Name: The mermaid chair
ISBN: 9780670033942

Sue Monk Kidd

Midtvejs i livet bliver Jessie Sullivan kaldt hjem til barndommens ø Egret Island ved South Carolinas kyst, fordi hendes mor opfører sig mere mærkeligt end ellers. Mødet med barndomsminderne og med Broder Thomas fra det lokale kloster tvinger hende til nye erkendelser.

The mermaid chair

Jessie Sullivan is summoned home to tiny Egret Island, where she meets Brother Thomas, a monk who is about to take his final vows, and encounters the legend of a mysterious chair dedicated to a saint who had originally been a mermaid.

The Mermaid Chair

Jaymie Lemke

Sam 🌙

Straight on the back of The Secret Life of Bees, I found this at the library and immediately added it to my TBR pile. Whilst I did struggle with the concept of a woman deciding she was bored in her marriage and so fell in love with a monk, I still found things to enjoy in this book and polished it off in a couple of nights. 

Oh, the theme of Mother's rears it's head again and I promise that it isn't always the thing that draws me to a book! For me, Jessie Sullivan's Mother really sits at the core of this story. Estranged, and seemingly mad with grief, she is for me, the most interesting character and I definitely wanted to read more about her. Jessie is given some much needed space in her marriage to return to the island where she grew up to support her mother and their relationship was what really drove the storyline. I wasn't much interested in the romantic aspect of the book, finding it cliche, but the family relationships were something I could really get behind. 

The Island where Jessie grew up and ultimately left behind for reasons that soon become apparent sounds truly wonderful. The landscapes are well described and I could easily imagine myself being very happy there. The mention of the mermaid, the annual ritual and the myths around the Saint were so charming!

The author is so good at the little details which add charm and this book is no exception. As well as falling in love with the island and the mermaid myth, I also loved Nelle's friends, their traditions and Max the dog. I loved the description of Jessie's art and how it develops over time, the birthday follies and Jessie's relationship with her father which was incredibly endearing.

This is the second of Kidd's books that I have read and I have loved both. The story in this one grabs you right away and holds on tight. I couldn't put it down. The main character was likeable and I could identify with and understand her. Well-written book. Fantastic.

Janet Doré

I just didn't like this book...just a depressing story about infidelity and dysfunctional women.