THE MERMAID'S DAUGHTER

This little mermaid is not Disney's, nor is she Hans Christian Andersen's. She's the protagonist of Ann Claycomb's clever updating of the classic story. Terrific performances by multiple narrators capture Claycomb's intriguing version, which features Kathleen, a brilliant soprano from a musical family. When Kathleen experiences excruciating pain in her feet and throat, her only respite comes when she immerses her feet in the sea--even though the sea is the means her mother, and generations of her female relatives, have used to commit suicide. Alternating between Kathleen; her best friend, Harry; her Irish father; voices from the past; and whispers from the ocean that only Kathleen can hear, the narrators deliver this engaging, sometimes chilling, always magical retelling of the age-old tale. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2017, Portland, Maine [Published: MARCH 2017]