The Mermaid of Black Conch

Not your average mermaid tale.

Our story begins in March 1976 in St Constance, a tiny Caribbean village on the island of Black Conch. David, a fisherman who likes to sing on his boat while at sea, attracts the attention of Aycayia, a beautiful young woman cursed to live as a mermaid. One day, Aycayia mistakes another fishing boat for David’s and is captured by fishermen with less good intentions.

However this is not The Little Mermaid or Splash. Aycayia’s capture scene is incredibly uncomfortable to read and after she’s captured and subsequently tied up on a shipping dock, the descriptions of the town’s fishermen coming to stare at her and clutch at her body is horrific. And the graphic way in which her body begins to change in later scenes rids you of any romantic ideas about a mermaid’s transformation.

But the writing is at other times beautiful with an almost musical rhythm to it. Some sections read like poetry and at other times is really visual. I could picture Acayia and the tattoos across her body. In one scene set in a forest, the rain is falling heavily and I could almost feel the mist on my skin.

It is also a love story but not just one between Acayia and David. There is also Miss Rain and her love for her son, who is deaf, and the relationship that blossoms between him and Acayia, who is lost and confused in a place and time she doesn’t recognise.

The book explores so many themes and subjects from history to lore to myth and religion. It s a truly unique book and I can’t wait to discover more of Roffey’s work.