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The Moorings of Mackerel Sky
Debut novelist MZ marries fantasy with the everyday in her contemporary novel of a Maine lobstering town whose local myths come to life.
They say Mackerel Sky was founded when Captain Burrbank first saw Nimuë the Mermaid and forgot the sea. Stricken by love, he moored his tall ship and made camp on the highest cliff, hoping to forever gaze upon her beauty. That camp became a settlement, the settlement a town, the town a community both blessed and cursed by their tempestuous affair.
Three hundred years later, the legend of the Mermaid and the Captain who loved her still invigorates and haunts the inhabitants of the small Maine lobstering town. Take gruff widow Myra Kelley, who finds herself the de facto guardian of Leo Beale and knows his drunken antics are really attempts to escape an opiate-addicted mother and her boyfriends. Or Derrick Stowe, the town’s star pitcher, who wants nothing more than to read his mother’s musings on mermaids, write poetry to his secret boyfriend, and come out to his father, though he will learn how devastatingly small small towns can be. Or the oft-institutionalized Manon Perle, whose gorgeous, detailed quilts of the Mackerel Sky legend belie the terrible pain of—as she claims—having given her only child to the women in the waves.
In this close-knit town famous for its infamous mermaids, community is built through love and lore—willful elements that the townsfolk will have to harness if Mackerel Sky is to endure for another three hundred years.
They say Mackerel Sky was founded when Captain Burrbank first saw Nimuë the Mermaid and forgot the sea. Stricken by love, he moored his tall ship and made camp on the highest cliff, hoping to forever gaze upon her beauty. That camp became a settlement, the settlement a town, the town a community both blessed and cursed by their tempestuous affair.
Three hundred years later, the legend of the Mermaid and the Captain who loved her still invigorates and haunts the inhabitants of the small Maine lobstering town. Take gruff widow Myra Kelley, who finds herself the de facto guardian of Leo Beale and knows his drunken antics are really attempts to escape an opiate-addicted mother and her boyfriends. Or Derrick Stowe, the town’s star pitcher, who wants nothing more than to read his mother’s musings on mermaids, write poetry to his secret boyfriend, and come out to his father, though he will learn how devastatingly small small towns can be. Or the oft-institutionalized Manon Perle, whose gorgeous, detailed quilts of the Mackerel Sky legend belie the terrible pain of—as she claims—having given her only child to the women in the waves.
In this close-knit town famous for its infamous mermaids, community is built through love and lore—willful elements that the townsfolk will have to harness if Mackerel Sky is to endure for another three hundred years.
289 pages, Paperback
Published March 4, 2025
41 people are currently reading
15732 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 175 reviews
February 4, 2024
Sometimes you read a book and either it’s the perfect time or tide or star sign, but it just lands exactly right. This is the type of book that I’m not sure I would’ve loved last month or last year or two years from now.
And, honestly, I kind of didn’t expect to like it that much now… I was assuming maybe good to middling. This is not my genre, and from the first chapter I knew it had more earnest feeling than I’m generally capable of relating to. But…I guess this was its perfect moment and Holy moly, I freaking adored this book. Like, nearly without caveat, loved this book.
The prose is dense in metaphor and poetry in the best way. (Though that is coming from someone who admittedly doesn’t like poetry, so maybe don’t take my word for it. Also someone who admittedly does have a weakness for kind of purple prose…(And there are your first caveats, you’re welcome.) ) There are so many lines I would best describe as gorgeous or gut-wrenching, or some other adjective I lack because I am not a poet or a writer. The descriptions of the sea and the sky, and the island are all so richly done, and sometimes the prose is just so rhythmic and lyrical and emotive that you kind of forget, you’re supposed to be reading a book with a plot. So maybe just don’t worry about the plot (there isn’t a ton, but what’s there is good) or the mythology within the narrative.
This book didn’t do its world-building in the usual way, the lore is more fairytale as told by a depressed sailor or an intentionally evasive barmaid. And while those who came for a detailed mermaid story may be disappointed everything about it just worked for me. *shrug*
There are many fascinating characters in this story, and so many complicated and beautiful relationships as well. I think the story of Myra and Leo will be the one that sticks with me indefinitely. (They brought me to tears a couple of times, not gonna lie.)
I am really failing to make my case for what struck me so entirely about this book, but I guess sometimes you can get away with calling it ineffable and reminding yourself probably no one is going to read this far in your ramblings anyway… so there.
My thanks to the publisher for the ARC, all my muddled, if effusively positive, opinions are my own.
And, honestly, I kind of didn’t expect to like it that much now… I was assuming maybe good to middling. This is not my genre, and from the first chapter I knew it had more earnest feeling than I’m generally capable of relating to. But…I guess this was its perfect moment and Holy moly, I freaking adored this book. Like, nearly without caveat, loved this book.
The prose is dense in metaphor and poetry in the best way. (Though that is coming from someone who admittedly doesn’t like poetry, so maybe don’t take my word for it. Also someone who admittedly does have a weakness for kind of purple prose…(And there are your first caveats, you’re welcome.) ) There are so many lines I would best describe as gorgeous or gut-wrenching, or some other adjective I lack because I am not a poet or a writer. The descriptions of the sea and the sky, and the island are all so richly done, and sometimes the prose is just so rhythmic and lyrical and emotive that you kind of forget, you’re supposed to be reading a book with a plot. So maybe just don’t worry about the plot (there isn’t a ton, but what’s there is good) or the mythology within the narrative.
