Dazzlinga quirky raucous and bewitching family saga --Sara Gruen author of Water for ElephantsSimon Watson a young librarian lives alone in a house that is slowly crumbling toward the Long Island Sound His parents are long dead His mother a circus mermaid who made her living by holding her breath drowned in the very water his house overlooks His younger sister Enola ran off six years ago and now reads tarot cards for a traveling carnivalOne June day an old book arrives on Simons doorstep sent by an antiquarian bookseller who purchased it on speculation Fragile and water damaged the book is a log from the owner of a traveling carnival in the s who reports strange and magical things including the drowning death of a circus mermaid Since then generations of mermaids in Simons family have drowned--always on July which is only weeks awayAs his friend Alice looks on with alarm Simon becomes increasingly worried about his sister Could there be a curse on Simons family What does it have to do with the book and can he get to the heart of the mystery in time to save Enola In the tradition of Sara Gruens Water for Elephants Erin Morgensterns The Night Circus and Elizabeth Kostovas The Historian The Book of Speculation--with two-color illustrations by the author--is Erika Swylers moving debut novel about the power of books family and magic.
