Elusive, seductive, otherworldly, the mermaid is one of the most resonant of female archetypes, persisting across cultures and eras. In this singular study, Amanda Adams uses poetic language and invokes a wide range of representations and disciplines — from literature, poetry, and mythology to anthropology and folklore — to reclaim this icon of female power for modern readers. Beginning with Melusina, the bathing mermaid par excellence, Adams describes the seductive sirens and their honeyed songs, the powerful Arctic sea goddess Sedna, and the long-haired rusalki of Russian lore, among other legendary mermaids. As she tells their stories, she considers the womanly, passionate, rage-filled, and seductively sweet sides of the mermaid and how those traits reflect the lives and moods of women who live on drier shores. In discovering mermaids and their stories, the author presents a striking narrative of uncovering the unusual, the beautiful, and the extraordinary in her own life.

Reviews

*Starred Review* Like so many little girls, Adams was captivated by mermaids, but unlike most, her interest in and identification with mermaids grew and deepened. Intrigued by the timeless allure of these magical beings, Adams has written an absorbing book that weaves together mermaid mythology, depictions of mermaids in art--the book's illustrations, by the likes of Arthur Rackham, are sumptuous--and her own personal "mermaidenry." She delves into individual myths, such as that of the mermaid Melusina, whose marriage to the founder of Luxembourg disintegrated after he broke his promise to leave her alone once a month during the time she reverted to mermaid form. Inuit legend tells of the mermaid Sedna, betrayed by both husband and father, who rules the arctic seas and makes them bountiful. Adams also explores the male reaction to mermaids, a combination of lust and fear so potent that the medieval church tried to vilify the so-called sirens of the sea in an attempt to negate their sexual draw. Mermaid lovers of all ages will be as drawn to Adams' beautiful, graceful book as Adams herself is drawn to mermaids. Kristine Huntley
Copyright � American Library Association. All rights reserved

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