Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2018
Shortlisted for the Sunday Times Peters Fraser + Dunlop Young Writer of the Year 2018
Longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize 2018
‘Roll up, roll up, a true wonder is on display: a mermaid magicked out of words… Imogen Hermes Gowar delights in the feminine fakery of mermaids, but as a writer she is the real deal.’ - Hermione Eyre, The Guardian
Already hailed as this year’s Essex Serpent, The Mermaid and Mrs. Hancock leads the pack of 2018’s most keenly anticipated debuts. It arrives on a wave of critical acclaim, with the Daily Express calling it 'a dazzlingly original novel, full of heady pleasures… shot through with irreverent humour'. Submerging the reader in the melee of 18th century London, this is a riot of uncanny wonders, wit and unforgettable voices.
It begins on an autumn night in 1785. Merchant Jonah Hancock waits anxiously for news of his ship, but a knocking at the door brings him instead a curio beyond his imagining: a sea goblin, a monster, a mermaid.
As the whisper of his find spreads across London, Jonah finds himself swept into an ambitious, topsy-turvy world of collectors, voyeurs, brothels and courtesans and into the path of Angelica Neal, the most beautiful woman he has ever seen.
Join us on our own voyage of discovery as author Imogen Hermes Gowar takes us on a video tour of London's most historic Waterstones locations, revealing their extraordinary hidden histories.
Publisher: Vintage Publishing
ISBN: 9781911215721
Number of pages: 496
Weight: 742 g
Dimensions: 240 x 162 x 43 mm
This is a pure historical indulgence set in London at the end of the 18th century. We follow Mr. Hancock a merchant, trying to make a fortune with his mermaid and an ex-courtesan , Angelica striving for a better... More
This atmospheric tale is packed with so much exquisite detail, which fans of historical ficition will love. The setting is vividly depicted. We are introduced to Mr Hancock, a merchant and Angelica Neal, a courtesan.... More
‘The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock’ was advertised to fans of ‘The Miniaturist’, ‘Golden Hill’ and ‘The Essex Serpent’, so I jumped at the chance to read it and this book definitely did not disappoint.
The novel is set in...
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