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The Mermaid's Daughter: A Novel Audiobook
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Publisher Description
A modern-day expansion of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Little Mermaid, this unforgettable debut novel weaves a spellbinding tale of magic and the power of love as a descendent of the original mermaid fights the terrible price of saving herself from a curse that has affected generations of women in her family.
Kathleen has always been dramatic. She suffers from the bizarre malady of experiencing stabbing pain in her feet. On her sixteenth birthday, she woke screaming from the sensation that her tongue had been cut out. No doctor can find a medical explanation for her pain, and even the most powerful drugs have proven useless. Only the touch of seawater can ease her pain, and just temporarily at that.
Now Kathleen is a twenty-five-year-old opera student in Boston and shows immense promise as a soprano. Her girlfriend Harry, a mezzo in the same program, worries endlessly about Kathleen's phantom pain and obsession with the sea. Kathleen's mother and grandmother both committed suicide as young women, and Harry worries they suffered from the same symptoms. When Kathleen suffers yet another dangerous breakdown, Harry convinces Kathleen to visit her hometown in Ireland to learn more about her family history.
In Ireland, they discover that the mystery—and the tragedy—of Kathleen’s family history is far older and stranger than they could have imagined. Kathleen’s fate seems sealed, and the only way out is a terrible choice between a mermaid’s two sirens—the sea, and her lover. But both choices mean death…
Haunting and lyrical, The Mermaid’s Daughter asks—how far we will go for those we love? And can the transformative power of music overcome a magic that has prevailed for generations?
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“Terrific performances by multiple narrators…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.”
— AudioFile
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“Beautifully written and captivating…Claycomb’s use of the fairy tale is deft and enchanting…A satisfying emotional journey, one that’s heart-wrenching and also a little magical.”
— New York Daily News -
“Captures the mystery, tragic loss, and beauty of Hans Christian Andersen’s original mermaid tale while thoughtfully and passionately updating it.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“A loose retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale…Like its source, it is numinous and lovely.”
— Booklist -
“Ann Claycomb’s characters stayed on in my imagination long after I put the book down. Anyone who reads it will never look at The Little Mermaid the same way again.”
— Kim van Alkemade, author of Orphan #8 -
“A dark and compelling twist on a beloved fairy tale that will make you redefine happily ever after.”
— Ellen Herrick, author of The Sparrow Sisters -
“A truly enchanting tale beautifully told.”
— Menna van Praag, author of The Dress Shop of Dreams
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About Ann Claycomb
Ann Claycomb is a writer living in Morgantown, West Virginia, where she earned her MFA in fiction from West Virginia University, and an MA in literature from University of Maryland. She has studied with Emily Mitchell, Gail Galloway Adams, Mark Brazaitis, Kevin Oderman, Claire Messud, Joyce Kornblatt, Howard Norman, and Reginald McKnight. She has published fiction and creative nonfiction in several venues.
About the Narrators
Suzan Crowley, a British/American actress and producer and an AudioFile Earphones Award-winning narrator. She has worked in repertory theater all over the British Isles and acted extensively on-screen as well, including roles in ITV’s series PD James’ Devices & Desires, the BBC series Back Up, and the feature film The Devil Inside. With her husband Anthony Armatrading, she produced the award-winning independent feature film Wild about Harry.
Shannon McManus, award-winning narrator, is a Los Angeles–based actor, writer, and voice artist. Her natural vocal abilities and extensive theater training have led to work in audiobook narration, commercial voice-over, and animation. Critical praise includes an Audiofile Earphones Award and a Publishers Weekly Listen Up! Award in children’s and young adult fiction.
Alana Kerr Collins is an Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator. She is also an actor, puppeteer, and singer who studied at the Impulse Company in London and earned a BA in drama and English at the University of Dublin, Trinity College. She starred in the short films Rachel 9000, The Deal, and Veritas and has appeared in several television series, including Emu and Big City Park.
Alana Kerr Collins is an Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator. She is also an actor, puppeteer, and singer who studied at the Impulse Company in London and earned a BA in drama and English at the University of Dublin, Trinity College. She starred in the short films Rachel 9000, The Deal, and Veritas and has appeared in several television series, including Emu and Big City Park.