What do you think?
Rate this book
The Mermaids Singing
There is an island off the west coast of Ireland called Inis Murúch -- the Island of the Mermaids -- a world where myth is more powerful than truth, and love can overcome even death. It is here that Lisa Carey sets her lyrical and sensual first novel, weaving together the voices and lives of three generations of Irish and Irish-American women.
Years ago, the fierce and beautiful Grace stole away from the island with her small daughter, Gráinne, unable to bear its isolation. Now Gráinne is motherless at fifteen, and a grandmother she has never met has come to take her back. Her heart is pulled between a life in which she no longer belongs and a family she cannot remember. But only on Inis Murúch can she begin to understand the forces that have torn her family apart.
Years ago, the fierce and beautiful Grace stole away from the island with her small daughter, Gráinne, unable to bear its isolation. Now Gráinne is motherless at fifteen, and a grandmother she has never met has come to take her back. Her heart is pulled between a life in which she no longer belongs and a family she cannot remember. But only on Inis Murúch can she begin to understand the forces that have torn her family apart.
288 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1998
About the author
Lisa Carey
9 books215 followersLisa Carey was born in 1970 in Boston, Massachusetts to Irish-American parents. She grew up in Brookline and later moved with her family to Hingham, Massachusetts.
She attended Boston College and received a B.A. in English and Philosophy in 1992.
Pursuing her MFA in Writing, she took a semester off and lived in Inishbofin, Ireland for six months. There, Carey began her first novel, The Mermaids Singing. This novel was her creative thesis for her MFA and she graduated from Vermont College in 1996.
For five years, Carey divided her time between Ireland and New England, where she wrote her next two novels, In the Country of the Young and Love in the Asylum.
In 2003, she married Timothy Spalding. They moved to Portland, Maine, where she finished her fourth novel, Every Visible Thing. They live there still with their son, Liam Patrick. She returns to Ireland whenever she can.
She recently finished her fifth novel, The Stolen Child, which will be published by HarperCollins in January, 2017.
She attended Boston College and received a B.A. in English and Philosophy in 1992.
Pursuing her MFA in Writing, she took a semester off and lived in Inishbofin, Ireland for six months. There, Carey began her first novel, The Mermaids Singing. This novel was her creative thesis for her MFA and she graduated from Vermont College in 1996.
For five years, Carey divided her time between Ireland and New England, where she wrote her next two novels, In the Country of the Young and Love in the Asylum.
In 2003, she married Timothy Spalding. They moved to Portland, Maine, where she finished her fourth novel, Every Visible Thing. They live there still with their son, Liam Patrick. She returns to Ireland whenever she can.
She recently finished her fifth novel, The Stolen Child, which will be published by HarperCollins in January, 2017.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews
April 17, 2013
Three generations of unreasonably angst-filled women have unprotected sex.
Done.
Done.
December 6, 2012
"The Mermaids Singing" is the perfect book for women who have difficult relationships with their mothers because it shows through multiple perspectives--grandmother, mother, and daughter--just how much misunderstanding happens between perfectly well meaning but damaged and lonely generations of women, so it was great bibliotherapy. However, that is not why I read it, because my mother and I have a pretty good relationship with no drama (and boy did "The Mermaids Singing" remind me of how much I appreciate her!). I was drawn to this book because of the allusion to T.S. Eliot's "Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" in the title: "I hear the mermaids singing, each to each. I do not think that they will sing to me." I am fascinated by mermaids and mermaid lore, and this novel delivered plenty of it. Also, I found the "Prufrock" allusion fitting in this context because of how mermaid lore intersects with its themes of mortality/aging, relationships, and regret in this book.
