The Mermaid Chair

by Sue Monk Kidd

An alternate cover edition exists here.

Sue Monk Kidd's phenomenal debut, The Secret Life of Bees, became a runaway bestseller that is still on the New York Times bestseller list more than two years after its paperback publication. Now, in her luminous new novel, Kidd has woven a transcendent tale that will thrill her legion of fans. Telling the story of Jessie Sullivan -- a love story between a woman and a monk, a woman and her husband, and ultimately a woman and her own soul -- Kidd charts a journey of awakening and self-discovery illuminated with a brilliance that only a writer of her ability could conjure.

Genres: Fiction, Book Club, Romance, Chick Lit, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Adult

Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Sue Monk Kidd was raised in the small town of Sylvester, Georgia, a place that deeply influenced the writing of her first novel The Secret Life of Bees. She graduated from Texas Christian University in 1970 and later took creative writing courses at Emory University and Anderson College, as well as studying at Sewanee, Bread Loaf, and other writers’ conferences. In 2016, TCU conferred on her an honorary doctor of letters degree. She was inducted into the South Carolina Academy of Authors in 2011 and into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame in 2022.

Her book When the Heart Waits, published by Harper San Francisco in 1990 has become a touchstone on contemplative spirituality. The Dance of the Dissident Daughter, also published by Harper in 1996, describes Kidd’s journey into feminist theology, a memoir that had a groundbreaking effect within religious circles.

When her first novel, The Secret Life of Bees, was published by Viking in 2002, it became a genuine literary phenomenon, spending more than 2½ years on the New York Times bestseller list. It has been translated into over 36 languages and sold more than 8 million copies worldwide. Bees was named the Book Sense Paperback Book of the Year in 2004, long-listed for the 2002 Orange Prize in England, and won numerous other awards. For over a decade, the novel was produced on stage by The American Place Theater, and in 2008 it was adapted into a movie by Fox Searchlight, which won the People’s Choice award for best movie and the NAACP Image award for best picture. An Off Broadway musical of Bees ran at The Atlantic Theater in 2019, winning the AUDELCO VIV award for best musical, and debuted in London at the Almeida Theater in 2023. The novel is taught widely in middle school, high school, and college classrooms.

Kidd’s second novel, The Mermaid Chair, has sold well over a million copies since its publication by Viking in 2005, reaching #1 on the New York Times bestseller list and remaining on the hardcover and paperback lists for nine months. Winner of the 2005 Quill Award for General Fiction, the novel was longlisted for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award, translated into 28 languages, and made into a television movie by Lifetime.

The spiritual essays, meditations, and inspirational stories Kidd wrote in her thirties were collected into a single volume, Firstlight: The Early Inspiration Writings and published by Guideposts Books in 2006 and Penguin in 2007.

After traveling with her daughter, Ann Kidd Taylor, to sacred sites in Greece, Turkey, and France, Kidd and Taylor co-authored a memoir, Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story. Published by Viking in 2009, it appeared on numerous bestseller lists, including the New York Times list and has been published in several languages.

The Invention of Wings, Kidd’s third novel was published in 2014 by Viking. It debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list where it spent a total of 9 months. It has sold nearly 2 million copies and been translated into over 20 languages. The novel has won several literary awards, including the Florida Book of Year Award and the SIBA Book Award. It was a Goodreads Readers Choice Award runner up, nominated for the International Dublin Literary Award, and chosen for Oprah’s Book Club 2.0.

Kidd’s much anticipated fourth novel, The Book of Longings, was published on April 21, 2020 to widespread critical and reader acclaim. It immediately landed at the top of the bestseller lists, reaching #5 on The New York Times Hardcover Fiction list, #1 on the IndieBound bestseller list, and #2 on the Associated Press bestseller List. The novel was a finalist for Book-of-the-Month Club’s Book of the Year Award, a Goodreads Readers Choice Award runner up, a Heather’s Pick (Indigo Books) in Canada, and a Australian Women’s Day Great Read Pick. It has been translated into 17 languages thus far.

She lives in North Carolina with her husband, Sandy, and dog, Barney.

Reviews

[Spudsie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book.

That’s not entirely accurate. I loved the religious themes that ran through this book, I loved the stories of growing up on an island, I loved the Mermaid aspect of this story.

