The Moorings of Mackerel Sky

November 13, 2023
Heart-wrenching realities ground the magic and wonder of this impressive debut fantasy. Mackerel Sky is a small, fictional lobstering town on the Maine coast with a long history of seafaring and many local legends of mermaids inhabiting the nearby ocean waters. The novel covers an eventful few seasons in town, focused on a handful of inhabitants: Leo, a 13-year-old, whose drug-addicted mother is neglectful at best; Myra, the wise older woman who rescues him; Manon, a schoolteacher unmoored by the loss of a daughter born with sirenomelia, a rare congenital disorder in which the legs are fused together; and Derrick, the closeted star pitcher of the high school baseball team. Personal and civic tragedies, past and present, weave together into a remarkable tapestry as the connections between all the threads become clear—and the town’s mermaid myths prove all too real. A graphically violent episode in the story’s second half is horrifyingly well realized and will rattle many readers. This is an ambitious and memorable venture from an intriguing new voice. Agent: Jennifer Weltz, Jean V. Naggar Literary.

Starred review from December 1, 2023
Mackerel Sky is no ordinary Maine fishing town. It's been cursed for years by a vengeful mermaid, and the town's residents each have their burdens to bear. Mackerel Sky's star pitcher, Derrick Stowe, is hiding his sexuality while aching for his lost mother. Manon Perle has never been the same since she gave her daughter to the sea--born with fused legs, little Nimue died when she was only four. And Leo, a teen neglected by his drug-using mother, falls into an unexpected friendship with Myra Kelley, a senior citizen who may hold the key to breaking the mermaid's curse. As the novel unfolds, readers learn more and more of the legend. Manon's daughter was named for that jealous mermaid queen who exacted revenge and destruction upon the town after her human lover spurned her. Other residents are connected to the old stories in different ways, and their secrets spin out as the characters grow closer. The people of Mackerel Sky are gentle with each other in their shared grief, and ultimately, they learn to create their own hope. Arresting, lyrical, and deeply emotional, MZ's debut will captivate readers of Alix E. Harrow's The Ten Thousand Doors of January (2019).

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