Mermaid

A Twist on the Classic Tale

By: Carolyn Turgeon

Narrated by: Rosalyn Landor

Two sheltered princesses, one wounded warrior; who will live happily ever after?

Princess Margrethe has been hidden away while rumors of war threaten her kingdom. One gloomy, windswept morning, as she stands in a convent garden overlooking the icy sea, she witnesses a miracle: a glittering mermaid emerging from the waves, a nearly drowned man in her arms. By the time Margrethe reaches the shore, the mermaid has disappeared into the sea. As Margrethe nurses the handsome stranger back to health, she learns that he is not only a prince but also the son of her father’s greatest rival. Sure that the mermaid brought this man to her for a reason, Margrethe devises a plan to bring peace to her kingdom.

Meanwhile, the mermaid princess, Lenia, longs to return to the human man she carried to safety. She is willing to trade her home, her voice, and even her health for legs and the chance to win his heart.

A surprising take on the classic tale, Mermaid is the story of two women with everything to lose. Beautifully written and compulsively readable, it will make you think twice about the fairy tale you heard as a child, keeping you in suspense until the very last page.

Carolyn Turgeon is the author of the novels Rain Village, Godmother: The Secret Cinderella Story, Mermaid, and The Next Full Moon. She lives in Pennsylvania and is at work on her next novel, a retelling of Rapunzel.

©2011 Carolyn Turgeon (P)2012 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Vividly imagined and skillfully told, Mermaid is a dark tale that shimmers with light.” (Cathy Marie Buchanan, New York Times best-selling author)

Satisfying Retelling

The story is a predictable classic, but the author builds off of it well. The Mermaid is to Hans Christian Anderson's The Little Mermaid what Ever After the movie was to Cinderella. An excellent balance between happily ever after and deeply human moments.

Love it!

Great, great book! wonderful story that reminds us that we don't know everything, we can't be sure that anything is not real.

performance eh, story great.

I've read this book before years ago and thought it would be fun to listen to. the voice narration wasn't my cup of tea. the story though is so sweet and done in a really great way for younger readers. I can see myself letting my daughter read this.

Interesting and entertaining

Liked the book, reader did an amazing job, and the book was tasteful. Didn't end how I would have expected.

Average story, weak ending

I Wish the ending was stronger, okay take on the fairy tale, intreasting love triangle.