Elijah Twain captains a steamboat traversing the Hudson River. One night he finds a woman clinging to the side of his boat, grievously injured. When he pulls her from the river, he is astonished to find that she is a mermaid. He nurses her back to health in his cabin, hiding her from the amorous owner of his vessel. But Twain falls under the mermaid's spell, and interest turns to obsession.
Siegel weaves this gripping tale with the skill of a master, creating his own American legend inspired by Greek mythology. The girl in the water is definitely not a Disney mermaid - she is a siren from legend, luring people to bad ends with her song. It also must be said that this graphic novel is for adults and older teens, since there is a lot of nudity (the mermaid is bare-chested throughout the novel) and characters engage in briefly-depicted sex. The book explores themes of love, obsession, and lust. I liked that no character is entirely good or entirely evil, each one is sympathetic in their own way, and there is no clear-cut villain. Siegel's hazy, dreamlike charcoal drawings complement the novel's gloomy, unreal atmosphere. If you like a healthy dose of myth mixed in with your history, you will love this book.
Below are samples of Siegel's gorgeous charcoal drawings:
Shannon Wood, Adult Services Librarian
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| Mark Siegel/First Second Books |
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| Mark Siegel/First Second Books |
Shannon Wood, Adult Services Librarian
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