The Mermaid Chair

By: Sue Monk Kidd

Narrated by: Eliza Foss

Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

A transcendent tale of a woman's self-discovery—the New York Times-bestselling second work of fiction by the author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Book of Longings

Inside the church of a Benedictine monastery on Egret Island, just off the coast of South Carolina, resides a beautiful and mysterious chair ornately carved with mermaids and dedicated to a saint who, legend claims, was a mermaid before her conversion.

When Jessie Sullivan is summoned home to the island to cope with her eccentric mother’s seemingly inexplicable behavior, she is living a conventional life with her husband, Hugh, a life “molded to the smallest space possible.” Jessie loves Hugh, but once on the island, she finds herself drawn to Brother Thomas, a monk about to take his final vows. Amid a rich community of unforgettable island women and the exotic beauty of marshlands, tidal creeks, and majestic egrets, Jessie grapples with the tension of desire and the struggle to deny it, with a freedom that feels overwhelmingly right, and with the immutable force of home and marriage.

Is the power of the mermaid chair only a myth? Or will it alter the course of Jessie’s life? What happens will unlock the roots of her mother’s tormented past, but most of all, it will allow Jessie to discover selfhood and a place of belonging as she explores the thin line between the spiritual and the erotic.

©2005 Sue Monk Kidd (P)2005 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Book clubs, start your engines. Sue Monk Kidd's first novel, The Secret Life of Bees, has sold 3 million copies since 2002.…Those are big shoes to fill, but Kidd acquits herself admirably with The Mermaid Chair….Both novels drip with vivid images of hot Southern afternoons, droning insects, swooping birds and oases in which nature is the fabric of life. It is a tapestry strengthened by bonds between women that bridge pain and loss. Most important, both have passages of beautiful writing… Kidd wrote two well-received memoirs before turning to fiction. But perhaps the answer ultimately given by The Mermaid Chair is that a storyteller also can change course and come of age in the middle of her life."—USA Today

"Her writing is so smart and sharp, she gives new life to old midlife crises, and she draws connections from the feminine to the divine to the erotic that a lesser writer wouldn't see, and might not have the guts to follow."—Time

"(A) rewarding second novel by the author of the bestselling Secret Life of Bees. Writing from the perspective of conflicted, discontented Jessie, Kidd achieves a bold intensity and complexity that wasn't possible in The Secret Life of Bees, narrated by teenage Lily. Jessie's efforts to cope with marital stagnation; Whit's crisisof faith; and Nelle's tormented reckoning with the past will resonate with many readers. This emotionally rich novel, full of sultry, magical descriptions of life in the South, is sure to be another hit for Kidd." —Publisher's Weekly, starred review

Breathtaking and richly deep with insight

A story of married love enriched by an affair. It is really a journey of self discovery that every woman over 40 needs to read. Espec

Enjoyed

Sue Monk Kidd thinks that her book was fictional but there were so many truths that spoke deep to my heart. 53 years of age and married 33 years I could relate to the main character in this book. Delightful

One of my favorites

Loved this book. Eliza Foss was the perfect choice for this read. Ms Kidd got those mid life feelings down to a tee. Everyone one will find at least one of those feelings and say yeah thats just what its like. Great, great book.

Another beautifully written piece of literature

A testament to the need to love ourselves if we are ever to love one another. Beautifully written, researched, and left me longing for a beautiful island in the Carolinas.

Nice but not moving

This was nice listen to, the reader had a nice southern accent. It was pleasant but not extremely moving. The plot was not indepth and seem to skim the surface of the story.

EXCELLENT

All about fantasy, finding herself, and the meaning of life.

Glad it was on sale

The first half of the book was pretty good then it got sickningly sweet and stupid for a while before recovering some theme towards the end. Worth the sale price but not worth a monthly credit.

Not my favorite Sue Mong Kidd book....

I am a fan of the author but just not a fan of this book . The narrator has a gentle,easy listening voice . I personally felt the book was a little long. I had just finished listening to the "Invention of Wings" that book,at least for me, kept my attention from the beginning.
This book was pretty predictable early on in reference to the character Jesse and her relationship with the men. I did however enjoy the twist with her "crazy" mother. Explaining her pain and heartache.
Off to listen to another book...

Mid-Life Crisis

One reviewer described the main character as being full of ennui. Well--that's what a mid-life crisis is. You arrive at the point where the kids are out on their own and you're at a loss for who you are and what you want. You start looking at yourself *in relation to* other people that you come across. You wonder if some of them might help you forge a different definition of yourself. Ms. Kidd relayed that deftly in a story that has no "right" ending. The words are well-chosen, the emotions are right in line with what those us in mid-life (especially those with trauma in their lives) are facing. Well-told and interesting, beautifully written.

Self discovery, adultery

Although well-written, the book is marred by the major theme of adultery in the main character's search for herself.
Stick with A Secret Life of Bees.