So why the rating of “did not like?” I’m really tired of stories where the lead character decides they need to drastically change their life. Then they run off through either some decision they consciously make or through some twist of fate (as in this case) to “find” themselves. While finding themselves they find (surprise!) a new love interest. At this point they find themselves madly and inexplicably in LOVE with someone they met 10 minutes ago. They decide to walk away from a secure (albeit bland) life and a stable (albeit ordinary) lover/spouse who has given them a lifelong commitment.

After making the decision to leave the said stable relationship the lead character always (and I mean ALWAYS) manages to convince themselves (and the reader) that it isn’t just “lust” that draws them into this new relationship—oh no, it’s TRUE LOVE. This new person is the person they were meant to be with.

So they plunge into this new relationship (often without ending the first one) with great bliss. Headlong into the great unknown. Romping around, rolling in the hay, having a grand ole time convinced they are in love and life will be like this for the rest of their days. Nothing could be better. Nothing could end this bliss. This is what life is meant to be.

And then……yep. Then another plot twist either separates the two new lovers, or throws the lead character back into the path of the stable relationship.

And lo and behold……it turns out the new relationship isn’t all that great. And the first relationship is what they really need. (Smacks head loudly….d’oh!)

And now our beloved lead character leaves the new-found love and goes back to the first love.

And they live happily-ever-after.

I’m really tired of authors using this device/plot. Really tired of it. I feel it cheapens the importance of marriage or a committed relationship, and makes the lead character (typically a woman) look naive and well, let’s be honest, like an idiot. (Okay…that’s overly harsh. It makes the woman look less than insightful at best.)

Let’s call a spade a spade. The lead character wanted to have a steamy affair with their new-found love interest. And they felt guilty because they were already married. So they convinced themselves that they were at a point in their life where they needed to change and they found this amazing new person who could love who they now are. Why not just admit they want to have an affair and damn the consequences? At least have the decency to be honest with themselves and the reader about it.

Sigh. Time to step off my soap box.

I suppose this book hit me at just the wrong moment. There were parts I loved. But the overall plot frustrates me. It presents a stereo-type of women that doesn’t sit well with me. It is possible to “find” yourself while still honoring your commitments and keeping your integrity intact. And that’s a plot line I’d like to see more of!

[Kirk · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is so corny it will pass straight through you, undigested.

[Ashley · Rating 1 out of 5]

Read this book as it was a selection for my book club.

Although I thoroughly enjoyed "The Secret Life Of Bees" by the same writer, I found this book to be a far different sort of read. In Bees, while I enjoyed the plot, it was the characters that I found myself hooked to. In "The Mermaid Chair" I found the plot to be only mildly entertaining and the characters lacking in development. The main character I found to be whiny, annoying, selfish, and someone I just couldn't connect to on any level. The other characters (Whit, Nelle, Hepzibah, Kat, and Benne) left me disappointed as well, although I did like them more than the protagonist. The latter characters had the potential for being interesting and moving, but still we weren't really allowed to connect to them as the reader, as we didn't get to see them enough. Whit (Brother Thomas) was the most developed of them all, in that you got to see his turmoil over his decision to enter to monestary, but the others were left 2 dimentional.

The narration also bothered me. The protagonist was the only character presented to us in the first person. The other narrator's perspectives (Whit and Hugh) were told in the 3rd person. This errked me in that I feel I MAY have been able to connect a little more with the protagonist's plight had the narration been 3rd person. Being 1st, she came across as I stated above: whiny, annoying, and selfish.

If anyone wants my copy of the book they are welcome to it. It’s not one I will recommend to anyone and certainly one I won’t reread in the future.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

After glancing over the goodreads reviews of this book, and seeing how negative they were, I was expecting to dislike, or simply feel apathy for, this book. But I really loved it, surprisingly so. I enjoyed "The Secret Life of Bees", but I didn't connect to the characters as much as I connected to Jessie in this story. This book tackles a difficult subject: how can you fall in love with someone else while still married to a wonderful man who hasn't changed? The goodreads complaints were that Jessie has no reason to fall for another man--her husband is seemingly perfect, and she's just selfish and awful for not wanting him. But I loved the gray areas of the story, and I didn't find myself able to judge her easily (and I'm pretty judgmental!)

