it was already very difficult for her, but she must now manage everything alone. It even goes to the point where she decides to commit suicide, but while jumping from a bridge, she sees herself saved by the spirit of a mermaid who installs herself as a parasite in her body. We do not know much about this being, but the spirit will advise our heroine, or try to help her to survive day by day. I must say that I wondered if this siren was a manifestation of her subconscious, a manifestation of desires that could help her to survive to this life. And even at the end of the novel I could not really say, but it is nevertheless something that makes us think. We follow Jenny, the mother faces her doubts, her love, her desire to live, difficulties in daily life. Do not expect to have something paranormal or full of action, because this is really not the case.
We wonder what could have happened to Harry, he left and he thus abandoned everything and everyone behind him. It hurts to see her like that but she realizes that nobody has a perfect life and she is finally not alone to face this kind of reality.
So what about the story? I had a lot of trouble to get into it, it's interesting, sad, but it is also very long. It is quite difficult to focus on what is happening, especially since as I said we don’t have a lot of action but we still appreciate Jenny and try to understand her. Yet at the end of the book, I'm quite surprised to see that I did not agree with her choice, but I understand them but this is not what I wanted for her. This book shows that it is actually quite difficult to always be happy in life and we need to compromise. This is not the kind of book I would usually read, but it was interesting to see something different. But I am a little depressed by this read as it shows us that life is ultimately not a long quiet river. I would, however, wish a lot of happiness to Jenny, hoping she gets to be happy.
Mon avis en Français
My English review
Wow this book is not what I expected at all and yet I did not have many things in mind. After reading a book about mermaids, I really wanted to find another one. I must say that we do not find a lot novels featuring them and I wanted to learn more. But this book is not like that, even far from that. It is not a pretty story about a mythical character, but rather a psychological drama about the life of a young mother.
Jenny is a young woman who is depressed but raises her two children, two girls quite agitated like all children, but she loves them with all her heart. But one day, her husband Harry, who was on his way to go home, doesn’t return and the Jenny's life is turned upside down beyond recognition. Poor thing, it was already very difficult for her, but she must now manage everything alone. It even goes to the point where she decides to commit suicide, but while jumping from a bridge, she sees herself saved by the spirit of a mermaid who installs herself as a parasite in her body. We do not know much about this being, but the spirit will advise our heroine, or try to help her to survive day by day. I must say that I wondered if this siren was a manifestation of her subconscious, a manifestation of desires that could help her to survive to this life. And even at the end of the novel I could not really say, but it is nevertheless something that makes us think. We follow Jenny, the mother faces her doubts, her love, her desire to live, difficulties in daily life. Do not expect to have something paranormal or full of action, because this is really not the case.
We wonder what could have happened to Harry, he left and he thus abandoned everything and everyone behind him. It hurts to see her like that but she realizes that nobody has a perfect life and she is finally not alone to face this kind of reality.
So what about the story? I had a lot of trouble to get into it, it's interesting, sad, but it is also very long. It is quite difficult to focus on what is happening, especially since as I said we don’t have a lot of action but we still appreciate Jenny and try to understand her. Yet at the end of the book, I'm quite surprised to see that I did not agree with her choice, but I understand them but this is not what I wanted for her. This book shows that it is actually quite difficult to always be happy in life and we need to compromise. This is not the kind of book I would usually read, but it was interesting to see something different. But I am a little depressed by this read as it shows us that life is ultimately not a long quiet river. I would, however, wish a lot of happiness to Jenny, hoping she gets to be happy.
April 10, 2013
"The Mermaid of Brooklyn" was the perfect day for me to while away the afternoon with. I definitely got sucked into this book. It's good fiction with a heavy dose of magical realism, an element that I absolutely love. It takes the ordinary and makes it fantastic. The main character, Jenny, is possessed by a rusalka (slavic for mermaid) when Jenny jumps off the Brooklyn Bridge. It has been awhile since I have read a book full of magical realism.