This book didn’t do its world-building in the usual way, the lore is more fairytale as told by a depressed sailor or an intentionally evasive barmaid. And while those who came for a detailed mermaid story may be disappointed everything about it just worked for me. *shrug*
There are many fascinating characters in this story, and so many complicated and beautiful relationships as well. I think the story of Myra and Leo will be the one that sticks with me indefinitely. (They brought me to tears a couple of times, not gonna lie.)
I am really failing to make my case for what struck me so entirely about this book, but I guess sometimes you can get away with calling it ineffable and reminding yourself probably no one is going to read this far in your ramblings anyway… so there.
My thanks to the publisher for the ARC, all my muddled, if effusively positive, opinions are my own.
November 3, 2024
From page one, I loved reading this fantastically original approach to the mermaid genre. MZ's prose is mature, beautifully crafted magic, and nothing about The Moorings of Mackerel Sky reads like a typical first book.
The POV travels through three sets of characters, all of whom come together at the end, united in one purpose. The setting, a small town in Maine known for its mermaid sightings and local folklore, also serves as the primary vehicle for conflict. Readers won't be able to stop turning pages to witness how each group of characters contend with this conflict, as they grapple with bigotry, loss, friendship, love, and of course a healthy dose of everyday magic. The last few chapters when all characters work together are just perfection.
My favorite storyline follows elderly Myra, a descendant of a mermaid herself and rumored to be a witch, as she finds late motherhood by caring for a boy, Leo, who by happenstance stumbles into her life. Leo's true mother, a crack addict, has been neglecting him horribly and he eventually seeks refuge with Myra. I love the dynamic between these two characters.
This is a novel with so much to offer bookclub or classroom discussions. There are beautiful thematic motifs about bigotry and tolerance, books and reading, motherhood and the tides, destruction and rebirth. There are so many ideas to explore...maybe too many for my short response here--but what should be very clear to anyone who reads this novel is that MZ is no dabbler. The writing here is literary, and I for one will be preordering all of her future endeavors.
The POV travels through three sets of characters, all of whom come together at the end, united in one purpose. The setting, a small town in Maine known for its mermaid sightings and local folklore, also serves as the primary vehicle for conflict. Readers won't be able to stop turning pages to witness how each group of characters contend with this conflict, as they grapple with bigotry, loss, friendship, love, and of course a healthy dose of everyday magic. The last few chapters when all characters work together are just perfection.
My favorite storyline follows elderly Myra, a descendant of a mermaid herself and rumored to be a witch, as she finds late motherhood by caring for a boy, Leo, who by happenstance stumbles into her life. Leo's true mother, a crack addict, has been neglecting him horribly and he eventually seeks refuge with Myra. I love the dynamic between these two characters.
This is a novel with so much to offer bookclub or classroom discussions. There are beautiful thematic motifs about bigotry and tolerance, books and reading, motherhood and the tides, destruction and rebirth. There are so many ideas to explore...maybe too many for my short response here--but what should be very clear to anyone who reads this novel is that MZ is no dabbler. The writing here is literary, and I for one will be preordering all of her future endeavors.
Want to read
July 31, 2023WHERE ARE THE MERMAIDS? I quit after ~60ish pages. I tried, I really tried. I was lured in by such a mythical and magical premise, but it was hard to follow; especially as I drowned in excessive metaphors. This may work for some people, heck it might even work for future Sarah, but it was not working for right-now Sarah.
March 15, 2024
But her laugh shattered into a gut-dragging sob that shook her whole body, as her earth as she knew it split and crumbled and cracked and fell into the sea. Then she nodded and breathed because she was still breathing.
This was one of the most beautiful, haunting, and lyrical books I have ever read and probably one of my favorite books to date. It was written like a fairytale or a fable, with vignettes that made a greater whole of a wonderful story and it worked so well. Anything with a seaside setting, with MERMAIDS and some witches, could be nothing short of magical, but this was so unexpected that it took my breath away and had me crying. This was grief in the time of mermaids, and the grieving was described so tenderly, accurately, and poignantly it really hit me in the gut. I loved these characters, I loved this town, I loved this book and I will be thinking about it for a long time to come. I'm dumbfounded it was a debut because it really was everything and I'm so grateful to the author for writing it.
When I was a little girl after a beach day with my mom (we had many many of those in my childhood), I sat across from her at a local seafood spot and asked her if mermaids were real. I felt at home by the sea (still do- I am a Cancer, after all) and couldn't imagine anything better. So were mermaids real? I loved them and desperately wanted them to be, but I knew my mother would tell me the truth. And my wonderful mom said back, Do you believe they are? Anything is real if you believe in it enough. I thought about that childhood memory over and over again as i read this. I still hope mermaids were or are real, still hope I can find that magic in the grief i have in missing my nana so much I ache wholly from it.