The story is this: Middle aged artist and housewife Jessie returns to her childhood home off the coast of South Carolina to care for her aging and depressed mother. She has avoided home because of the sad memories she has of her father being killed in an accident when Jessie was a child, and she blames herself for his death. While there, she falls for a Benedictine monk who turns Jessie's life upside down. Kidd writes beautifully, and I read this faster than a lot of other recent novels. I thought she explained (but never excused) Jessie's confused emotions and behaviors realistically--nothing is ever black and white, even love. Especially love. And what she (and the reader) realizes at the end is how much she has closed herself off--from her mother, her husband, and especially herself. I was touched by the character's honesty and her humanity, and I thought it was a beautiful story of how a person has to sink to the very bottom before they can climb their way back to the surface.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointed in this book since I loved "The Secret Life of Bees". The best thing I can say about it is that it is highly readable...an easy summer read. I believe in lust at first site, a spark that makes you want to get to know someone, etc. No matter how hard I tried, I could not wrap myself around the decision of a woman to leave a husband of 20 years and a monk to turn his back on the monastery on the basis of a first glance after which both proclaimed being in love. And if you can't buy into this, then you can't buy into the book. Also, the women characters engage in silly symbolic gestures, the kind that you enjoy at age 10. The author does not let you glean any meaning for yourself. She describes her paintings and then points out their (very) obvious psychological interpretations. I don't think she gives her readers much credit. If a reader wants a simple summer read and finds a forbidden romance titillating, this is the book for you. I would pass, however, if I had it to do again.

[Kathryn Bashaar · Rating 2 out of 5]

The main character in this book just seemed like a whiner to me. Boo hoo, my husband won't "let" me be myself. Ummm, let's see, is it his job to "let" you be yourself, or was that your job all your life while he was supporting the family so you could putz around decorating your lovely Victorian house and messing with your little collages that never go anywhere? I found nothing wrong with her husband. He seemed like an intelligent, sensitive guy, and the minute he lets her out of his sight she's boinking a monk. This is her solution to him not "letting" her be herself. Gimme a break.
Plus, this is the second book Kidd wrote with weird new-Agey, quasi-feminist quasi-religious rituals in them. It might seem deep to some people, but to me it just seems frivolous and hokey. Religion is serious business. throwing threads in the ocean and holding hands is just girlish silliness compared to a real religion. I'm not sure what the point of this stuff is supposed to be.
Like my reviews? Check out my blog at http://www.kathrynbashaar.com/blog/
Author of The Saint's Mistress: https://www.bing.com/search?q=amazon....

[Books Ring Mah Bell · Rating 1 out of 5]

NO.
NO!

Give me a break. There is NOT love at first sight. LUST.
Not love! Whatever. That just pisses me off and sets a pissy tone for the rest of the book.

Bored woman goes to take care of crazy mom on island that is full of monks. Woman sees monk says "oh, I'm in love, he's part of my soul!" Monk sees woman and decides he's in love. (had nothing to do with not getting any for several years) They screw like rabbits, she decides to stay with her husband and he decides not to take his final vows. Oh, and mom reveals reason for dad's death... no longer crazy.

blah blah blah.

Sorry this is a craptastic review, but the whole "love at first" sight stuff got me all grouchy.

[Sammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book when I went with my mother to go hear Sue Monk Kidd speak. Let me tell you, she speaks as eloquently as she writes. She's also just as witty. After hearing her speak, I realized that a lot of her personality comes through in her writing. Her amazing writing.

She spoke of how she felt The Mermaid Chair was going to be often compared to The Secret Life of Bees and maybe wouldn't be able to live up to the high praise it's earned so far. She also worried about the characters being too similar. I don't think Sue has anything to worry about. The only thing the two books have in common is the author's writing... a beautiful, flowing and engaging style.

I think I like Sue's style so much because it has the right amount of description for things, her dialogue is realistic, and when you think about it her stories seem so outlandish, but when reading it you can see it actually happening. Her writing is also very eloquent and deep, but fun and witty at the same time.

There are no characters in The Mermaid Chair that are reminiscent of any in The Secret Life of Bees, and specifically what Kidd was worried about was people might roll there eyes at another pack of strong female characters taking presidence in the book. I didn't and don't see any problem in that. We need as many strong literary female characters as we can get. And these women, that you grow to love, are as strong as they come.

