What a strange, compelling and wondrous book The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock (#763) is! Imogen Hermes Gowar's novel has been on the Best Sellers list in England since its debut, and after reading it practically non-stop myself, I can understand why.
Set in London in 1785, it follows the lives of Angelica Neal, a famous courtesan who must scrabble to support herself after the death of the Duke who had her in keeping for the past three years with alas, nothing of value to show for it. Jonah Hancock, on the other hand is an unimaginative widower and honest ship owner who is startled when one of his missing captains returns from the Far East with a most unexpected treasure: a mermaid. What is he to do with a mermaid, especially since it is tiny, ugly and dead?
When Mrs. Chappell, a noted bawd, hears of Mr. Hancock's new treasure, she sets in motion a scheme to make a tidy fortune for herself by duping Mr. Hancock out of his mermaid while being distracted by her former protégé, Mrs. Neal. Things do not go as she had planned; nothing ever seems to. And what of the mermaid? That's one of the most intriguing parts of this unusual story.
The characters here are fully formed and sympathetic. Imogen Hermes Gowar has done her homework to produce such an immersive background for her story. Highly original, and highly recommended.
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