The Mermaid of Black Conch

A Novel

By: Monique Roffey

Narrated by: Ben Onwukue, Vivienne Acheampong

Length: 7 hrs and 36 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2022 Monique Roffey (P)2022 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

WINNER OF THE COSTA BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD

“One can’t help admiring the boldness of Roffey’s vision. . . . Sentence by sensuous sentence, Roffey builds a verdant, complicated world that is a pleasure to live inside. . . . Aycayia is a magical creature, though rendered so physically you might start to believe in the existence of mermaids.”—Shruti Swamy, The New York Times

“Vivid imagery, discussion-worthy themes, Creole verbiage and a melding of history and magic make The Mermaid of Black Conch come to life. It’s a confluence of lore in which subtle details change depending on who is telling the story. Each has their own idea of what it is to be a man, a woman, the oppressor, the oppressed, or something in between worlds. . . . It seems Roffey has hit her stride.”—Donna Edwards, Associated Press

“A vivid phantasmagorical fairy tale . . . With a lilting patois and rollicking prose, Roffey evokes the Antillean settings, characters, and culture. This makes for an entrancing siren song.”—Publishers Weekly

What an excellent book to listen too.

The readers are exceptional with their lovely accents. You will not regret listening till the end

Immersive and lovely

This book was really lovely and I was transported into the story every time I listened. I sure hope there is a part 2 or more similar stories coming from this author. Loved it.

Unusual story and narration

Liked the interesting premise but didn’t enjoy the narrative as much. I appreciate that they wanted island voices but found it harder to listen to this speech.

Merwoman

It’s a Great story
Wonderful voices
Short short story
Should be a podcast
Thank you

Great performance and story

This piece is a beautiful story narrated very skillfully by two excellent voice artists. Worth multiple listens!

So different a story!

This story was well read and well told. In the beginning it was a little hard to follow the dates of the events. Once I paid better attention it was much easier. It is very different than anything else I have read or listened to, but it was oh, so enjoyable.

Underwhelming

Great voice work but the plot and context felt underdeveloped. The potential is there but I’ll be honest I hated the ending.

Powerful story, had me spellbound!

What a stellar story full of intrigue. Loved everything about it! Great narration and vibrant tale of mermaid wonders.