The way the love story was written out was also so wonderful. You find yourself feeling for Jessie's dilemna of being in love with two men. Kidd doesn't write it so you're leaning towards one man over the other (well, you may be, but it's honestly hard to choose) because both men are so likeable and good-looking and genuinely care for Jessie. And though Hugh is the only one painted as having any flaws, they're pointed out to us by Jessie who, after twenty years of marriage, has come to find some things he does annoying, which she later comes to realize (and we know) are more endearing.

Personally, I liked The Secret Life of Bees over The Mermaid Chair because I just found that one more interesting... but The Mermaid Chair was just as engaging and well-written as it's predecessor. It's really up to you to choose which one you like better. The Mermaid Chair definitely holds it's own.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book, but reading most of the reviews, it seems like most people hated this book. I do think "The Secret Life of Bees" was better--I enjoyed the characters and storyline in Bees more so than "The Mermaid Chair."

The main character of Jessie drove me crazy sometimes because, as everyone thinks, she could be so selfish sometimes when it came to her mother and her husband. True, it's a little unbelievable Jessie would choose to pretty much ignore her mother's mental state and spend most of her time and energy in love with a monk. But when you think about it, their relationship had been strained for a long time and people can be in denial and choose distraction over reality. In fact, I'm surprised Nelle and Jessie didn't get into more fights after their long estranged relationship. I didn't feel like Hepzibah's character added anything substantial to the ladies' frienship or the novel. Lastly, I did not understand this great "love" between Jessie and Whit. To me it wasn't love but a selfish act both felt like they needed to indulge in. Readers remember the shoe salesman question?

Despite all these complaints, which seem to concern a lot of the main points of "The Mermaid Chair," I loved all the small things about this novel--all the background stuff. What I enjoyed about this book were the tales of the mermaid and the mermaid chair, the town's annual mermaid chair ritual, Max the eternal dog, Kat "the no nonsense" best friend, descriptions of Jessie's box artwork and her mermaid paintings, the island's topography, the descriptions of Jessie, Dee, and Hugh's birthday follies, and most of all the touching memories between Jessie and her father. The last plot twist about Jessie's father surprised me. I for one did not see it coming.

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 2 out of 5]

“You can't stop your heart from loving, really -- it's like standing out there in the ocean yelling at the waves to stop.”
― Sue Monk Kidd, The Mermaid Chair

My review..9/6/2020

The Mermaid Chair was a must read for me. I fell in love..immediately..with the cover. I'd also read "The invention of wings" which I'd rated a five. I was prepared to love this. I did not.

I DID love certain aspects. By gosh, this woman can write. And she writes in a way I love. She writes about summer and islands and Mermaids. She writes of Star Fish and beautiful Sea Corral and she writes of water and tranquility. She writes of beautiful flowers and the sweetness of the Sea Spray and of tropical breezes and citrus and her writing is just..simply..heavenly.

But the subject matter..it did not do it for me. The infidelity was not the issue..not really. So what WAS the issue? Lots of things.

I did not really understand Jess. I did understand her motivation, her wanting to be free. And I understood her desire. To people who question why she needed sex to feel free..I get that. Is there anything more exciting then the first blush of pure passion? Of feeling a soul connection? I got all that and it did not offend me.

But her feelings of disdain for her husband bewildered me. Not that she was tired of him. But in certain ways, she seemed to find him repugnant and that I did not get. To question one's life..yes. But at times Jesse almost seemed to dislike him and she became so hostile toward High and so..almost contemptious..that I found it hard to understand.

Add to that:

SPOILERS:

When Jesse had the odd turnaround and wanted to go back to Hugh. It seemed to happen so suddenly. Can one really turn off one's sexuality that quickly? She LOVED this man..Brother Tom..and all of a sudden she was longing for Hugh. I GUESS this sort of thing happens. Not having ever been married maybe I just do not get it. But all of a sudden her feelings shifted toward Hugh and she loved him fiercely. Now if it had been casual between tom and her I'd have understood but she felt Tom was PART of her and her soul. It was hard to understand when all of a sudden she was literally saying the same thing about Hugh. I was a bit baffled.