I must admit that I had trouble liking Grace's character, who seemed gratuitously mean to everyone (with the exception of her daughter, Grainne) who tried to show her any kindness. It's a good thing the other characters in the novel were sympathetic enough to pick up the slack. If Grace had been the main focus, I would have stopped reading. Also, difficult to take were some of the ways in which the author addresses Catholicism, which just didn't ring true at times. For example, I don't care how many sins a person commits or whether it's pre- or post-Vatican II, priests don't mutter "little tramp" to penitents in the confessional. That was just silly and over-the-top. Also, this book covers almost every woman's issue--female competition, teenage sex, miscarriages, single motherhood, unwanted pregnancies, anorexia, and abandonment. Where I am in my life, going there was not the best escape, and escape is why I read. Nonetheless, this book was beautifully written and full of wisdom--definitely worth reading.
I must admit that I had trouble liking Grace's character, who seemed gratuitously mean to everyone (with the exception of her daughter, Grainne) who tried to show her any kindness. It's a good thing the other characters in the novel were sympathetic enough to pick up the slack. If Grace had been the main focus, I would have stopped reading. Also, difficult to take were some of the ways in which the author addresses Catholicism, which just didn't ring true at times. For example, I don't care how many sins a person commits or whether it's pre- or post-Vatican II, priests don't mutter "little tramp" to penitents in the confessional. That was just silly and over-the-top. Also, this book covers almost every woman's issue--female competition, teenage sex, miscarriages, single motherhood, unwanted pregnancies, anorexia, and abandonment. Where I am in my life, going there was not the best escape, and escape is why I read. Nonetheless, this book was beautifully written and full of wisdom--definitely worth reading.
October 16, 2010
(2.5 stars) I had a VERY hard time digesting the women in this novel. Three generations of women all making the same self-destructive mistakes, all unlikable, ornery, selfish and stubborn to the point of hurting themselves. I could not believe they had men who not only loved them, but pined for them. Seriously? They were all so darned MEAN that I can see why they never had friends, but men loved them? And the step-sister who absolutely loved Grace, and Grace tells her repeatedly that she hates her. I never saw anything worth redeeming in these women and their stories were so similar I found myself getting them mixed up. (I suppose that's the point of the book, to show you how mistakes can repeat themselves in future generations.)
On the plus side (betcha didn't think I had one, didja?), Lisa Carey is wonderfully descriptive with her portrait of the Irish landscape and had some beautiful, lyrical writing. I found myself re-reading some passages just for the pure pleasure of it.
On the plus side (betcha didn't think I had one, didja?), Lisa Carey is wonderfully descriptive with her portrait of the Irish landscape and had some beautiful, lyrical writing. I found myself re-reading some passages just for the pure pleasure of it.
July 28, 2017
This book isn't really about mermaids, so be forewarned. It's more of a 'chick lit' book (perfect for those of you who like chick lit) and it was a book I really enjoyed. It's interesting to see the relationships between mom and daughter (Cliona/Grace, Grace/Grainne) as well as grandmother and granddaughter, and adding a bit of Irish myth (of Grainne) added a great touch to the story. The writing itself is overall solid and enjoyable, narrated in a fairly smooth style from all three women's points of view, and the conflicts between two characters - whoever they might be at that point - was believable and interesting, as well as each woman's experiences between America and Ireland. Overall a enjoyable read.
December 3, 2008
Read the majority of this while "decking" (enjoying the sun on our back deck with wandererjen.
I both liked and didn't like it. I loved the Irish-ness of it. Loved the musical language, the names I memorized to pronounce correctly (and now can't spell without looking because they aren't spelled like they sound), and I loved all the beach descriptions. Could almost make me wish I lived near water, instead of mountains. Almost, but not quite :)
But there was an awful lot of angst-filled sex in this one. Some of it was necessary to the story, and a lot of it could have been left out, I think. The mother-daughter-mother-daughter relationships were fascinating, and really, they were enough story unto themselves to not need all the sex as "filler". The family relationships were so interesting, and the exploration of one person's feelings juxtaposed with how they actually acted were ... well, fascinating. I know; I already used that word :)
I loved Liam and Seamus, and also compared them to Michael Willoughby. These sweet, kind, gentle men made me want to know them more. Marcus, too. I was happy with the family interaction at the end, and felt relieved at the resolution. But it was sure hard work getting there.
