Shortlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction &; A Refinery 29 Favorite Book of the Year &; A Booklist Top 10 First Novels of the Year &; A People Best Book of the Fall
&;Wonderful&; completely transporting.&; &;Madeline Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Circe and The Song of Achilles
In 1780s London, a prosperous merchant finds his quiet life upended when he unexpectedly receives a most unusual creature&;and meets a most extraordinary woman&;in this much-lauded, atmospheric debut that examines our capacity for wonder, obsession, and desire with all the magnetism, originality, and literary magic of The Essex Serpent.
One September evening in 1785, Jonah Hancock hears an urgent knocking on his front door near the docks of London. The captain of one of Jonah&;s trading vessels is waiting eagerly on the front step, bearing shocking news. On a voyage to the Far East, he sold the Jonah&;s ship for something rare and far more precious: a mermaid. Jonah is stunned&;the object the captain presents him is brown and wizened, as small as an infant, with vicious teeth and claws, and a torso that ends in the tail of a fish. It is also dead.
As gossip spreads through the docks, coffee shops, parlors and brothels, all of London is curious to see this marvel in Jonah Hancock&;s possession. Thrust from his ordinary existence, somber Jonah finds himself moving from the city&;s seedy underbelly to the finest drawing rooms of high society. At an opulent party, he makes the acquaintance of the coquettish Angelica Neal, the most desirable woman he has ever laid eyes on&;and a shrewd courtesan of great accomplishment. This meeting sparks a perilous liaison that steers both their lives onto a dangerous new course as they come to realize that priceless things often come at the greatest cost.
Imogen Hermes Gowar, Britain&;s most-heralded new literary talent, makes her debut with this spellbinding novel of a merchant, a mermaid, and a madam&;an unforgettable confection that explores obsession, wonder, and the deepest desires of the heart with bawdy wit, intrigue, and a touch of magic.
Industry Reviews
"A lush Georgian yarn to sink into like a warm bath.... The themes are chewy... never heavy. What this escapade delivers above all is pure storytelling pleasure."--Metro (London), 4/5 stars "From the first page of this dazzling debut novel, you are pitched into a sumptuously detailed adventure set in the bustle and swagger of 18th century London.... The result is a wonderfully written and richly descriptive novel, its brilliantly drawn characters driven by heady and dangerous desires."--Sunday Express (London), 5/5 stars "Historical fiction at its finest, combining myth and legend with the brutal realities of the past, chief among them the mistreatment of women and black people and the inequality that existed among the classes. Comparisons will be drawn to the works of contemporary authors Sarah Waters and Michael Faber... but The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock has more in common with the novels of Dickens and Austen."--Irish Times "A swift, rollicking read.... Richly descriptive.... Like the recent historical-fiction hits Francis Spufford's Golden Hill, Sarah Perry's The Essex Serpent, and Jessie Burton's The Miniaturist, this is a novel pungent in historical detail."--Sunday Times (London) "Superb.... A cracking historical novel... by turns intriguing, touching, funny, sad and heartwarming.... The cast of endlessly engaging characters will keep you turning the pages until you get to the wholly satisfying ending.... The novel immerses you in a world in a way that reminds me of Susanna Clarke's Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell."--Times (London) "There is much to chew on here, and much to savour, presented with wit and showmanship.... The elan of this book is female, from the madams running their girls, to the book's most obvious literary forebear, Angela Carter's Nights at the Circus. Imogen Hermes Gowar is the real deal."--Guardian (London) "The richness and rhythm of the writing is irresistible."--Emma Healey, author of Elizabeth is Missing and Whistle in the Dark "Absolutely delightful... I read it greedily, savoring the characters' adventures and their wit, resilience and humanity as they contend with the glittering, filthy, dangerous city that was Georgian London. The novel is a well-researched, charming, immensely entertaining read."--Maria McCann, author of As Meat Loves Salt "A story of obsession and curiosity, this book is all the better for its rich detail, thanks to Hermes Gowar's impeccable research."--Stylist (London) "Fascinating and funny, this is undoubtedly the start of a major career for this young writer."--Vogue (London)
