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The Mermaid of Black Conch

by Monique Roffey · 2020

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… more

13 quotes ★ 3.86 (20,310) Fantasy

Quotes from the Book

Later I saw that change came as change always comes, from a chain of events with a long history, too long to see from back to front, till it come.
7
The sea was the giant woman of the planet, fluid and contrary.
5
Her sadness had changed her into another woman altogether; it had wearied her and it had also blossomed her.
4
Womanhood was a dangerous business if you didn't get it right.
4
It was the magic that music makes, the song that lives within every creature on earth, including mermaids.
3
I was impatient, troubled by this woman who was so hard to understand. I wanted to keep her safe, or so I told myself, but maybe I fool myself too; maybe 'keep' was the problem. ... Man, you need to give deep feelings of affection and care, not keep them.
2
History or love. One must win. I cannot fight history. I cannot. You win. I’m bad. I always will be. But we can do better than letting history win out over love.
1
The sea, that expanse of nothingness, could reflect a man back on himself. It had that effect. It was so endless and it moved around underneath the boat. It wasn’t the same thing at all as being on any expanse of earth. The sea shifted. The sea could swallow the boat whole. The sea was the giant woman of the planet, fluid and contrary. All the men shuddered as they gazed at her surface.
1
This was the way of a small place full of interwoven families. From birth, people developed the necessary social skill of being duplicitous. Be polite and mind yer own business. Never say true things if it didn't help matters; in fact, the truth often made matters worse. The present was complicated enough. And history? Well that had been the tragedy that lay behind it all. The truth was often way too painful; it would end in talk of heinous crime. So no one bothered to speak of it.
I badder than she when I ready.
Life change quick boy. Another planet so. Later I saw that change came as change always comes, from a chain of events with a long history, too long to see from back to front, till it come
The younger men fought hard to keep a cockstand from bouncing up in their pants.
Each man felt a deep tug in his crotch. The old man wanted to take out his dick and piss all over her.

About Monique Roffey

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About the book

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 t

Book details

First published
2020
Genre
Fantasy
Goodreads rating
3.86 (20k ratings)

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