"The tea will be good and strong even when you are not. It will steady your hands when the grief comes, and it can be your touchstone when you have a hard cry. The hard cries are good- that's the love we had yet to give them seeking them out. When in doubt, make a cup of tea"
I have to believe that magic is still out there- maybe if i believe in it enough. But until then....there's cups of tea and all the love I still have yet to give.
This was one of the most beautiful, haunting, and lyrical books I have ever read and probably one of my favorite books to date. It was written like a fairytale or a fable, with vignettes that made a greater whole of a wonderful story and it worked so well. Anything with a seaside setting, with MERMAIDS and some witches, could be nothing short of magical, but this was so unexpected that it took my breath away and had me crying. This was grief in the time of mermaids, and the grieving was described so tenderly, accurately, and poignantly it really hit me in the gut. I loved these characters, I loved this town, I loved this book and I will be thinking about it for a long time to come. I'm dumbfounded it was a debut because it really was everything and I'm so grateful to the author for writing it.
When I was a little girl after a beach day with my mom (we had many many of those in my childhood), I sat across from her at a local seafood spot and asked her if mermaids were real. I felt at home by the sea (still do- I am a Cancer, after all) and couldn't imagine anything better. So were mermaids real? I loved them and desperately wanted them to be, but I knew my mother would tell me the truth. And my wonderful mom said back, Do you believe they are? Anything is real if you believe in it enough. I thought about that childhood memory over and over again as i read this. I still hope mermaids were or are real, still hope I can find that magic in the grief i have in missing my nana so much I ache wholly from it.
"The tea will be good and strong even when you are not. It will steady your hands when the grief comes, and it can be your touchstone when you have a hard cry. The hard cries are good- that's the love we had yet to give them seeking them out. When in doubt, make a cup of tea"
I have to believe that magic is still out there- maybe if i believe in it enough. But until then....there's cups of tea and all the love I still have yet to give.
March 17, 2024
I really loved this. A quilt of a story, moving from one character to another until eventually you know the town well enough that the stories blend into each other and you can keep everyone straight when things start getting busy. And mermaids as magical but fierce creatures! Loved the lore around them and would love to read more.
I loved this town and most of its residents (the ones I hated were there to be hated). I eagerly look forward to whatever MZ writes next.
I loved this town and most of its residents (the ones I hated were there to be hated). I eagerly look forward to whatever MZ writes next.
Read
September 14, 2023I picked up an ARC at the ALA Convention in Chicago and finished it today.
Hm. Hmmm. I'm not quite sure how to rate this one.
I enjoyed the first half. The book switches between three groups of characters in a small town in coastal Maine. A young teenage boy from a troubled home and his growing friendship with an old woman, two older teenage boys who are hiding their relationship from their classmates and the one boy's incredibly homophobic and abusive father, and a woman who is rejoining society after being institutionalized after her daughter's death. These stories are linked in many ways, mostly by the closeness of the small town and by the legend of the town's founding: the story of a ship captain who fell in love with a mermaid, and how his betrayal cursed the town.
Unfortunately, the mermaids themselves are one of the weaker points of the novel--particularly, the inconsistency of their lore. Were this the case of oral history being confused as time goes on it'd be one thing, but this isn't the case. One mermaid made a deal with a witch to stay on land for a set amount of time before she has to return to the sea again, while one lives on land and goes on occasional swims for funzies. Mermaids can seemingly resurrect people from the dead and heal their mortal injuries, but sometimes they'll see a dead person and, whoops, even our magic can't save them.
This leads to another problem I had with the novel, which is a lot less fun than mermaids. The way mental illness is portrayed in 'Moorings' is... outdated, to say the least. Two of the most antagonistic characters are drug addicts, and while I don't want to say that people who suffer from addiction can't be abusive or scary, the narrative frames them as being beyond hope and unworthy of help. Similarly, while Manon's situation is treated with sympathy by the denizens of Mackerel Sky, her husband is about as supportive as wet bread.
Lastly, I'm not thrilled about this book getting a 'queer' tag. Yes, one of the plot threads is about two young men navigating a romance in a homophobic small town, but everything else about the book is so cis- and heteronormative that it feels like the gay romance is buried. I mean, the gays only get to have chaste kisses while we learn the conception stories for at least three babies! Motherhood does seem to be a big theme of the book, and M.Z. is a mother herself so I'm not going to be too mean about that, but it can be a bit of a drag when all of the female characters seemed destined for motherhood, are judged by their abilities to raise children, and make comments about how men need women around to cook for them.
...Also, why would a homophobic small town openly have a two-woman romance as a footnote in their founding legend? I'll give M.Z. credit for making the legend more diverse, but I feel like that's the kind of thing that they'd try to hide, especially since it was one of the founder's paramours with a woman of color. Again, I think it's a cool part of the legend, but I also feel like you'd have people saying 'They were just close friends!' or something. I mean, look at how people react today when female characters have feelings for other female characters in TV shows or books.
Overall, I think there are great ideas in this book, but I think the execution could use some work. I'll leave this unrated, since it was an advanced copy and I'm sure that some things could change before its official release next year. At the least, I'm excited to see the chapter illustrations.
Hm. Hmmm. I'm not quite sure how to rate this one.