The whole story is narrated from the point of view from Jenny, a harried stay-at-home mom who is abandoned by her husband who goes on a crazy adventure to gamble. Jenny is one of those characters that I really didn't care for at first but she grew on me once the magic started happening. Jenny freaks out when her husband leaves (rightfully so). She is already overwhelmed by her motherly duties and is suffering from post-partum depression. She is sent over the edge when her husband leaves even if she didn't think that he was particularly helpful in the first place. Throughout the book, Jenny ruminates a lot on things like what it means to be a wife, a mother, and whether or not she is happy in her own life and what she can do to be happier. She doesn't always make the best choices throughout the book (as an animal lover, I absolutely hated when she got rid of the dog; it made me so sad!), but Jenny is definitely a character that you will be rooting for.
I really liked Shearn's writing style in this book. This is the first book that I have read by her and I know that I definitely want to read more by her in the future. Having Jenny narrate the book really pulls you into the story. You get a first row seat to Jenny's failures and triumphs. I really think that it's the writing that helps to turn Jenny into a character that you want to read about!
Bottom line: This is a good story for when you want an uplifting story about coping with a magical twist!
The whole story is narrated from the point of view from Jenny, a harried stay-at-home mom who is abandoned by her husband who goes on a crazy adventure to gamble. Jenny is one of those characters that I really didn't care for at first but she grew on me once the magic started happening. Jenny freaks out when her husband leaves (rightfully so). She is already overwhelmed by her motherly duties and is suffering from post-partum depression. She is sent over the edge when her husband leaves even if she didn't think that he was particularly helpful in the first place. Throughout the book, Jenny ruminates a lot on things like what it means to be a wife, a mother, and whether or not she is happy in her own life and what she can do to be happier. She doesn't always make the best choices throughout the book (as an animal lover, I absolutely hated when she got rid of the dog; it made me so sad!), but Jenny is definitely a character that you will be rooting for.
I really liked Shearn's writing style in this book. This is the first book that I have read by her and I know that I definitely want to read more by her in the future. Having Jenny narrate the book really pulls you into the story. You get a first row seat to Jenny's failures and triumphs. I really think that it's the writing that helps to turn Jenny into a character that you want to read about!
Bottom line: This is a good story for when you want an uplifting story about coping with a magical twist!
February 1, 2014
Amy Shearn is a terrific, witty writer. The narrative voice alone of her main character, Jenny, is easily worth the price of the book. And from what this ex-Park Sloper with no kids can tell, Shearn nails the new-parents scene in the Slope with verve and exactitude. The novel has a lovely, imaginative premise: Shearn never lets us know for sure whether the ruselka who takes over Jenny's life is a real being or some aspect of Jenny's own consciousness. Sometimes that kind of ambiguity can be annoying but here it feels just right.
I'm giving this book four stars because I enjoyed it so much, but I do have to say that the novel sags in the middle--lots of interior monologue from Jenny, not enough action. I started to wish, just like the ruselka, that she would go ahead and sleep with Sam already. Sam himself doesn't really emerge as a sharply defined character--which is appropriate, because he's the blank screen on which Jenny is projecting her desires, but it doesn't make for very interesting dialogue or action. When Jenny's husband returns at the end, the explanation of his absence doesn't ring true (which Jenny acknowledges) but at least the novel suddenly gains some energy.
That's when I realized this is actually a very sad story about two very screwed-up people, a woman who has battled serious depression, a man who has a serious gambling problem, who may or may not make it as a couple. Shearn's writing is so clever and funny that it almost obscures the real darkness here. So I have a weird reaction to this book: Loved it but can't help feeling that there's a very different novel lurking inside it.
I'm giving this book four stars because I enjoyed it so much, but I do have to say that the novel sags in the middle--lots of interior monologue from Jenny, not enough action. I started to wish, just like the ruselka, that she would go ahead and sleep with Sam already. Sam himself doesn't really emerge as a sharply defined character--which is appropriate, because he's the blank screen on which Jenny is projecting her desires, but it doesn't make for very interesting dialogue or action. When Jenny's husband returns at the end, the explanation of his absence doesn't ring true (which Jenny acknowledges) but at least the novel suddenly gains some energy.
That's when I realized this is actually a very sad story about two very screwed-up people, a woman who has battled serious depression, a man who has a serious gambling problem, who may or may not make it as a couple. Shearn's writing is so clever and funny that it almost obscures the real darkness here. So I have a weird reaction to this book: Loved it but can't help feeling that there's a very different novel lurking inside it.