I both liked and didn't like it. I loved the Irish-ness of it. Loved the musical language, the names I memorized to pronounce correctly (and now can't spell without looking because they aren't spelled like they sound), and I loved all the beach descriptions. Could almost make me wish I lived near water, instead of mountains. Almost, but not quite :)
But there was an awful lot of angst-filled sex in this one. Some of it was necessary to the story, and a lot of it could have been left out, I think. The mother-daughter-mother-daughter relationships were fascinating, and really, they were enough story unto themselves to not need all the sex as "filler". The family relationships were so interesting, and the exploration of one person's feelings juxtaposed with how they actually acted were ... well, fascinating. I know; I already used that word :)
I loved Liam and Seamus, and also compared them to Michael Willoughby. These sweet, kind, gentle men made me want to know them more. Marcus, too. I was happy with the family interaction at the end, and felt relieved at the resolution. But it was sure hard work getting there.
July 29, 2012
I really liked the writing style in this book - it was lyrical and visual and it grabbed my attention right from the start. It was absolutely enchanting at times. I loved the Irish folklore that it included and how it was woven into the story itself. The geographic detail was impressive too and it allowed me to feel like I was really there.
After the loss of her mother (to cancer), Grainne is a scared, angry teenager seeking comfort in the wrong places. There is such heartbreak and pain in this story, in Grainne's chapters, as well as Grace and Cliona's.
Its a story about women and motherhood, but it didn't settle for stereotypes, it went deeper and managed to paint a clear picture of the various struggles women face and the intensity of which we face them with.
I also really appreciated how it was so honest - in one chapter Cliona mentions that she and Grace just never got to a place where they understood each other, where they could have a healthy mother-daughter relationship. There was wisdom in that realization and eventually, we learn that there's common ground after all - Grace missed her mother when she knew she was dying and Cliona missed her own mother after she was gone. There's such a lesson to be learned in that, and by the time I reached the end of the novel I found myself hoping that Grainne would be the last woman in their family to have to feel that way (and it seems she just may be).
I really liked the sad, destructive passion that was weaved through just about every storyline and the way it pertained to mermaid stories. After awhile Grace's character did seem almost mythical - she was the type of woman who was always just out of reach, even before her death, which is why her mystery captivated Seamus and why her death has the extreme effect it has on Grainne (obviously any child is extremely affected by a parent's death, but the book seems to convey that Grainne and Grace had a totally different mother-daughter relationship, in which Grainne was probably constantly both confused and fascinated by her mother).
Other reviewers felt there were too many sex scenes in the book, but I felt like they were important to the story. It just further conveyed that these women were both passionate and reckless and that their fear and grief often fueled their need for sexual intimacy - and let's not forget that there are so many romantic and sexual associations with mermaids, which is exactly what the book was trying to convey. But I agree with the reviewer who mentioned the part towards the end where Seamus gives Liam a box of condoms as a gift - it seemed out of place and tacky and took away from the scene a lot.
As much as I liked it, I'm giving it 3 stars, because like others said, the 3 narratives and similar story lines really confused me at times. I had a difficult time remembering who was who and who did what. And even though I appreciated the raw honesty of the characters and understood that their pain is what fueled their often mean and abrasive behavior, it was at times, hard to identify with them, because they were all so hard and shut-off. It would have been nice if at least 1 of the characters felt warmer, because I think it would have allowed me to connect more with the book as a whole.
After the loss of her mother (to cancer), Grainne is a scared, angry teenager seeking comfort in the wrong places. There is such heartbreak and pain in this story, in Grainne's chapters, as well as Grace and Cliona's.
Its a story about women and motherhood, but it didn't settle for stereotypes, it went deeper and managed to paint a clear picture of the various struggles women face and the intensity of which we face them with.