Plus..the book was depressing. Really gloomy. And very New Agey. And just not in a way I liked.

I'd have adored this book if it had all been just about the island. The incredible writing, the raw and special BEAUTY of how this woman (Sue Monk Kidd) writes is vivid and beautiful. I just was not wild about the story line.

I also did not get what she said about how their love ( her and Brother Tom’s), wasn’t meant for such mundane things as washing socks or living together. Then is it really love at all? I had to wonder. Jesse's marrying herself to the sea was a little out there but I love the sea too so I could understand that. And the images of the island made me want to go there. Very mixed feelings.


And so much time was spent on the mom's story line as well as the story of her dad which broke my heart but was to painful for me to read without skimming..The book was a celebration in a way of life and living and I get that and I deeply respect some of the messages in this book. But the book as a whole was not for me.

[Wormie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dear Sue,

What were you thinking? I don’t want to be mean, but “The Mermaid Chair” isn’t your best work. Your first novel, “The Secret Life of Bees” was wonderful – full of imagery and emotion. I was expecting more of your magic, but “The Mermaid Chair” is just another novel about a middle-aged woman in a rut.

You explore some compelling ideas: marriage, infidelity, betrayal, guilt, forgiveness, grief and faith, but you don’t really add anything to that oh-so-told story. You wrap the issues in a story so farfetched that it reads like a poorly-made TV movie. Without going into every detail look at the story:

Jessie Sullivan - forty-something wife, mother, artist - living comfortably but without great passion. Suddenly, a family emergency throws her into a period of self-reflection. Her mother chops off a finger - intentionally. As Jessie goes to help her mother, a woman with whom she has a strained relationship, she questions her marriage, starts an affair with a Benedictine monk, and discovers secrets from her past.

The story starts as clich�, veers into absurdity (not just a crazy mother, but a crazy self-mutilating mother – not just an affair, but an affair with a monk) and ends with the too-familiar new beginning where nothing is the same, but our heroine has found peace. You ask us to accept this as a vehicle to explore deep emotional and personal choices; it just doesn't work.

Don’t tell us a story – let us feel something. Let us get into the characters’ heads and understand their emotional journey. Everything in “The Mermaid Chair” was a narration – something to be told, not something to experience. I didn’t get to know any of the characters. I didn’t get to feel their emotion. I certainly didn’t like any of them, except, maybe, Max the dog who seems like a really good-hearted fellow.

You worked in some legend and mysticism. The imagery and symbolism of mermaids was nice, as was much of your descriptions of nature, but when it comes down to meat and potatoes, your novel was rather bland. Readers who want another story of female mid-life angst can get their hit from an hour of Oprah; they don’t have to invest time in your book.

Lately it seems like several of my favorite authors are resting on their past success, spitting out mediocre novels knowing that their name will sell the book. You’ve proven that you’re a writer with a unique vision and voice. We, your readers, want more of the magic that you shared with us in “Bees”. Don’t be afraid to challenge us with new ideas, and don’t be afraid to challenge the stereotypes of women’s literature.

Love,
Wormie

WBS!

[Christine Nolfi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In The Mermaid Chair, Sue Monk Kidd provides one of the finest opening lines in any novel. A beautiful story about the choices and challenges women face in middle age.

[Shelly · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not nearly as inspirational or moving as author's first novel, Secret Life of Bees. Although VERY well written the subject matter was not pleasing and almost distasteful. I liked the monks side of the story and can more readily understand why he did what he did. In his case he was questioning his faith, his existence, everything and was reaching out to anything that might pull him back to Life. In the woman's case, she was simply bored and unfulfilled in her marriage and was searching for self rather than any meaning of Life. Anytime we put self ahead of all else we lose sight of everything meaningful. It's okay to do for yourself once in while - to refill your 'well' in order to give more to others but when the focus becomes totally inward we quickly lose sight of what's around us and miss our opportunities to serve and uplift others. The woman in the story was selfish and self-absorbed and hurt the people she loved most. Although I think perhaps she "got it" at the end of the novel I didn't much care for the journey.

[Kristi 🐚 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I could see its story being a beautiful, quirky movie. With not the greatest of goodreads ratings, I am mystified as to why. Sue Monk Kidd is such a graceful, intelligent, free-spirited writer. I suggest readers of this book abandon cynicism and daily reality doldrums and instead embrace your heart full of dreams and folklore, with the open understanding of others' life choices. This novel, full of artful mermaid, ocean love, is relevant and faithful, an inquisitive bookclub choice, and such a visual sea-full and soulful journey of independence.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first gave this book 4 stars as I struggled with how much I truly liked it. Now, several weeks later sitting to write a brief review, I found that it's multiple themes continue to resonate with me, and I added the 5th star. I found the imagery of the island setting, and the mom's house, and the church, and the outdoor scenes, just wonderful. Using the Sue Monk Kidd's own form of art (writing) to parallel her main character's art (painting), SMK put me in her story. Then the characters were also vivid in their struggles and, more pertinent to the story, their mistakes. While I sensed at the midpoint that, while I thought I saw what was coming and what I saw left me feeling it would not "end well" for the main characters, the author pulled off the upset by making what I thought would me "not well" into a wonderfully melancholy and hopeful ending. Not a bang, but something softer, and something almost sensible, and still very sweet. But not an ending with a tidy little bow, because you are left to wonder, and maybe to hope, that it ends well. No other ending would have made sense for me, as much as I wanted another ending earlier in the book.

We all have likely struggled with a decision or two that would change the course of our lives. The Mermaid Chair reminds us that there are no guarantees that there are easy answers to tough questions. There are often easy choices, but too often the right choices are the tougher choices. The affair in the book symbolizes to me the "easy" choices that we "want" to make. The fantasy life we pretend we can have. However, the affair is ultimately seen by the main character for what it was - a temporary cure for a symptom rather than a cure for a condition. I believe there are too many real world similarities where the symptoms are continually treated at the expense of the emotional condition that remains untreated, which is why I found the ending to be bittersweet. She resolved herself to overcoming her condition of wanting "more" or at least "different" and began to see what was in front of her from the beginning.

I had not read SMK previously, and was led to this book by someone who had. I am thankful for both that friend and now this book.

Wow, that was some rambling. If you are still reading, I loved the book. More a coupe of months later after skimming it again than I did after reading it the first time.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to think on this before writing a full review. I loved some of the writing in the prologue and hoped that it would continue throughout the book. There were glimpses and the ending paragraph, but I wanted more of her descriptive and reflective prose. The overall story was good, I liked the setting, I was very interested in what was going on with the MC's mother, I even was okay with how everything concluded, but one of the pieces was distasteful to me and kept me from being all in. Like I said I'll think on this to see if I can capture my feelings about the novel.

[Jess the Shelf-Declared Bibliophile · Rating 1 out of 5]

Well this bored me to tears. Empty pointless story. It had slight potential but it seemed the author was not skilled enough to get anywhere near pulling it off. It was so bad that it made me wonder if a ghostwriter was used for The Secret Life of Bees, I just can't fathom how these are written by the same person.

[Lindsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

This probably isn't the best time to write a review of this book since I just finished it a few hours ago and am still quite upset by it. The reason I began the book was because of the name, first of all, and also the story takes place on an island right off the coast of South Carolina. I grew up in South Carolina and miss it very much and so I started reading.

The first part of the book dragged a little, although I loved the descriptions of the south and the ocean. As the book picked up I began to feel torn as to whether or not I was disgusted by the main character or recognized parts of my past self in her. Perhaps a little of both. While I've finished the book and restrained myself from throwing it across the room (I did check it out from the library afterall), I find myself questioning the strength of marriage and trust...once again.

I dog-eared a few pages that I felt were simply poetic. Here is one of those quotes that I particularly appreciate.

"These paroxysms were, I realized later, a kind of aftershock. They would come and go for weeks, moments of violent disorientation in which I couldn't recognize myself, completely breaking apart how I understood my life, all the joints and couplings that held it together. It was the peculiar vertigo, the peculiar humility, that comes from realizing what you are really capable of. Those aftershocks would gradually taper off, but in the beginning they could almost paralyze me." p.201

[Carolyn F. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'll start this review by saying I usually steer clear of books with adultery. Makes me too uncomfortable. I started this audiobook not knowing it was about adultery until I was already engrossed in it. I thought to myself, it's fiction, it doesn't have to be your Pollyanna view of the world. So I kept listening to the audiobook and I'm glad I did.