June 5, 2013
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads, having entered the giveaway thinking that with it's upbeat, brightly colored cover, it would be a lighthearted, romantic affair with a quirky, awkward, yet likeable and interesting heroine, taking care of her kids in NYC.
Instead, I got a psuedo-fairy tale (whose main characters makes fun of fairy tales and misquotes the lyrics from Sleeping Beauty NOT on purpose) whose Cinderella is a cranky, whining, and morally questionable mother possessed by a belligerent and apparently omniscient (live underwater for hundreds of years and understand everything about modern day New York? Yeah, sure) mermaid fairy-godmother with no backstory.
The sarcastic and cynical nature of the heroine made me entirely unsympathetic to her plight, and her complaints of "baby blues" and depression were not convincing. On the whole, it was predictable and overly saccharine, filled with stock characters and obvious narrative tropes, that just tied up too damn neatly at the end.
That being said, my opinion is colored by the fact that this book was just not anything that suits me: motherhood, marriage, and crazy in-laws are not in my day-to-day existence. So, I solidly believe that there is, indeed, an audience for this kind of material, and I most likely will be meeting them at the beach this summer.
Instead, I got a psuedo-fairy tale (whose main characters makes fun of fairy tales and misquotes the lyrics from Sleeping Beauty NOT on purpose) whose Cinderella is a cranky, whining, and morally questionable mother possessed by a belligerent and apparently omniscient (live underwater for hundreds of years and understand everything about modern day New York? Yeah, sure) mermaid fairy-godmother with no backstory.
The sarcastic and cynical nature of the heroine made me entirely unsympathetic to her plight, and her complaints of "baby blues" and depression were not convincing. On the whole, it was predictable and overly saccharine, filled with stock characters and obvious narrative tropes, that just tied up too damn neatly at the end.
That being said, my opinion is colored by the fact that this book was just not anything that suits me: motherhood, marriage, and crazy in-laws are not in my day-to-day existence. So, I solidly believe that there is, indeed, an audience for this kind of material, and I most likely will be meeting them at the beach this summer.
February 17, 2013
For any parent who has been able to stay at home with two or more young children, this book will take you right back to that most depressingly agonizing yet most joyful time. Amy Shearn describes situations so perfectly it gave me flashbacks, almost to the point that, at times, I was crippled with my own memories of postpartum hell. Ironically, although my heart broke for the main character, Jenny; like her, I wanted to be selfish in my own misery.
This is an amazing story of love, survival, understanding, forgiveness, and rebirth. For anyone currently fighting their own inner demons, it is inspiring and uplifting. It is proof that you are not alone and will, eventually, make it through to the other side.
Amy Shearn has a writing style so comfortable it seems as if you are part of the story watching it unfold around you. Her first book, “How Far is the Ocean from Here,” was written the same way. She is one of those authors on my bookshelf that will always have an empty space anxiously awaiting the newest release.
This is an amazing story of love, survival, understanding, forgiveness, and rebirth. For anyone currently fighting their own inner demons, it is inspiring and uplifting. It is proof that you are not alone and will, eventually, make it through to the other side.
Amy Shearn has a writing style so comfortable it seems as if you are part of the story watching it unfold around you. Her first book, “How Far is the Ocean from Here,” was written the same way. She is one of those authors on my bookshelf that will always have an empty space anxiously awaiting the newest release.
July 19, 2013
other reviewers mentioned the narrator's passionate, ceaseless whining. it's true; she whined lots. but I could sympathize with her because she confirmed all of my worst fears about being a stay-at-home mother. it sounds absolutely awful! tell me it isn't all horrible! I felt so bad for her. even though I strongly dislike magic realism, I still gave this book two stars because I felt so terrible for this poor mom.
I have to say, the ending was so abrupt and weak that it seemed like the author got tired and just wanted to wrap it up. I can't blame her.
I have to say, the ending was so abrupt and weak that it seemed like the author got tired and just wanted to wrap it up. I can't blame her.
February 24, 2013
Shearn captures the pure exhaustion of early motherhood and postpartum depression perfectly. It has been over 10 years since having my own baby, but I was transported right back to those early weeks. When Shearn introduces a rusalka (the slavic word for mermaid) into the story, Jenny's interior monologue and inner strength are revealed and the ho-hum day-to-day life of a middle-class single mom unfolds into an Everymother sort of tale.