I also really appreciated how it was so honest - in one chapter Cliona mentions that she and Grace just never got to a place where they understood each other, where they could have a healthy mother-daughter relationship. There was wisdom in that realization and eventually, we learn that there's common ground after all - Grace missed her mother when she knew she was dying and Cliona missed her own mother after she was gone. There's such a lesson to be learned in that, and by the time I reached the end of the novel I found myself hoping that Grainne would be the last woman in their family to have to feel that way (and it seems she just may be).
I really liked the sad, destructive passion that was weaved through just about every storyline and the way it pertained to mermaid stories. After awhile Grace's character did seem almost mythical - she was the type of woman who was always just out of reach, even before her death, which is why her mystery captivated Seamus and why her death has the extreme effect it has on Grainne (obviously any child is extremely affected by a parent's death, but the book seems to convey that Grainne and Grace had a totally different mother-daughter relationship, in which Grainne was probably constantly both confused and fascinated by her mother).
Other reviewers felt there were too many sex scenes in the book, but I felt like they were important to the story. It just further conveyed that these women were both passionate and reckless and that their fear and grief often fueled their need for sexual intimacy - and let's not forget that there are so many romantic and sexual associations with mermaids, which is exactly what the book was trying to convey. But I agree with the reviewer who mentioned the part towards the end where Seamus gives Liam a box of condoms as a gift - it seemed out of place and tacky and took away from the scene a lot.
As much as I liked it, I'm giving it 3 stars, because like others said, the 3 narratives and similar story lines really confused me at times. I had a difficult time remembering who was who and who did what. And even though I appreciated the raw honesty of the characters and understood that their pain is what fueled their often mean and abrasive behavior, it was at times, hard to identify with them, because they were all so hard and shut-off. It would have been nice if at least 1 of the characters felt warmer, because I think it would have allowed me to connect more with the book as a whole.
May 22, 2009
The story of mothers and daughters, their differences and their likeness... a story of family.
I was hesitant to read it, as the mother/daughter relationship, and all the cliche's that go with it, is a relationship I'm hesitant to explore too much. Am not usually a fan.
But I liked this one a lot. I liked the characters, I liked the lyrical writing style. And contrary to some of the other reviews, I didn't think that the sex was unnecessary... I think novels that truly expand on the sexuality of young women, and the confusion that comes with it, in an honest way, are rare. Also, it was something that bonded the characters, something that probably many mothers and daughters could relate to if it were something spoken about. But wasn't that one of the main themes of the novel? The things not said?
I was hesitant to read it, as the mother/daughter relationship, and all the cliche's that go with it, is a relationship I'm hesitant to explore too much. Am not usually a fan.
But I liked this one a lot. I liked the characters, I liked the lyrical writing style. And contrary to some of the other reviews, I didn't think that the sex was unnecessary... I think novels that truly expand on the sexuality of young women, and the confusion that comes with it, in an honest way, are rare. Also, it was something that bonded the characters, something that probably many mothers and daughters could relate to if it were something spoken about. But wasn't that one of the main themes of the novel? The things not said?
June 12, 2010
Curiously enough, this book reminds me of two of my most recent reads combined. Not only does the motif of mermaids persist in this, as it does with The Mermaid's Chair (completely unrelated to this book), but the concept of isolation and emergence works its way through in this book as well using the island as the main embodiment of both. Like Tan's novel, The Bonsetter's Daughter, this book builds upon the bonds and barriers created between three generations of women from their native land,however, this time being that of Ireland. It is a lovely book overall and will certainly give readers pause for thoughts of family, life, and wants.
April 28, 2015
I suppose it had great imagery and an interesting story, but for me it was ruined by how unlikeable the three main women are, particularly Grace, who is so selfish throughout the story it borders on being a sociopath.
June 5, 2016
Yeah I am going to be polite and refuse to review this one.
January 14, 2010
It's very acclaimed but I couldn't stand it. All the characters did is sleep around. I didn't like it.
December 30, 2014
Great escapism. Spent the better part of two days curled up with this book. Hated to leave it. It is one that lingers and I find myself making up what happens next to the characters.
