The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock

A Novel

By: Imogen Hermes Gowar

Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson

Shortlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction

In 1780s London, a prosperous merchant finds his quiet life upended when he unexpectedly receives a most unusual creature - and meets a most extraordinary woman - in this much-lauded, atmospheric debut that examines our capacity for wonder, obsession, and desire with all the magnetism, originality, and literary magic of The Essex Serpent.

One September evening in 1785, Jonah Hancock hears an urgent knocking on his front door near the docks of London. The captain of one of Jonah’s trading vessels is waiting eagerly on the front step, bearing shocking news. On a voyage to the Far East, he sold the Jonah’s ship for something rare and far more precious: a mermaid. Jonah is stunned - the object the captain presents him is brown and wizened, as small as an infant, with vicious teeth and claws, and a torso that ends in the tail of a fish. It is also dead.

As gossip spreads through the docks, coffee shops, parlors and brothels, all of London is curious to see this marvel in Jonah Hancock’s possession. Thrust from his ordinary existence, somber Jonah finds himself moving from the city’s seedy underbelly to the finest drawing rooms of high society. At an opulent party, he makes the acquaintance of the coquettish Angelica Neal, the most desirable woman he has ever laid eyes on - and a shrewd courtesan of great accomplishment. This meeting sparks a perilous liaison that steers both their lives onto a dangerous new course as they come to realize that priceless things often come at the greatest cost.

Imogen Hermes Gowar, Britain’s most-heralded new literary talent, makes her debut with this spellbinding novel of a merchant, a mermaid, and a madam - an unforgettable confection that explores obsession, wonder, and the deepest desires of the heart with bawdy wit, intrigue, and a touch of magic.

©2018 Imogen Hermes Gowar (P)2018 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

“Wonderful… completely transporting.” (Madeline Miller, New York Times best-selling author of Circe and The Song of Achilles)

"Historical fiction at its finest, combining myth and legend with the brutal realities of the past.... Comparisons will be drawn to the works of contemporary authors Sarah Waters and Michael Faber... but The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock has more in common with the novels of Dickens and Austen." (Irish Times)

Not as fantastical as I hoped

It's more like the show Harlots, but with less drama. I was hoping for a fantasy story, but this is much more rooted in reality. I kept hoping for more, but never got it.

Entertaining but an odd story

The entertaining but odd story of an unhappy little businessman and how a "Jack-in-the-Beanstalk" event that happens in his life, shapes and transforms his destiny and that of a beautiful prostitute. Seemed to be a type of 18th Century " Twilight Zone".

Wonderful

Had no idea that “plunging” into this book would be so amazing!! Loved the characters, plots lines and descriptions. .

What an mesmerizing tale

Wow this did not go where I thought it would go and that’s OK. It was great: great characterization, amazing visualization and a touch of the supernatural. The representationof 18th-century London seemed very accurate and I loved the narration. I really enjoyed this book so much and I was sorry when it ended. There were some gaps in the plot, there were parts that went on a bit too long, but overall this book was such an enjoyable ride that I did not mind. I highly recommend this book if you like historical fiction with a touch of supernatural.

Great characters!

The performance was a great addition to a fun, engaging, and thoughtful study of creatures who captivate men’s attention and sometimes suffer for it.

A simply fantastic tale.

I cannot recall a book that I’ve enjoyed so thoroughly in recent memory. Full of beautiful metaphors of a life reborn and of the true love that creates a beautiful unique family. I found the writing and literary prose outstanding. Just a marvelous novel.

Hard to like any of the characters...

We chose this for our book club. The writing is very vivid and richly describes how life was for women "back in the day". The scent descriptions alone were worth the effort of listening to this. The narrator has some awkward attempts at doing different voices, and had I not had the pressure to be able to discuss it, I would have stopped listening. Read this vs. listen to it. Thank goodness I had some long road trips because my annoyance with the narrator kept me awake as well as waiting for the story to have some kind of happy ending (which it did, thank goodness!)

RIVETING

I love, love, love this book. I couldn't sleep at night because I just had to hear more of the story. You will not believe there's only one narrator. Juliet Stevenson is marvelous. What an actor.

Superlative narration

The prose and the narration are exceptional; the story itself was a disappointment. Maybe I'm too dense to appreciate its nuances.

spellbinding novel and a superb performance

This is a fantastic story and I could not stop listening and thinking about it