April 8, 2013
I loved the book and I loved Jenny even with all her fear and insecurities. I enjoyed the description of the Brooklyn neighborhoods and parks and I now feel like I am even more familiar with that area. My favorite quote, that I wished I had known about when I was raising or trying to raise kids, was "let me share some wisdom from the great beyond: It's true, Everyone has something. No matter how perfect their lives seem. everyone". Thanks Amy.
August 3, 2014
I was not quite sure about this book when the first sentence was "Before I died the first time, my husband left me broke and alone with our two tiny children..." But I stayed with it and it drew me in quickly. Amy Shearer weaves a tale of sensational emotions and raw feelings as the reader sees the life of Jenny Lipkin unfolding in front of their eyes. Once I started I could not stop. Fabulous book with wonderful writing!!!
February 26, 2013
“I absolutely loved this inventive, smartly written tale of a struggling single mother who finds herself seeing her life through new eyes--those of a lusty, fearless and frequently wise mermaid eager to take on all the world has to offer. Insightful and engaging.
November 4, 2012
Could not finish this book, which is more about place and character than it is about story. Won't be recommending it.
January 5, 2018
***There will be spoilers in this review: Read at your own risk***
Themes of this book:
Motherhood, Postpartum & Standard Depression, Suicide, Love, Family, Forgiveness, Self-esteem, Mythology, Psychosis.
I love all things mermaid so I was drawn to this story with high hopes. As a social worker, the themes of family mixed with Mental Health Illnesses are always fascinating and somewhat informative whether or not they are fictionalized. I have to say I was not disappointed in the originality of this story. At least, as such, in my eyes I have never come across such an inventive and complexly woven story of real life mixed with fantasy. Though, I do have to admit there were moments of predictability in the story which is why I only gave this work 3 stars.
Summary:
Jenny and Harry meet, fall in love, marry swiftly and have two beautiful babies. Living in New York, they have a costly apartment that's too small. Harry works for a crumbling family business which doesn't make enough money to cover all the bills. Harry is stressed out and Jenny has a history of depression and suicide attempts. Struggling to cope, Harry makes a bold and idiotic choice to abandon his family. This leaves Jenny in an incredibly vulnerable position and she struggles to find her footing. One night when she can't cope with the babies, with her missing husband and with the pain she feels, she jumps off a bridge.
This is where we get introduced to our Mermaid. Jenny dies and is saved by the mermaid her takes possession of her body in order to return to land and have some fun. Is this real? Is it a figment of Jenny's imagination as a coping mechanism? It's hard to say but it's fascinating. We start to see changes in Jenny, slowly. She starts to toughen up. She starts to take control and she starts to enjoy things. Slowly she's learning how to be happy, without her husband, and potentially with someone new.
Even with this powerful guiding force inside her, Jenny struggles. This story doesn't make lite of depression and its affects on the brain and in peoples lives. Jenny recognizes that she is depressed and that she needs help some days to get through. This becomes a crutch in the writing however as it is constantly part of Jenny's dialogue with herself. She is never able to let go enough of her thoughts to enjoy moments, even when she tries. I don't mean to speak badly here, but what I'm trying to say is that it becomes repetitive. To the point that you can anticipate how Jenny is going to talk to herself and to the mermaid in her with negative thoughts. It can be hard to look past, especially if you don't have a clear understanding of depression. It could seem like Jenny is just a negative person all the time, but it's really the depression.
Moving beyond that, the supporting characters of Friends and family are both enjoyable and annoying. It's a well balanced mix of characters which inflated moments of happiness and turmoil.
I was a bit disappointed in the end, from a feminist view I thought if should have gone differently, but then, on the other side of the feminist coin, it went probably how it should have.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to other readers who like imaginative mythology but heavy hitting human interest stories done in humour and sarcasm.
Cheers!
Themes of this book:
Motherhood, Postpartum & Standard Depression, Suicide, Love, Family, Forgiveness, Self-esteem, Mythology, Psychosis.
I love all things mermaid so I was drawn to this story with high hopes. As a social worker, the themes of family mixed with Mental Health Illnesses are always fascinating and somewhat informative whether or not they are fictionalized. I have to say I was not disappointed in the originality of this story. At least, as such, in my eyes I have never come across such an inventive and complexly woven story of real life mixed with fantasy. Though, I do have to admit there were moments of predictability in the story which is why I only gave this work 3 stars.
