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The Mermaid  By  cover art

The Mermaid

By: Christina Henry
Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell
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Publisher's summary

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.

©2018 Christina Henry (P)2018 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"Beautifully written and daringly conceived, The Mermaid is a fabulous story, in both senses of that word. It's full of magic and passion and courage, set against a convincing historical backdrop in which women, much less mermaids, have only the power they seize for themselves. Henry's spare, muscular prose is a delight. I loved this novel." (Louisa Morgan, author of The Secret History of Witches)

"There is a current of longing that runs through The Mermaid: longing for the sea, for truth, for love. It is irresistible and will sweep you away." (Ellen Herrick, author of The Sparrow Sisters)

"In her latest novel, The Mermaid, Christina Henry weaves a captivating tale of an intriguing young woman who finds herself in the world of the greatest showman, PT Barnum. Original and magical, this is a novel to dive into and savour." (Hazel Gaynor, New York Times best-selling author of The Cottingley Secret)

What listeners say about The Mermaid

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars

On the fence

Though I absolutely loved "Lost Boy", and "Alice" by this author I'm sort of on the fence with "The Mermaid" it was an OK story , written by a very good author, yet in a sense was a let down for me as I do enjoy this author's twisted perspectives of familiar stories , which Mermaid was lacking. Not bad, yet for me, nothing to get me thinking or talking or wanting more .

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7 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

She does it again

The first Christina Henry book I read was Lost Boy and I LOVED it. Such a great story line and I loved how she took the original story and supported it. In this story she does the same. I liked the love story party of this book and it kept me intrigued and wanting more. Looking forward to more novels by her in the future.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

amazing

r It normally takes me forever to get though a book. "The Mermaid" was so engrossing it is literally the fastest I finished any book. From the moment early on that it made me feel every splinter the mermaid endured as she struggled up the steps, I was hooked.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

great!

I was expecting it to be a dark version of the little mermaid like in Christina Henry's other books but this still has a great story.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

not my favorite

I loved Lost Boys, Alice, Red Queen all of these audio books kept me wanting to listen to stories from Christina Henry. (Even with the Red Queen that ended so so) This is a easy listening story, too easy and a little boring at times. This story takes liberties from history which is something I like about Henry's story telling, she reinvents . But there is no real back story and the story is missing so many opportunities to be be imaginative.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

A little disappointing

The story wasn't bad but after Lost boys and Alice, there's a certain expectation that wasn't reached in this book

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

So so

Returned it. After reading lost boy I thought this one would be good however I wasn’t expecting a child’s story. For YA it’s decent story, but not what I was looking for.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

wonderful

I've read almost every single Christina Henry book, and I put this one off to the end. it was very enjoyable and I love Amelia as a character. Henry does an excellent job showing the hypocrisy and unfair treatment of women through her writing.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Exceeded Expectations

exceptional story and very good reading with very Swift plot that kept me interested. loved the characters and the locations. funny and heartwarming, and surprisingly sensual in places.

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Mermaid: human or animal?

I loved the historical context of P.T Barnum’s humbugs and museum and tours. I know the accounts were fictional but the basis was in fact so it was very interesting.

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