March 10, 2017
A novel of angry women. Not sure why I continued to read it except I kept hoping one would find happiness.
June 21, 2018
"The sins of the mothers shall be visited upon the daughters." That might be a good synopsis of this novel, told with some good lyricism and emotional insight, but structurally a bit flawed, IMHO.
The story follows three generations of Irish/American women, and their struggles with illegitimate pregnancies and raising daughters on their own. The setting, mostly on a small island off the coast of Ireland, is entrancing. Each of the women (grandmother, mother, daughter) spends part of her life in the US and part on the island. Each feels a genetic closeness with mermaids.
The main problem with the book, for me, was that the three women had such similar voices and life experiences. We have three feisty (and surprisingly lusty and promiscuous) women with a lot of resentment towards their single mothers. I had a hard time remembering whose stories were whose.
Also, there were an awful lot of references to mermaids. Okay, I got the symbolism (women who latch onto men and lure them to their death); yet it was actually the women themselves whose lives were ruined by early pregnancies. The men who fathered the children got off scot free. The mermaid thing just got tiresome after a while, since it didn't really lead to an emotional epiphany or character transformation.
People with a romantic bent for novels set in Ireland might enjoy this, however.
The story follows three generations of Irish/American women, and their struggles with illegitimate pregnancies and raising daughters on their own. The setting, mostly on a small island off the coast of Ireland, is entrancing. Each of the women (grandmother, mother, daughter) spends part of her life in the US and part on the island. Each feels a genetic closeness with mermaids.
The main problem with the book, for me, was that the three women had such similar voices and life experiences. We have three feisty (and surprisingly lusty and promiscuous) women with a lot of resentment towards their single mothers. I had a hard time remembering whose stories were whose.
Also, there were an awful lot of references to mermaids. Okay, I got the symbolism (women who latch onto men and lure them to their death); yet it was actually the women themselves whose lives were ruined by early pregnancies. The men who fathered the children got off scot free. The mermaid thing just got tiresome after a while, since it didn't really lead to an emotional epiphany or character transformation.
People with a romantic bent for novels set in Ireland might enjoy this, however.
December 26, 2022
I listened to this book on audio during a walk and it wasn't exactly what I expected, but I still enjoyed it.
I how the contemporary story is mixed with some almost folk/fairytale-like elements and that at the heart of it is the theme of difficult relationships between mothers, daughters and grandmothers. Granted, the characters act quite reckless and are a little rough around the edges, but I accepted it, as not anyone is quiet and nice, also in real life.
I feel like I might want to re-read this book in the future and I might get a different view on it then. Now I decided to give it three stars, as I wish it was a bit more developed.
I how the contemporary story is mixed with some almost folk/fairytale-like elements and that at the heart of it is the theme of difficult relationships between mothers, daughters and grandmothers. Granted, the characters act quite reckless and are a little rough around the edges, but I accepted it, as not anyone is quiet and nice, also in real life.
I feel like I might want to re-read this book in the future and I might get a different view on it then. Now I decided to give it three stars, as I wish it was a bit more developed.
January 31, 2017
I'm always one for books about Mermaids and anything set in Ireland or based on Irish lore.
This book didn't have the fantasy of Mermaids and getting to explore a new but ancient world under the sea, but the three women I read from, gave me all the imagination I needed to glide through this story like an Olympic Swimmer through water.
The language and the way this story was written is enchanting and smooth. The three women - each a different generation - had a beautiful tale cycling (unbeknownst to them) in their own tale and voice.
Good contemporary novels are hard to find and sink into but the presentation of this book reminded me of Alice Hoffman with her blunt, truthful and strong compelling characters and ability to translate mundane hopes and feelings into a magical dialect and Jodi Picoult's emotional rollercoaster of life issues and struggles being balance with dreams and relationships to other people.
I enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and hard to put down. The writing was seamless and the story addictive. It wouldn't be oppose to reading more for this author.