I enjoyed the first half. The book switches between three groups of characters in a small town in coastal Maine. A young teenage boy from a troubled home and his growing friendship with an old woman, two older teenage boys who are hiding their relationship from their classmates and the one boy's incredibly homophobic and abusive father, and a woman who is rejoining society after being institutionalized after her daughter's death. These stories are linked in many ways, mostly by the closeness of the small town and by the legend of the town's founding: the story of a ship captain who fell in love with a mermaid, and how his betrayal cursed the town.
Unfortunately, the mermaids themselves are one of the weaker points of the novel--particularly, the inconsistency of their lore. Were this the case of oral history being confused as time goes on it'd be one thing, but this isn't the case. One mermaid made a deal with a witch to stay on land for a set amount of time before she has to return to the sea again, while one lives on land and goes on occasional swims for funzies. Mermaids can seemingly resurrect people from the dead and heal their mortal injuries, but sometimes they'll see a dead person and, whoops, even our magic can't save them.
This leads to another problem I had with the novel, which is a lot less fun than mermaids. The way mental illness is portrayed in 'Moorings' is... outdated, to say the least. Two of the most antagonistic characters are drug addicts, and while I don't want to say that people who suffer from addiction can't be abusive or scary, the narrative frames them as being beyond hope and unworthy of help. Similarly, while Manon's situation is treated with sympathy by the denizens of Mackerel Sky, her husband is about as supportive as wet bread.
Lastly, I'm not thrilled about this book getting a 'queer' tag. Yes, one of the plot threads is about two young men navigating a romance in a homophobic small town, but everything else about the book is so cis- and heteronormative that it feels like the gay romance is buried. I mean, the gays only get to have chaste kisses while we learn the conception stories for at least three babies! Motherhood does seem to be a big theme of the book, and M.Z. is a mother herself so I'm not going to be too mean about that, but it can be a bit of a drag when all of the female characters seemed destined for motherhood, are judged by their abilities to raise children, and make comments about how men need women around to cook for them.
...Also, why would a homophobic small town openly have a two-woman romance as a footnote in their founding legend? I'll give M.Z. credit for making the legend more diverse, but I feel like that's the kind of thing that they'd try to hide, especially since it was one of the founder's paramours with a woman of color. Again, I think it's a cool part of the legend, but I also feel like you'd have people saying 'They were just close friends!' or something. I mean, look at how people react today when female characters have feelings for other female characters in TV shows or books.
Overall, I think there are great ideas in this book, but I think the execution could use some work. I'll leave this unrated, since it was an advanced copy and I'm sure that some things could change before its official release next year. At the least, I'm excited to see the chapter illustrations.
March 30, 2024
I absolutely ✨adored✨ this book. Originally drawn in my the gorgeous cover art, but then fully immersed in the wonderful world that MZ created. A beautiful, coastal Maine town filled with Maine people and their typical way of life; intertwined with the their folklore of mermaids, magic and tragedy. This story weaves through a couple of different timelines, but brings them all together in an incredibly satisfying and touching way. And the prose, my goodness… the author desribes her style of writing as mixing the worlds of choreography, theater and poetry - thinking of her pages as a stage. Perfection in every way 🧜♀️🧙♀️✨
April 7, 2024
I picked this book up from the ARC pile solely because of its cover. I finished it over a weekend because of the beauty of its poetry and the strength in its grief. I will forever be in my mermaid era especially when it's a town like Mackerel Sky where the community is so tightly woven to each other and its stories and folklore, celebrating and denying them simultaneously.
The storytelling and multiple POVs gave way to vignettes which lent a fantastical, lyrical vibe to the lines, sometimes redundant in its storytelling but always revealing a new glimpse of the person doing the telling. I absolutely adored this novel and will be on the lookout for more MZ stories in the future.
The storytelling and multiple POVs gave way to vignettes which lent a fantastical, lyrical vibe to the lines, sometimes redundant in its storytelling but always revealing a new glimpse of the person doing the telling. I absolutely adored this novel and will be on the lookout for more MZ stories in the future.
March 12, 2025
Recommended/given by Andrew and Katie-Joy! I read it in one afternoon at the hot springs. It had just enough mermaids and mythical to wind with the everyday. Sweet and satisfying.
July 24, 2023
Thanks to Indie Next List for an ARC of The Moorings of Mackerel Sky by MZ.
Set in the seaside town of Mackerel; the story of Captian Burrbank and the mermaid Nimuë has passed from generation to generation, launching the town into a must-see tourist destination where sightings of mermaids are guaranteed- for a certain dollar price. But what if the tales of mermaids are more than fiction? Told from a myriad of perspectives, a complex story of finding yourself, grace, and hope emerges through the author's unique and lyrical writing.
MZ, in her debut novel The Moorings of Mackerel Sky, writes a love letter to her beginnings inviting readers to share the joy that comes from discovering who you are meant to be.
A coming-of-age novel that lights even the darkest day, I was enamored by the magical and oh-so-realistic world MZ shared!
Set in the seaside town of Mackerel; the story of Captian Burrbank and the mermaid Nimuë has passed from generation to generation, launching the town into a must-see tourist destination where sightings of mermaids are guaranteed- for a certain dollar price. But what if the tales of mermaids are more than fiction? Told from a myriad of perspectives, a complex story of finding yourself, grace, and hope emerges through the author's unique and lyrical writing.
