The Mermaid of Black Conch

A novel

By: Monique Roffey

Narrated by: Ben Onwukue, Vivienne Acheampong

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.

wonderful

Loved the story, Loved the voices, perfect narrator. his voice is so soothing. I listened almost straight through.

What an excellent book to listen too.

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

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.

Great performance and story

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