This book didn't have the fantasy of Mermaids and getting to explore a new but ancient world under the sea, but the three women I read from, gave me all the imagination I needed to glide through this story like an Olympic Swimmer through water.
The language and the way this story was written is enchanting and smooth. The three women - each a different generation - had a beautiful tale cycling (unbeknownst to them) in their own tale and voice.
Good contemporary novels are hard to find and sink into but the presentation of this book reminded me of Alice Hoffman with her blunt, truthful and strong compelling characters and ability to translate mundane hopes and feelings into a magical dialect and Jodi Picoult's emotional rollercoaster of life issues and struggles being balance with dreams and relationships to other people.
I enjoyed this book. It was easy to read and hard to put down. The writing was seamless and the story addictive. It wouldn't be oppose to reading more for this author.
August 16, 2010
Told from the points of view of three women, daughter, mother, grandmother, I really thought this book would have been more than a quest to find love and meaning based on what a man can fill in. I was looking for more of a "what the women in my life mean to me" kind of book, and thought that there would be a story of healing from damaged mother-daughter relationships over three generations of Irish women.
Instead, what I found was yet another story of the people who lost someone to cancer and how their lives were torn apart. A story of how sex destroys you if you aren't careful (oh, the slut-shaming messages!) and how good girls wait for a man who really loves you. Also, any woman who isn't nurturing is cold.
However, it isn't completely without good qualities. The women are not completely two-dimensional, and they have some fierceness to them. There is an element of Gaelic lore and mythology that adds a beautiful touch.
Instead, what I found was yet another story of the people who lost someone to cancer and how their lives were torn apart. A story of how sex destroys you if you aren't careful (oh, the slut-shaming messages!) and how good girls wait for a man who really loves you. Also, any woman who isn't nurturing is cold.
However, it isn't completely without good qualities. The women are not completely two-dimensional, and they have some fierceness to them. There is an element of Gaelic lore and mythology that adds a beautiful touch.
September 27, 2009
If only we daughters knew our mother's whole story and our daughters knew our whole story, would those daughters understand the mothers when they are in their difficult teens? On the other hand, maybe its best that mothers remain mothers with their own unknown past. This book tells the story of a grandmother, mother, and daughter. It has a lot of rebellious teen anxst in it, some of which is justified. For instance, losing a mother with whom one is close can explain a lot of self-destructive behavior. My experience with such extreme rebelliousness has been second hand, so I was appalled by some of the behavior. However, the end of the book left me with tears in my eyes because the ending touched my heart.
October 9, 2009
Okay here is another one I could not finish. I thought this would be great. It is set in Ireland (love Ireland) it is about mothers and daughters (hello?). But she uses the F word too much and the coming of age discovering your own sexuality alone and with others is way to graphic and leaves no room for the imagination. It is very pornagraphic in the way she uses her vocabulary. To say the least I was very disappointed. I got about 1/3 the way through.
March 22, 2018
What I liked about this book: the details of setting, the Irish mythology, Seamus. In my mind I heard the Irish brogue in the dialogue.
What I didn’t like about this book: the female characters, who were shallow, unlikeable, and preoccupied with sex.
Unfortunately, the things I liked were not enough to make up for those annoying women, who really have no redeeming qualities.
What I didn’t like about this book: the female characters, who were shallow, unlikeable, and preoccupied with sex.
Unfortunately, the things I liked were not enough to make up for those annoying women, who really have no redeeming qualities.
March 27, 2016
Beautifully written debut. Haunting, intense, and lyrical all at the same time. Although a short book, I found myself only able to read it in short bursts.
I would definitely recommend it for those who like sad, intense stories.
I would definitely recommend it for those who like sad, intense stories.
August 12, 2015
I really didn't like any of the characters enough to care about what happened to them. Also, there was too much shifting between time periods.
March 21, 2020
I loved "The Stolen Child" by this author so really wanted to like this ... it was not to be.