MZ, in her debut novel The Moorings of Mackerel Sky, writes a love letter to her beginnings inviting readers to share the joy that comes from discovering who you are meant to be.
A coming-of-age novel that lights even the darkest day, I was enamored by the magical and oh-so-realistic world MZ shared!
May 28, 2024
“It’s just a tiny accomplishment, a small thing. You realize, even as your body tries to turn itself inside out to bones and blood from grief, you realize you are still capable of making a good, strong cup of tea, that time passes, that the water cools. That life goes on. It will never be the same, but it still can be.”
I waffled about three or four stars. At the beginning I was struggling with the fact that parts of this tale are repeated. Repeated with variations, but still repeated. This drew me out of the story. However, I reached a point at which nothing would keep me from this novel. And that is why I gave the book four stars. Zack is an excellent story teller.
I waffled about three or four stars. At the beginning I was struggling with the fact that parts of this tale are repeated. Repeated with variations, but still repeated. This drew me out of the story. However, I reached a point at which nothing would keep me from this novel. And that is why I gave the book four stars. Zack is an excellent story teller.
February 22, 2024
Atmospheric and utterly immersive, The Moorings of Mackerel Sky is a story of healing shared and individual traumas as a community.
MZ characterizes a small Maine coastal town through three main stories. Twelve-year-old boy Leo, whose mother struggles with substance use disorder, finds an unexpected connection with one of the town’s eldest residents, Myra Kelley. High school baseball sensation Derrick finds solace in poetry as he grieves the loss of his mother and hides his gay romance. And creative writing teacher, Manon Perle, tries to rebuild as she reels from the passing of her young daughter. The three storylines are bound together with each character’s relationship with the legend of Mackerel Sky’s founding, which revolves around a love story between a man and a mermaid.
If fantasy elements like mermaids are a turn off in books, rest assured that the human characters take front and center and the mermaids live in folklore for most of the book.
The storytelling is circular more than linear. With each new chapter, we understand another layer of our characters, their dynamics with each other, and the town’s history. Because of this circular nature, the plot itself can feel quite slow. But the author’s exceptional writing is more than enough to keep the reader hooked.
MZ’s mastery of the English language is among the ranks of Lousie Erdrich and Toni Morrison. And Mackerel Sky is a strong, character-centric debut.
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for enabling me to receive an advance copy.
MZ characterizes a small Maine coastal town through three main stories. Twelve-year-old boy Leo, whose mother struggles with substance use disorder, finds an unexpected connection with one of the town’s eldest residents, Myra Kelley. High school baseball sensation Derrick finds solace in poetry as he grieves the loss of his mother and hides his gay romance. And creative writing teacher, Manon Perle, tries to rebuild as she reels from the passing of her young daughter. The three storylines are bound together with each character’s relationship with the legend of Mackerel Sky’s founding, which revolves around a love story between a man and a mermaid.
If fantasy elements like mermaids are a turn off in books, rest assured that the human characters take front and center and the mermaids live in folklore for most of the book.
The storytelling is circular more than linear. With each new chapter, we understand another layer of our characters, their dynamics with each other, and the town’s history. Because of this circular nature, the plot itself can feel quite slow. But the author’s exceptional writing is more than enough to keep the reader hooked.
MZ’s mastery of the English language is among the ranks of Lousie Erdrich and Toni Morrison. And Mackerel Sky is a strong, character-centric debut.
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for enabling me to receive an advance copy.
July 3, 2023
Thank you @disneybooks @hyperionavebooks and @this_is_edelweiss
For the received ARC.
The Moorings of Mackerel Sky is a beautiful story about the city of Mackerel Sky, its inhabitants, and the mermaids who live in the belief of people.
The lives of Myra, a widow whose life changes as she sees herself as the guardian of the rebel-thirteen-year-old Leo, Derrick Stowe, and his kept-secret boyfriend Rick and Manon, a mother who mourns the death of her daughter, are affected somehow by the legends of mermaids.
As we navigate through the uncharted waters of their lives, we realize that what may as well be a legend can be true.
Beautiful, poetic, and tragic at times, The Moorings of Mackerel Sky is loaded with feelings that will linger even after you have finished it.
A beacon of hope.
On Sale Date: February 27, 2024
For the received ARC.
The Moorings of Mackerel Sky is a beautiful story about the city of Mackerel Sky, its inhabitants, and the mermaids who live in the belief of people.
The lives of Myra, a widow whose life changes as she sees herself as the guardian of the rebel-thirteen-year-old Leo, Derrick Stowe, and his kept-secret boyfriend Rick and Manon, a mother who mourns the death of her daughter, are affected somehow by the legends of mermaids.
As we navigate through the uncharted waters of their lives, we realize that what may as well be a legend can be true.
Beautiful, poetic, and tragic at times, The Moorings of Mackerel Sky is loaded with feelings that will linger even after you have finished it.
A beacon of hope.