First of all Eliza Foss, the narrator, was great, both Southern and male voices.

Jessie's mother has cut off her finger purposely and so Jessie goes to where her mother lives and where she grew up to see if she can find out what's happening. She hasn't been there in a long time. She and her mother had this strange falling out about a robe with a dragon on it that didn't seem like the line in the sand they made it out to be. Jessie's also using this as a way to have a time out from her husband Hugh. She feels like she's drifting without any real purpose. While on the island, she falls in love with a monk who hasn't taken his final vows and they begin a very intense affair. Jessie also seems to fall back in love with the island. There are some family secrets that are revealed. Also Jessie comes to the point where she needs to decide whether she should live her life with or without Hugh or Thomas (Whit), she just can't seem to make up her mind where she wants her life to lead.

Very good book. First time reading this author. I would recommend it.

[Karina · Rating 1 out of 5]

My feelings about Thomas had been such a muddle. I'd let them slosh around in my like dirty water in the bottom of a boat, but now, sitting in the mermaid chair, I felt the sediment settle to the bottom, and everything was very clear to me. I wanted him with an almost ferocious desire. (PG 113)

I'm not going to review this book in a way where I'll look back and be embarrassed about what I strongly wrote about but I am going to be honest:::

I hated this book. I really thought it was about mermaid's somehow, somewhere. In a sentence, it was about an unhappy woman that just wants an affair because she feels her life hasn't had enough adventure. I personally do not like books with the cheating theme because there's that feeling that the author is trying to endorse it to the reader like a subtle "It's okay because you're unhappy and you deserve better." The husband was written in such a sweet way. He was kind, funny, attentive, and handsome. Why couldn't Jessie just have had a conversation with him telling him she needed a vacation alone or talk about her feelings? Are we as a society worried to have feelings and look weak?

I don't know the answer but I didn't like the story line, the characters, and the melancholy atmosphere. Jessie was just a privileged, bored housewife that started acting like a lovesick teenager after meeting a handsome boy in 10 minutes except she was middle-aged and had a mortgage.

I would NOT recommend this.

[Stacey · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 rating

The Mermaid Chair is a re-read for me. I read it many years ago before I had a Goodreads account.

I love how comforting this story is. It's set on the coast of South Carolina in a made-up town called, Egret Island. As a girl who grew up in Savannah, GA on the marsh, I enjoyed all the references to the animals and people who live near the marshlands. 🦀

The story is about a woman named, Jessie, who is called home to Egret Island because her mother has had a psychotic episode, which is somehow linked to a past death. Secretly though, Jessie is relieved to have an excuse to leave her mundane life with her husband, Hugh. She hasn't been happy in quite some time and uses her stay at Egret Island to find herself again and come to grips with her tragic past.

I really enjoyed this novel, although it was a slow burn read.

[Taury · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd takes place in the early 2000’s on Egret Island, South Carolina. The story centers around Jessie Sullivan, a woman in her early forties, who returns to her childhood home on the island to care for her mentally ill mother. While on the island, Jessie embarks on a journey of self-discovery, confronting her past and reassessing her life and marriage. Jessie appears as if she is going through a mid-life crisis. Possibly brought on by her care for her mother and being back in her childhood home. The book lacked connection and dragged frequently. I prefer strong female characters and Jessie doesn’t fit that characteristic. Jessie doesn’t really fit anywhere and then the intimate encounters with a monk. That did it in for me.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this book

[dianne b. · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is a ridiculous story about a selfish conceited person having a midlife crisis and really not caring much about the damage her decisions make. Totally unrealistic men: her cuckolded husband (on learning the truth): “..he’d hoped his suffering was not being squandered, that somewhere inside it was making him pliant and tender.” Right. That’s just where most men go - gosh i hope this makes me soft and fluffy. Right after the homicide thing.
At one point she admits to relating to the princess and the pea - my all time least favorite tale. On 30 mattresses and STILL the bed’s not soft enough?: “I felt as if I’d found the fairytale pea”.
Pretty much everyone else in the story is more interesting and compelling than our protagonist (i use the word loosely). Ugh.

[SheReaders Book Club · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just the summer tale I needed about a girl returning home, having a total breakdown while dealing with her mother’s breakdown and confronting all of her demons at once. Oh yeah, there is also an affair with a monk and mermaids. I love the scene where she makes an oath to herself in a sort of marriage ceremony promising to love herself first and most of all. I think we can all take a tip from her on that one ☝🏻🧜‍♀️

[♏ Gina☽ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mermaid Chair ranks extremely high on my list of all-time favorite books. It's the second book by Sue Monk Kidd, who thrilled readers with her first book, "The Secret Life of Bees". Jessie Sullivan is leading a "normal" life with her rather boring husband Hugh when she is called home to Egret Island to see what's up with her mother, who has reportedly been exhibiting some very odd behavior. Once there, she is drawn to a beautifully carved chair which resides inside the Benedictin monastery. The chair is carved with mermaids. The chair, it is said, is dedicated to a saint who was a mermaid before her conversion. On the Island, Jessie is also unexpectedly drawn to Brother Thomas, a monk. Are mermaids real? Jessie finds herself drawn in to the island's mysteries, all the while trying to figure out what is going on with mother, and what to do about her attraction to Brother Thomas, despite her love for Hugh. I didn't read this book. I devoured it.

[Jan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible new age romantic schlock with a side of southern gothic. On the plus side, it makes a great hate read, and your eye-roll muscles will get a fine workout.

[Maureen Brunner · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I saw that this book was on the goodreads "unpopular" shelve, I decided to write a review on why I liked this book. I have a thing about sticking up for an underdog.

Probably the most stated reason that this book is unpopular is because readers compare and contrast it to the author's previous award winning work, The Secret Life of Bees. I think that people who loved the Secret Life must have anticipated that Monk Kidd's follow up would somehow cater to the same audience, and then they were disappointed.

I have not yet completely read the Secret Life, but my English Department is picking it up as a contemporary novel for the curriculum. The decision to make this book required reading for YA's alone tells me that these two books are in totally separate interest categories.

So, why did I like this book? Probably because I loved the setting and could identify with the main character Jesse. If you hold at least four of the six following qualifications you may well like this book:

1 - 30 to 40 something female
2 - Raised Catholic
3 - Love stories about east coast U.S. and old island settlements
4 - Been married for 10+ years
5 - Have a least one child within a few years of of leaving the nest

And this one is not necessary, but it helps...

6 - Have a family story about a kinswoman being involved with an ex Benedictine priest (no, this is not me, but there is a story in my family tree).

I can well understand that many readers don't fit more than two or three of these descriptions, but I happen to be that reader and the Mermaid Chair just happens to be a book for someone like me.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

From a blog post I wrote in 2005:

If you've read The Secret Life of Bees, Sue Monk Kidd's first novel, you probably have high expectations for her latest work, The Mermaid Chair. Bees was beautifully written and made you care about the characters so much that you were sorry to have to leave them at the end of the story. I hope she writes a sequel.

Mermaid Chair has some of the same elements as Bees: quirky characters, long held secrets, romance and long time friendships. But, I didn't feel the love so much. It was an interesting enough story but I never connected to the main character, a woman in her 40s who's feeling distanced from her marriage/husband and who has to return to her hometown to care for her crazy/ill/somewhat estranged Mother. The hometown is actually an island off of South Carolina and home to a Monastery. Our heroine becomes romantically involved with one of the monks while uncovering secrets about her family.

Yeah, I didn't care so much about how it turned out. If you haven't read The Secret Life of Bees, I recommend it highly. As to The Mermaid Chair, it would make for a good airplane book but I wouldn't suggest you go out of your way to read it.

[Cara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just starting this tonight so will update soon, hopefully will enjoy it as enjoyed her other book The Secret Life of Bee's.. Well I had seen many great reviews of this book and between them and her first book I read I expected this one to be just as great! Though I've found it harder to get in to this one.. bc of liking the author and not completely disliking the book I persisted with it and am glad to say I'm liking it more.. Not confident to say that this will be book of the month though.. Ok so I made it through 30% of this book which sucks I know but I just couldn't read it anymore. I've not had to this for a while really so it is pretty hard but.. So many books.. Not enough time!! Right? I know you all get what I'm talking about. 😂