The Mermaid of Brooklyn

A young mother's interminable exhaustion as she cares for two infants by herself becomes distressingly vivid in Shearn's novel. Jenny Lipkin is a Brooklyn mom who is trying to survive a sweltering New York summer. When her husband vanishes one evening, Jenny is driven to act rashly--and is pulled back from the brink by a supernatural ally. Hillary Huber lends an absorbing interpretation to her portrayal of Jenny, infusing bitter sarcasm into her every thought and word. She also delivers the hoarse tones of cigarette-smoking Brooklyn natives, the twang and stressed syllables of Jenny's Jewish mother-in-law, and the bored bewilderment of Jenny's estranged husband. Insightful, imaginative, and often hilarious, this grown-up fairy tale is sure to enchant as magic meets reality, transforming what comes next with heartfelt wit and keen vision. A.W.

January 28, 2013
As this whimsical modern-day fable from Shearn (How Far is the Ocean From Here) begins, Jenny Lipkin is living in a small apartment in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y., and juggling two children and a husband, Harry, addicted to gambling. One day, Harry tells her that he’s going out for cigarettes and never returns. Distraught, Jenny considers suicide, only to accidentally fall off the Brooklyn Bridge instead. While underwater, she meets a Russian mermaid, or rusalka, who saves her life but also possesses her. Fired with purpose by the mythical creature, Jenny begins a new career as a seamstress and pursues the stay-at-home dad next door. When Harry returns, however, Jenny must decide for herself who she really wants to be. There’s no doubt that Shearn is gifted, crafting quirky and charming prose, as well as a protagonist who’s articulately and believably ambivalent about motherhood. The mermaid, however, comes across as a needlessly fantastic overlay on a realistic story, while Harry’s reappearance rings false. Shearn deftly paints her novel’s familiar (at least to New Yorkers) setting, but she seems less certain of what to do with her plot. Agent: P.J. Mark, Janklow & Nesbit Associates.