Escape to the ocean with the entrancing unforgettable winner of the Costa Book of the Year -
as read on BBC Radio 4. 'A daring mesmerising novel... A modern myth' Maggie O'Farrell
author of HAMNET On a quiet day near the Caribbean island of Black Conch a mermaid raises
her barnacled head from the flat grey sea. She is attracted by David a fisherman waiting for a
catch singing to himself with his guitar. Aycayia the mermaid has been living in the vast
ocean all alone for centuries. When Aycayia is caught and dragged ashore by American tourists
David rescues her with the aim of putting her back in the ocean. But it is soon clear that the
mermaid is already transforming into a woman. This is the story of their love affair of an
island and of the great wide sea. 'Not your standard mermaid' Margaret Atwood author of THE
HANDMAID'S TALE 'Bighearted... A world that it is a pleasure to live inside' New York Times
'Sensuous beguiling wondrous... A striking achievement' Sunday Times 'A fiercely modern
mermaid story' The Times 'A unique talent' Bernardine Evaristo author of GIRL WOMAN OTHER
VINTAGE EARTH is a series of books that reveals our ever-changing relationship with the
environment. These are stories old and young set in worlds real or imagined that allow us to
explore our connection to the natural world. Transformative wild surprising and essential
these novels take on the most urgent story of our times.