On Sale Date: February 27, 2024
February 14, 2024
A fantasy novel which is not a genre that ordinarily would appeal to me. However as it was written by the daughter of a friend and was given to attendees at the beginning of her book tour I read it. An affecting tale of love and strife in a small coastal town in Maine. There is a fantasy component involving mermaids but somehow the overall effect is a thoughtful look at loss and grief and humanity.
July 23, 2023
Wonderfully written. No deep dive into the characters but enough to be fulfilling. Nicely done story writing bouncing from the distant past, the recent past and the present to bring everything together in an enchanting adventure. Mermaids weave through everything. The ending is tied up and hopeful.
December 5, 2023
this was another giveaway win and WOW. i think it's one of my favorite books. there's something so haunting and heartbreakingly beautiful about the story and the humanity. i teared up at parts, my jaw dropped once, i was literally so moved by the characters and the strength of their love. please, please read.
October 27, 2023
I'm writing a full review for Booklist, but O.M.G. This book is so good. I cried so much. I already pre-ordered a copy for my sister.
February 17, 2024
Great book! Gently eases you into the fantasy and then completely gives in to it, all the while still making things feel real. Wonderful word play.
October 1, 2024
A lyrical montage of coastal Maine through the eyes of a community driven by the legend of Captain Burrbank and Nimuë the mermaid. I found the writing captivating, poetic, and utterly emotional. The characters themselves were almost props to their full-bodied feelings. I didn’t take the mermaid of it all as literally as maybe I should have? I found that the role of fantasy played a different role in each perspective. This book would lend itself quite well to a club! I’m desperate for a discussion about what it all means.
April 2, 2025
4- stars. This covers a lot of ground: myths and lore of witches and magic, merfolk, love and grief, with a sweet and sad tone. I appreciated the downeast Maine coast local setting and native American connections. This is not classified as YA, but felt more like it than adult.
“How do you deal with being sad when someone dies? You cry, you talk, you let it out. Those tears are all the love you had left to give. Grief is all the love you have left to give. So you let it out. Love will always connect you to those you lose.”
With thanks to Goodreads and Disney Book Group for this digital ARC giveaway.
“How do you deal with being sad when someone dies? You cry, you talk, you let it out. Those tears are all the love you had left to give. Grief is all the love you have left to give. So you let it out. Love will always connect you to those you lose.”
With thanks to Goodreads and Disney Book Group for this digital ARC giveaway.
April 6, 2025
This is a standout debut novel. I fell in love with the community and enjoyed the journey of the characters. The writing was solid and I think this author will continue to give us great stories.
April 16, 2024
The most different book I’ve read yet. Mermaids, domestic violence, fishermen, love all in this one book. How Mackerel’s Sky got started with a fisherman falling in love with mermaid. There were even mermen! Debut author with great descriptions! A lot of characters to keep track of and they each had different versions of things that happened. Town people stuck together and helped each other.
February 18, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley and to Hyperion Avenue for the ARC of The Moorings of Mackerel Sky by MZ.
First, this is such an amazing book cover. It immediately peaked my interest. Second, as someone who grew up in New England, a Maine tale not written by Stephen King caught my attention.
In terms of actually reading the book, wow, this is so beautifully written. It's atmospheric and magical both in terms of prose and setting. There is poetry written that I might go back through the book to reanalyze its meaning to the characters and storyline - but in reading through the story the first time each poem was haunting and lyrical and added such interesting layers in the moment.
The story unfolds with different townsfolk in the town of Mackerel Sky, and all of their individual tales are tangled with each other and the town's historic curse for a span of about 10 weeks during the annual mermaid festival and torch night festivities.
The history of the curse cause by Captain Burrbank's three betrayals of Nimue the Mermaid is doled out slowly over the entire book, and parts of the story are often repeated through different character interactions that add more and more detail. The history of the curse is discussed more than its impact in the present - so the story itself is not about an overextended century long push to end its hold on the town. Instead, the story is about how the lives of current townspeople themselves balance what occurred 300 years ago.
My only wish after finishing the story was that it were longer - I would have loved more in-depth time with Myra and her life, with her Christmas cabinet, with Derrick's mother, or with the Three Bats who monitor the happenings of the town. What we see is beautiful, and it is obvious there is more depth to each of the characters and their pasts than we see with the three young men. While Leo, Derrick, and Ricky each have wonderful and heartbreaking stories of their own, there is much afoot with all the adult characters in the book. We learn so much about Manon and Jason, but it seems like everyone else still has many secrets I'd like to uncover.
An excellent debut novel! I'm excited for what comes next for MZ.
First, this is such an amazing book cover. It immediately peaked my interest. Second, as someone who grew up in New England, a Maine tale not written by Stephen King caught my attention.
In terms of actually reading the book, wow, this is so beautifully written. It's atmospheric and magical both in terms of prose and setting. There is poetry written that I might go back through the book to reanalyze its meaning to the characters and storyline - but in reading through the story the first time each poem was haunting and lyrical and added such interesting layers in the moment.
The story unfolds with different townsfolk in the town of Mackerel Sky, and all of their individual tales are tangled with each other and the town's historic curse for a span of about 10 weeks during the annual mermaid festival and torch night festivities.