3 Generations of really mean women treating everyone in their lives badly.
I really enjoyed the narration on the audio book which lent much to the eerie Irish feel but other than that found the novel a bit flat.
3 Generations of really mean women treating everyone in their lives badly.
I really enjoyed the narration on the audio book which lent much to the eerie Irish feel but other than that found the novel a bit flat.
May 10, 2017
4 Stars - I recommend if you enjoy generational family stories, complicated mother-daughter dynamics, and coming of age themes.
This book follows the complicated history of three women; a mother, daughter, and grandmother. Cliona left Ireland for Boston in the 1960's. She raised her daughter Grace in the states, and she grew into a rebellious girl. When Grace is taken back to the island where her mother lived, her rebellion grows. She finds the island as cold as her mother's heart. Grainne, Grace's daughter is being raised in Boston, far away from the Irish Island that Grace hates, their life is unconventional, but they are close like friends. When Grace dies of her cancer, Cliona meets her granddaughter and the two return to Ireland to heal their broken relationship and dig up secrets from the past.
I have a lot of thoughts about this book. Overall, I really enjoyed it. The writing was really vivid, and the characters were extremely complex. I like the way it was told, each chapter from one of the women's perspective. The timeline isn't linear, so it skips back and forth in time filling in the blanks and secrets of the women's lives. By the end I found myself pretty wrapped up in the pain that they felt, the secrets that were left untold, and the acceptance they were all looking for. A lot of this book has to do with sex. At first it felt a little odd, but I actually it's pretty representative of what it's like to grow up and not know who you are or what you want. I think it explains stigma on young women related to sex, and also how it complicates mother-daughter relationships. The contrasts between the mother daughter pairs reminded me a lot of Gilmore Girls, but much more stark. This book is not funny. I think mostly the book made me think about how important communication is. If you can't tell those you love what you need, how you feel, etc. it complicates everything. Sometimes causing huge issues. It's absolutely tragic to read about people who want and need love, but can't accept it, because they feel like it compromises their freedom and individuality. It's like none of these women could ever tell anyone how they actually felt. Never fully confide in anyone. That's not how love works, and it makes me sad to read it. As a side note, this book is not *about* mermaids, but the island in Ireland is named after mermaids, and folklore, etc. is woven through the novel.
I found this really fascinating but also kind of heart wrenching.
This book follows the complicated history of three women; a mother, daughter, and grandmother. Cliona left Ireland for Boston in the 1960's. She raised her daughter Grace in the states, and she grew into a rebellious girl. When Grace is taken back to the island where her mother lived, her rebellion grows. She finds the island as cold as her mother's heart. Grainne, Grace's daughter is being raised in Boston, far away from the Irish Island that Grace hates, their life is unconventional, but they are close like friends. When Grace dies of her cancer, Cliona meets her granddaughter and the two return to Ireland to heal their broken relationship and dig up secrets from the past.
I have a lot of thoughts about this book. Overall, I really enjoyed it. The writing was really vivid, and the characters were extremely complex. I like the way it was told, each chapter from one of the women's perspective. The timeline isn't linear, so it skips back and forth in time filling in the blanks and secrets of the women's lives. By the end I found myself pretty wrapped up in the pain that they felt, the secrets that were left untold, and the acceptance they were all looking for. A lot of this book has to do with sex. At first it felt a little odd, but I actually it's pretty representative of what it's like to grow up and not know who you are or what you want. I think it explains stigma on young women related to sex, and also how it complicates mother-daughter relationships. The contrasts between the mother daughter pairs reminded me a lot of Gilmore Girls, but much more stark. This book is not funny. I think mostly the book made me think about how important communication is. If you can't tell those you love what you need, how you feel, etc. it complicates everything. Sometimes causing huge issues. It's absolutely tragic to read about people who want and need love, but can't accept it, because they feel like it compromises their freedom and individuality. It's like none of these women could ever tell anyone how they actually felt. Never fully confide in anyone. That's not how love works, and it makes me sad to read it. As a side note, this book is not *about* mermaids, but the island in Ireland is named after mermaids, and folklore, etc. is woven through the novel.