Summary:
Jenny and Harry meet, fall in love, marry swiftly and have two beautiful babies. Living in New York, they have a costly apartment that's too small. Harry works for a crumbling family business which doesn't make enough money to cover all the bills. Harry is stressed out and Jenny has a history of depression and suicide attempts. Struggling to cope, Harry makes a bold and idiotic choice to abandon his family. This leaves Jenny in an incredibly vulnerable position and she struggles to find her footing. One night when she can't cope with the babies, with her missing husband and with the pain she feels, she jumps off a bridge.
This is where we get introduced to our Mermaid. Jenny dies and is saved by the mermaid her takes possession of her body in order to return to land and have some fun. Is this real? Is it a figment of Jenny's imagination as a coping mechanism? It's hard to say but it's fascinating. We start to see changes in Jenny, slowly. She starts to toughen up. She starts to take control and she starts to enjoy things. Slowly she's learning how to be happy, without her husband, and potentially with someone new.
Even with this powerful guiding force inside her, Jenny struggles. This story doesn't make lite of depression and its affects on the brain and in peoples lives. Jenny recognizes that she is depressed and that she needs help some days to get through. This becomes a crutch in the writing however as it is constantly part of Jenny's dialogue with herself. She is never able to let go enough of her thoughts to enjoy moments, even when she tries. I don't mean to speak badly here, but what I'm trying to say is that it becomes repetitive. To the point that you can anticipate how Jenny is going to talk to herself and to the mermaid in her with negative thoughts. It can be hard to look past, especially if you don't have a clear understanding of depression. It could seem like Jenny is just a negative person all the time, but it's really the depression.
Moving beyond that, the supporting characters of Friends and family are both enjoyable and annoying. It's a well balanced mix of characters which inflated moments of happiness and turmoil.
I was a bit disappointed in the end, from a feminist view I thought if should have gone differently, but then, on the other side of the feminist coin, it went probably how it should have.
Overall, I'd recommend this book to other readers who like imaginative mythology but heavy hitting human interest stories done in humour and sarcasm.
Cheers!
May 5, 2025
Shearn can make me laugh out loud, which is rare for me when reading a novel, even ones I find funny. The author brings in a supernatural element in this book as she does in Unseen City, although one could argue that perhaps the "mermaid" is more of a newly-discovered subconscious. Again, Shearn is exploring the plight of a woman who finds herself trapped, this time in motherhood and a terrible marriage with a husband who is figuratively and then literally absent.
Besides the humor, Shearn is adept at striking chords about the complexity of human relationships, especially from the modern woman's perspective in America. She also makes brilliant observations about human nature through the voices of her characters: "I'd found that people who said things like 'I have to start thinking about myself' tended to be people who were very good at thinking about themselves." Touché!
Shearn knows a thing or two about marriage, for better or worse: "Here's the thing about being married. You're just still two people living in the world. You know? It's not going to make him any more sensitive or you any less sensitive. And you're both going to be animals gnashing through life, driven by your same old appetites, thinking of yourselves first even when you think you're not."
But sometimes she's just plain funny, like this exchange between father and daughter about the mother who recently took a trip overseas for the first time.
Daughter: "Guess she really got the travel bug, huh?"
Father: "Well, she had a little diarrhea, she said, but mostly, she was okay."
Pure gold. LOL!
Besides the humor, Shearn is adept at striking chords about the complexity of human relationships, especially from the modern woman's perspective in America. She also makes brilliant observations about human nature through the voices of her characters: "I'd found that people who said things like 'I have to start thinking about myself' tended to be people who were very good at thinking about themselves." Touché!
Shearn knows a thing or two about marriage, for better or worse: "Here's the thing about being married. You're just still two people living in the world. You know? It's not going to make him any more sensitive or you any less sensitive. And you're both going to be animals gnashing through life, driven by your same old appetites, thinking of yourselves first even when you think you're not."
But sometimes she's just plain funny, like this exchange between father and daughter about the mother who recently took a trip overseas for the first time.
Daughter: "Guess she really got the travel bug, huh?"
Father: "Well, she had a little diarrhea, she said, but mostly, she was okay."
Pure gold. LOL!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 186 reviews