The Mermaid of Black Conch - Monique Roffey

 

I’d seen a few people’s wonderful reviews of this magical little book so when I visited Foyles recently I couldn’t help but pick it up! It was also the first time I’d seen this Vintage edition and I fell in love with the cover. The book is set in the lush landscape of the Caribbean, near the island of Black Conch. Lonesome fisherman David Baptiste is out fishing and playing his guitar when he witnesses a creature he’d only heard about myths.

An innocent young mermaid, Aycayia, is watching him intently from afar. She has been cursed by jealous women and lived for centuries in the depths of the ocean, only to be coaxed out by David’s gentle singing. Gradually, he builds up her trust and the pair embark on a secretive friendship. When American tourists capture Aycayia and vow to make millions selling the story, and the mermaid, David rescues her and hides her in his bathtub, sprinkled with salt water. This is when her transformation begins.

‘The nest of sargassum seaweed in her hair began to fall off in clumps and underneath was long, black and knotted dreads… her nostrils bled all kinds of molluscs and tiny crabs. She had been a home to all kinda small sea creatures, and they were slowly, over days, abandoning her, moving out.’

Slowly, Aycayia sheds her tail and becomes a woman again, and the pair embark on a passionate love affair. Meanwhile, she is still pursued by the American tourists who believe that their catch has been stolen from them. But despite David’s love for the mermaid, it seems that the curse has not been lifted and their time together is limited.

This is a beautiful and heartbreaking love story, primarily, but also a visceral exploration of the body. I love how Roffey’s mermaid has a real body - she smells, she defecates, she is almost animalistic and feral - and is not the romantic stuff of fairytales. If you haven’t read this beguiling and enchanting little novel, filled with mystery and rich language, I urge you to do so!