The Mermaid of Black Conch
Paperback Published on: 07/07/2022
Price: £9.99
Bookseller Reviews
View all
Unique, wild, and enchanting
Based on a Taino folk legend, The Mermaid of Black Conch is magic realism at its finest! Set on the fictional Caribbean island of Black Conch, the tale is ... READ MORE
A bittersweet treat of a read
A gorgeous modern fairy story about a fisherman and a young woman cursed by jealous women to be a mermaid set in the Caribbean islands. The language is bea... READ MORE
A Darkly Mythic Tale
In an interesting role reversal of what usually happens in stories about mermaids, David, a fisherman, sings in his boat and entices a mermaid to appear. T... READ MORE
Beautiful magical realism
Cursed to be a mermaid because of her beauty, The Mermaid of Black Conch is a beautifully written story about womanhood, sexuality, oppression, race, and c... READ MORE
Synopsis
Overall Winner of the Costa Book of the Year 2020
Longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction 2021
Shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize 2021
Winner of the Costa Novel Award 2020
Near the island of Black Conch, a fisherman sings to himself while waiting for a catch. But David attracts a sea-dweller that he never expected - Aycayia, an innocent young woman cursed by jealous wives to live as a mermaid.
When American tourists capture Aycayia, David rescues her and vows to win her trust. Slowly, painfully, she transforms into a woman again. Yet as their love grows, they discover that the world around them is changing - and they cannot escape the curse for ever . . .
Publisher information
- Publisher: Vintage Publishing
- ISBN: 9781784878023
- Number of pages: 256
- Dimensions: 198 x 130 x 17 mm
- Weight: 183g
- Languages: English
Customer Reviews
View allLoved it
I heard this on the radio and was so intrigued that I ordered the book. Being able to read it recaptured the magic of the serialised story, I loved it. It’... READ MORE
Disappointing
Well this was not for me. It was much too sexual but in an immature, infantile way. The "sexing" scenes were embarrassing and the writing overall was medio... READ MORE
Unique island life love story that crosses all taboo barriers
Mermaid of Black conch by Monique Roffey
crosses beautifully barriers of taboo subjects - race, sexism, wealth, post-slave trade, fishing trade, relations... READ MORE
Disappointing
I’ve been looking forward to reading this book but I wasn’t able to finish it, I didn’t like the writing style I found it very jarring and not easy to foll... READ MORE
Costa Winner 2020
Well this is a book that had gone on and off my wish list since it won the Costa book of the year in 2020. I just couldn't decide if it was something for m... READ MORE
Mythical tale set in the Caribbean
A gorgeous mythical tale. Aycayia is the mermaid of the title and she was a joy to meet. Fisherman find her and don’t know what to make of her. She is a my... READ MORE
A uniquely written, modern fairytale!
Rounded down from around 4.5 stars ⭐️ Going into this book I never expected I would love it as much as I did.
The Mermaid of Black Conch tells the story o... READ MORE
The book my teenage self would have loved
I remember being fourteen and obsessed with mermaids, my inner teen is screaming with this book. It's a fantasy novel with mermaids like no other. This com... READ MORE
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