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Title details for The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey - Available

The Mermaid of Black Conch

A novel

by Monique Roffey
Ben Onwukue
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
This enchanting tale of a cursed mythical creature and the lonely fisherman who falls in love with her is "a daring, mesmerizing novel…single-handedly bringing magic realism up-to-date" (Maggie O’Farrell, best-selling author of Hamnet).
"Sentence by sensuous sentence, Roffey builds a verdant, complicated world that is a pleasure to live inside.... You might start to believe in the existence of mermaids.” —The New York Times

In 1976, David is fishing off the island of Black Conch when he comes upon a creature he doesn’t expect: a mermaid by the name of Aycayia. Once a beautiful young woman, she was cursed by jealous wives to live in this form for the rest of her days. But after the mermaid is caught by American tourists, David rescues and hides her away in his home, finding that, once out of the water, she begins to transform back into a woman.
Now David must work to win Aycayia's trust while she relearns what it is to be human, navigating not only her new body but also her relationship with others on the island—a difficult task after centuries of loneliness. As David and Aycayia grow to love each other, they juggle both the joys and the dangers of life on shore. But a lingering question remains: Will the former mermaid be able to escape her curse? Taking on many points of view, this mythical adventure tells the story of one woman’s return to land, her healing, and her survival.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    July 12, 2022

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780593590218
      • File size: 219389 KB
      • Duration: 07:37:03

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      June 27, 2022
      Roffey (The Tryst) spins a vivid phantasmagorical fairy tale based on a pre-Columbian Taino legend. In 1976, a white Floridian banker and his son take a fishing expedition off a fictional Caribbean island called Black Conch. Instead of a marlin, they hook a mermaid with Indigenous complexion and tattoos. The father imagines selling her to a museum or to Sea World. David Baptiste, a dreadlocked local fisherman who has previously serenaded the inquisitive creature, looks on in horror as the men stick her with a gaffing hook and knock her unconscious. That night, David cuts her bonds and takes her to his home. He means to return her to the sea as soon as possible, but while she is lying in salt water in David’s bathtub, she transforms into a young woman and the two become lovers. It turns out the mermaid, whose name is Aycayia, is not only in danger of being returned to the Americans by the authorities, but is subjected to a 1,000-year-old curse. As Aycayia acclimates to life on land and she and David fall in love, the pair must navigate a host of perils and determine if there’s a future for Aycayia outside the sea—and, if so, what it would be. With a lilting patois and rollicking prose, Roffey evokes the Antillean settings, characters, and culture. This makes for an entrancing siren song.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      Caribbean accents from narrators Ben Onwukwe and Vivienne Acheampong animate this compelling story inspired by the Ta�no legend of Aycayia, who is cursed to exist for eternity as a mermaid. The lonely creature lives in exile for centuries until one day, brutally captured by sports fishermen near Black Conch Island, Aycayia finds herself on land again. Rescued by David, a local fisherman who plans to return her to the sea, she transforms back into a woman--with bittersweet repercussions. Onwukwe performs the third-person narration in deep, resonant tones interspersed with vivid characterizations of the colorful supporting cast. His delivery of David's journal entries adds pathos and a raw intensity that is enhanced by Acheampong's emotional bursts of Aycayia's thoughts. These are expressed in free-verse poetry. S.A.A. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine
    • Library Journal

      June 10, 2024

      While fishing off the coast of the island of Black Conch in 1976, local Black fisherman David Baptiste meets an unexpected creature: a mermaid. Once a beautiful young woman, Aycayia was cursed by jealous wives to live in the sea. She is captured and tormented by greedy American tourists, but then rescued by David, who hides her away, where she slowly turns back into a woman. Aycayia, a member of the Indigenous Ta�no people, struggles to relearn what it means to live on land. Will she be able to escape her curse, or will she choose to return to the sea? Roffey's (Tryst) mythological tale, narrated by Ben Onwukue and Vivienne Acheampong, is full of adventure, intrigue, and love. It explores what it means to be human, how relationships affect us, and the importance of the choices we make. Both Onwukue and Acheampong channel the lyricism of Roffey's words, with Onwukue's deep, gravelly voice serving as the third-person narrator, and Acheampong giving voice to Aycayia's thoughts and feelings. VERDICT Roffey's enchanting tale, mixing prose with poetry and interweaving varied voices and time spans, makes for an affecting listening experience. Recommend to listeners looking for folk tales with a magical twist.--Elyssa Everling

      Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

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