The history of the curse cause by Captain Burrbank's three betrayals of Nimue the Mermaid is doled out slowly over the entire book, and parts of the story are often repeated through different character interactions that add more and more detail. The history of the curse is discussed more than its impact in the present - so the story itself is not about an overextended century long push to end its hold on the town. Instead, the story is about how the lives of current townspeople themselves balance what occurred 300 years ago.
My only wish after finishing the story was that it were longer - I would have loved more in-depth time with Myra and her life, with her Christmas cabinet, with Derrick's mother, or with the Three Bats who monitor the happenings of the town. What we see is beautiful, and it is obvious there is more depth to each of the characters and their pasts than we see with the three young men. While Leo, Derrick, and Ricky each have wonderful and heartbreaking stories of their own, there is much afoot with all the adult characters in the book. We learn so much about Manon and Jason, but it seems like everyone else still has many secrets I'd like to uncover.
An excellent debut novel! I'm excited for what comes next for MZ.
December 4, 2023
The Moorings of Mackerel Sky is an incredible story woven with beautiful prose. The subtle domesticity of it is delightful and heartbreaking, especially in contrast with the mystical side of this novel.
I love the characterization of this little Maine town where everyone knows everything about everyone else. The flow of gossip captured in this book feels so organic and functions so well as a vehicle for storytelling. The town’s lore is also colorful and interesting, and so crucial to the story. I enjoyed how the fairytales mirrored the novel in ways, but not enough to make the book predictable.
The characters in this book are splendid. There is not a single character who isn’t at least somewhat developed and intriguing. The perspective this story is told in aids this effect so well. I loved getting a deep-dive into a character’s mind and story, even if it’s just a small look into their past.
I was hooked from this first sentence of this novel. However, it slowed down towards the middle, and I found parts of it to be very repetitive. It felt like MZ didn’t trust her readers to remember the town’s lore or the backstories of some of the characters, and so she kept reminding us. Multiple chapters in a row, I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over, and it got a bit dull.
The ending of this book is an explosion of magic and mermaids, which I adore as a fantasy fan. But where was all of this in the beginning? Around halfway through the book, all of this mermaid magic just appears, and it feels very much like it’s out of almost nowhere. I spend half the book wondering if mermaids were even real and thinking that they were probably just a symbol until they were everywhere. I would have liked more of a buildup for this, and especially with the magic-heavy ending.
Definitely a great read, and I’ll be on the lookout for any future books from MZ. It was really a treat to get to read this one in advance.
I love the characterization of this little Maine town where everyone knows everything about everyone else. The flow of gossip captured in this book feels so organic and functions so well as a vehicle for storytelling. The town’s lore is also colorful and interesting, and so crucial to the story. I enjoyed how the fairytales mirrored the novel in ways, but not enough to make the book predictable.
The characters in this book are splendid. There is not a single character who isn’t at least somewhat developed and intriguing. The perspective this story is told in aids this effect so well. I loved getting a deep-dive into a character’s mind and story, even if it’s just a small look into their past.
I was hooked from this first sentence of this novel. However, it slowed down towards the middle, and I found parts of it to be very repetitive. It felt like MZ didn’t trust her readers to remember the town’s lore or the backstories of some of the characters, and so she kept reminding us. Multiple chapters in a row, I felt like I was reading the same thing over and over, and it got a bit dull.
The ending of this book is an explosion of magic and mermaids, which I adore as a fantasy fan. But where was all of this in the beginning? Around halfway through the book, all of this mermaid magic just appears, and it feels very much like it’s out of almost nowhere. I spend half the book wondering if mermaids were even real and thinking that they were probably just a symbol until they were everywhere. I would have liked more of a buildup for this, and especially with the magic-heavy ending.
Definitely a great read, and I’ll be on the lookout for any future books from MZ. It was really a treat to get to read this one in advance.
February 22, 2024
[This book was provided to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review]
4.5 stars
What a debut! I will definitely be following this author’s career.
The Moorings of Mackerel Sky is a circular, heartfelt magical realism novel about a small seaside town in Maine that just so happens to have a deep history with mermaids. Several storylines intertwine, and although the action of the novel centers around a year, the narrative wanders unhurriedly across timelines, rather like the tide ebbing and flowing on the shores of the town’s crescent-shaped beach. At the beginning it felt a little more like a short story cycle than a novel, but like a fisherman’s net, the strands of narrative grew tighter and tighter as the story went on, ultimately binding the whole town together.
There are parts where the fact that it’s a debut novel show. Poppy’s narrative arc in particular felt forced, or a little less ‘true’ feeling, in its escalation and conclusion. However, those moments are few and far between. This is a town of sad stories, yet the book as a whole is a heartachingly wholesome tale of community, love, and the ties that bind us.
Content warnings: child death, child neglect and abuse, homophobia, mention of off-page sexual assault.
Does the dog die:
4.5 stars
What a debut! I will definitely be following this author’s career.
The Moorings of Mackerel Sky is a circular, heartfelt magical realism novel about a small seaside town in Maine that just so happens to have a deep history with mermaids. Several storylines intertwine, and although the action of the novel centers around a year, the narrative wanders unhurriedly across timelines, rather like the tide ebbing and flowing on the shores of the town’s crescent-shaped beach. At the beginning it felt a little more like a short story cycle than a novel, but like a fisherman’s net, the strands of narrative grew tighter and tighter as the story went on, ultimately binding the whole town together.
There are parts where the fact that it’s a debut novel show. Poppy’s narrative arc in particular felt forced, or a little less ‘true’ feeling, in its escalation and conclusion. However, those moments are few and far between. This is a town of sad stories, yet the book as a whole is a heartachingly wholesome tale of community, love, and the ties that bind us.
Content warnings: child death, child neglect and abuse, homophobia, mention of off-page sexual assault.
Does the dog die:
February 12, 2024
The Moorings of Mackerel Sky has good bones. It starts with an origin story of a ship captain and a mermaid and the people that live in the town he founded on the Maine coast hundreds of years later. The story revolves around people that have challenges in their life, a young boy with a drug addicted mother that finds a second chance with a neighbor who was never able to have children of her own. A couple torn apart by the death of their young daughter. Two young men in love that are hiding their love and dealing with familial problems of their own. It has just enough magical realism in it to make you believe in mermaids. But it circles back again and again to the legend of the past. The story of Captain Burrbank and Nimue is retold over and over again and gets disruptive to powerful storylines in the present. There are times when the narrator gets confusing because there are so many narrators involved. The storyline gets confusing because the present stories go back and forth in time some. If this read more clearly I would have really enjoyed it. A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
February 28, 2024
Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
Wow wow wow. I love poetry, fantasy, and some realistic fiction, and this book combined all those genres in such beautiful and wonderful ways. The writing was is so lyrically beautiful, and I fell in love with Mackerel Sky and its flawed inhabitants. I am also a big sucker for stories that intertwine separate story threads in unexpected ways, and this book succeeded in doing this so well.
I have admittedly not read much of the magic realism genre, but from what I have read, this fits snugly into that genre, with an honest blend of everyday life in a small Maine town with supernatural elements like curses and mermaids.
I am typically not one for comparisons between authors, but much of this book and its descriptions of everyday life struck me as similar to Fredrick Backman's narrative style. It struck the same emotions that Backman's work has struck in me, and I mean that as truly high praise!
I will eagerly await more releases from this author. Congrats on such an incredible debut!
Publication date: 27 February 2024
Wow wow wow. I love poetry, fantasy, and some realistic fiction, and this book combined all those genres in such beautiful and wonderful ways. The writing was is so lyrically beautiful, and I fell in love with Mackerel Sky and its flawed inhabitants. I am also a big sucker for stories that intertwine separate story threads in unexpected ways, and this book succeeded in doing this so well.
I have admittedly not read much of the magic realism genre, but from what I have read, this fits snugly into that genre, with an honest blend of everyday life in a small Maine town with supernatural elements like curses and mermaids.
I am typically not one for comparisons between authors, but much of this book and its descriptions of everyday life struck me as similar to Fredrick Backman's narrative style. It struck the same emotions that Backman's work has struck in me, and I mean that as truly high praise!
I will eagerly await more releases from this author. Congrats on such an incredible debut!
Publication date: 27 February 2024
March 29, 2024
Mermaids off the coast of Maine?! BRB, walking down to the Casco Bay Ferry! This novel was a fairytale come to life. Highlighting specific stories from characters, it followed a grieving communities journey into healing and it was beautiful. 🧜♀️
January 28, 2024
I won an advance proof of The Moorings of Mackerel Sky in a Goodreads Giveaway. I was not enthusiastic initially, seeing the book described as fantasy which is a genre I read infrequently. While the characters that interested me the most were the flesh and blood humans I did enjoy the lore and stories of the involvement and effect the mermaids had on the people and their town of Mackerel Sky over the years. Did they really place curses on the place and certain inhabitants as the legends say happened?
I particularly enjoyed the characters of Myra Kelley and Leo Beale and the developing relationship that they both desperately needed.
One aspect of the book that I felt the author really presented well was the process of grieving and how different people are affected. I will admit to crying on more than one occasion.
3 /12 stars for this one, I enjoyed it more than I thought I might.
I particularly enjoyed the characters of Myra Kelley and Leo Beale and the developing relationship that they both desperately needed.
One aspect of the book that I felt the author really presented well was the process of grieving and how different people are affected. I will admit to crying on more than one occasion.
3 /12 stars for this one, I enjoyed it more than I thought I might.
January 8, 2024
I read this ARC that I received courtesy of Goodreads Giveaways and I was hooked. I enjoyed how interconnected every single thing was and how likable all of the characters were. Each storyline was intriguing, steeped in folklore or hints of it, and relatable issues. This book was somehow comforting, captivating, and emotional all at the same time.
I also loved how descriptive the author was and the use of poetry and poetic language to appeal to the reader’s connections with the characters and real life. They were used in a great way that furthered the story and drove points home.
Be prepared to give it your attention and cry a bit. Also, the cover of the ARC is so pretty!
TW: child loss
I also loved how descriptive the author was and the use of poetry and poetic language to appeal to the reader’s connections with the characters and real life. They were used in a great way that furthered the story and drove points home.
Be prepared to give it your attention and cry a bit. Also, the cover of the ARC is so pretty!
TW: child loss
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