I found this really fascinating but also kind of heart wrenching.
June 8, 2019
Mermaids
Really enjoyed this book. Story about three women and each of their stories was interesting and wonderful. Very enjoyable book.
Really enjoyed this book. Story about three women and each of their stories was interesting and wonderful. Very enjoyable book.
June 15, 2023
1 star for the idea, however, could not finish - reread first few chapters. Story with a trio of hateful women who talk about how their names should be spelled/pronounced. Mermaids? maybe later.
Read
October 22, 2010I actually liked this book very much. It was very touching, but sad at parts. I completely felt like i was almost part of it when i was reading it. i dont think the sex parts were too much. Well, maybe a little, but most of those parts were pretty important, where when Grace meets (i forget who) and she f**ks him on the boat (how they said specifically in the book) I think that part was totally unnecessary. I liked how the book was in different points of view, like in Grace, Cliona and Grainne's. Sometimes I'd skip parts when Grainne is not talking and find the next chapter when she is, because it seemed more interesting with her story. But then I'd go back and read it again. i think Graces part of the story were way too detailed.
I liked Liam and his description. I think if I was actually part of the book, i would have a crush on him, even though he's like 4 years older than me. The end of the book was sad yet happy, (does that make sense? :P) when i finished the book, i just wanted to read more, i didn't want to stop. you just want to go back to it and read it over and over. I hope she writes more books like this one because i dont know about you other people out there but i liked this book A Lot. :)
I liked Liam and his description. I think if I was actually part of the book, i would have a crush on him, even though he's like 4 years older than me. The end of the book was sad yet happy, (does that make sense? :P) when i finished the book, i just wanted to read more, i didn't want to stop. you just want to go back to it and read it over and over. I hope she writes more books like this one because i dont know about you other people out there but i liked this book A Lot. :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 16, 2017
3.5 rating. I like the writing but I did not like the females, Cliona, Grace, and Grainne. They were all selfish, dysfunctional, neurotic, manipulative, and unlikeable. I especially did not like Cliona, the mother. She was too judgmental when it came to her daughter Grace, and was always trying to make her daughter live the kind of life Cliona wanted her to and not what Grace wanted. Plus, I dislike religious people; Cliona was a pious Catholic and denied her sensual side because the Church told her it was a sin. And she lied to Grainne, telling her that she did not have Grace out-of-wedlock.
I also couldn't get into the myths of the mermaids. It was used throughout the novel, especially when the location moved from Boston to Ireland.
I am interested in reading more from Lisa Carey. Hopefully, her other novels will have more likable characters.
I also couldn't get into the myths of the mermaids. It was used throughout the novel, especially when the location moved from Boston to Ireland.
I am interested in reading more from Lisa Carey. Hopefully, her other novels will have more likable characters.
March 15, 2010
This was a book about mothers and daughters, and the relationships between them and the rest of the world. At the center of it is Grace, a self-centered woman who makes decisions without considering the effect on other people. Grace tells her daughter, Gráinne, that it's just them, when in reality, Grace left home in the dark of night leaving her mother and husband. Grace uses her body to make men do what she wants, and Gráinne even tries it to prevent being sent away.
It was a very interesting book; it was just the jumping about in time with the different characters/chapters that made it a little confusing.
It was a very interesting book; it was just the jumping about in time with the different characters/chapters that made it a little confusing.
January 4, 2015
I read a review that it was about three generations of angst-filled women and I have to agree. But also what I don't particularly like which seems to be a theme in some novels is the overly heroic qualities in characters. It's as if the female characters are the ideal female that the author wants to be. They can do no wrong. We are somehow supposed to admire their inhuman amount of sensuality or whatever superhuman trait the author gives them. When this is done, it ruins the book for me because I find myself just disliking the character for the same qualities I am supposed to admire them for.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 293 reviews