Advanced
Error loading page.
Try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, there may be a network issue, and you can use our self test page to see what's preventing the page from loading.
Learn more about possible network issues or contact support for more help.
Title details for The Mermaid by Christina Henry - Available

The Mermaid

by Christina Henry
Cassandra Campbell
Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
Borrow Listen to a sample Listen to a sample
1 of 1 copy available
From the author of Lost Boy comes a beautiful historical fairy tale about a mermaid who leaves the sea, only to become the star attraction of history's greatest showman.
Once there was a mermaid called Amelia who could never be content in the sea, a mermaid who longed to know all the world and all its wonders, and so she came to live on land.
Once there was a man called P. T. Barnum, a man who longed to make his fortune by selling the wondrous and miraculous, and there is nothing more miraculous than a real mermaid.
Amelia agrees to play the mermaid for Barnum and walk among men in their world, believing she can leave anytime she likes. But Barnum has never given up a money-making scheme in his life, and he's determined to hold on to his mermaid.

  • Creators

  • Publisher

  • Release date

    June 19, 2018

  • Formats

    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

      • ISBN: 9780525596158
      • File size: 251849 KB
      • Duration: 08:44:41

  • Languages

    • English

  • Reviews

    • Publisher's Weekly

      May 28, 2018
      Henry (the Chronicles of Alice duology) introduces a twist into the history of P.T. Barnum’s famous Fiji Mermaid hoax by making the mermaid real. Amelia came from the water because of love; now widowed, she wants to see the world and needs money for travel, which she can get from being an exhibition. Barnum’s friend and employee Levi Lyman wants to protect Amelia from Barnum, who will do a great deal for a buck. The shadow of Joice Heth, the old enslaved woman whom the pair exhibited and exploited until her death, lies heavily on Lyman, who is trying to make up for his previous mistakes. Unfortunately, this promising premise flails under the weight of leaden prose, little suspense in the plot, and an obviously well-researched background that nevertheless feels lifeless and flat. Readers are told, not shown, about the issues Amelia has in confronting human patriarchy and racism, so her eventual partial victory over those forces has little emotional weight. This well-meaning story sinks like a stone. Agent: Lucienne Diver, Knight Agency.

    • AudioFile Magazine
      In this audiobook, entertainment impresario P.T. Barnum discovers a mermaid and won't rest until he manages to exploit her. But he meets his match in Amelia. Narrator Cassandra Campbell weaves an air of mystery and vulnerability around Amelia that is tempered by an understanding of people and how they operate. Campbell portrays Barnum as ruthless in his pursuit of attractions for his highly lucrative sideshow. When Amelia becomes part of a traveling show, Campbell makes the outrage of crusading religious zealots palpable and Amelia's fear of them seem real. Amelia thinks she can leave whenever she wants to, but Barnum has other ideas. Listeners may come to believe there actually was a mermaid named Amelia. J.E.M. © AudioFile 2019, Portland, Maine

Formats

  • OverDrive Listen audiobook

subjects

Languages

  • English

Loading