01/30/2017
The tale of the Little Mermaid may be well-known, but don’t look for the Disneyfied version in Claycomb’s fine debut. Here, the story swirls around Kathleen Conarn, a young student learning opera at conservatory. She’s not just any music student, but an amazing soprano from a family of musical talents (her Irish-born father, Robin, is a famous composer). Kathleen has always experienced extreme pain piercing the bottom of her feet and, strangely, the only thing that temporarily soothes her is seawater. She feels a strong connection to the sea, though her mother drowned herself in Ireland when Kathleen was just a baby. When it turns out that the women in Kathleen’s family have had a history of suicidal acts near the sea for more than a few generations, the situation begins to smell fishy, and Kathleen’s girlfriend, Harry (short for Harriet), wants to take her to Ireland to see if they can uncover some truth about Kathleen’s family history and her suffering. Claycomb structures the book into three acts, like an opera, and deftly switches between Kathleen’s and Harry’s voices—punctuated by Robin’s “Composer Notes”—to create the effect of singers baring their souls. Written with attention to musicality and the murmuring backdrop of the incessant ocean, this inventive story captures the mystery, tragic loss, and beauty of Hans Christian Andersen’s original mermaid tale while thoughtfully and passionately updating it. (Mar.)
A truly enchanting tale beautifully told.” — Menna van Praag, author of The Dress Shop of Dreams
“Ann Claycomb’s characters stayed on in my imagination long after I put the book down. Anyone who reads it will never look at The Little Mermaid the same way again.” — Kim van Alkemade, New York Times bestselling author of Orphan #8
“The Mermaid’s Daughter is a beautifully written and captivating read. Claycomb’s use of the fairy tale is deft and enchanting... a satisfying emotional journey, one that’s heart-wrenching and also a little magical.” — New York Daily News
“Claycomb’s fine first novel…is numinous and lovely. — Booklist
“Written with attention to musicality and the murmuring backdrop of the incessant ocean, this inventive story captures the mystery, tragic loss, and beauty of Hans Christan Andersen’s original mermaid tale while thoughtfully and passionately updating it.” — Publishers Weekly
“A dark and compelling twist on a beloved fairy tale that will make you redefine happily ever after.” — Ellen Herrick, author of The Sparrow Sisters
“In The Mermaid’s Daughter, Ann Claycomb harnesses the grandeur of opera to bring to life a classic fairytale for the present day. This is a moving, fascinating, beautifully-rendered debut.” — Emily Mitchell, author of The Last Summer of the World
“...a long, beautiful... layered romantic fantasy.” — Shawangunk Journal
In The Mermaid’s Daughter, Ann Claycomb harnesses the grandeur of opera to bring to life a classic fairytale for the present day. This is a moving, fascinating, beautifully-rendered debut.
A dark and compelling twist on a beloved fairy tale that will make you redefine happily ever after.
Ann Claycomb’s characters stayed on in my imagination long after I put the book down. Anyone who reads it will never look at The Little Mermaid the same way again.
...a long, beautiful... layered romantic fantasy.
Claycomb’s fine first novel…is numinous and lovely.
A truly enchanting tale beautifully told.
The Mermaid’s Daughter is a beautifully written and captivating read. Claycomb’s use of the fairy tale is deft and enchanting... a satisfying emotional journey, one that’s heart-wrenching and also a little magical.
Claycomb’s fine first novel…is numinous and lovely.
The Mermaid’s Daughter is a beautifully written and captivating read. Claycomb’s use of the fairy tale is deft and enchanting... a satisfying emotional journey, one that’s heart-wrenching and also a little magical.
This little mermaid is not Disney’s, nor is she Hans Christian Andersen’s. She’s the protagonist of Ann Claycomb’s clever updating of the classic story. Terrific performances by multiple narrators capture Claycomb’s intriguing version, which features Kathleen, a brilliant soprano from a musical family. When Kathleen experiences excruciating pain in her feet and throat, her only respite comes when she immerses her feet in the sea—even though the sea is the means her mother, and generations of her female relatives, have used to commit suicide. Alternating between Kathleen; her best friend, Harry; her Irish father; voices from the past; and whispers from the ocean that only Kathleen can hear, the narrators deliver this engaging, sometimes chilling, always magical retelling of the age-old tale. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine
