Central Older Adults Book Club June 2007

Mermaid Chair
Kidd, Sue Monk.
New York: Viking Penguin, 2005.

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Summary: Set on the fictional Egret Island in South Carolina, the story centres on Jessie. She's come home to take care of her eccentric mother, but finds herself drawn to Brother Thomas, a Benedictine monk while her psychiatrist husband Hugh is at home waiting her return. Various women of the island round out the cast of characters. In the monastery, there is an actual Mermaid Chair -- a beautiful and mysterious chair carved with mermaids and dedicated to a saint who was supposedly a mermaid...

Review submitted by Anthea
Excellent. Beautiful prose. The story of a woman trying to find "her voice": "to belong to herself" rather than trying to complete herself with someone else.

Review submitted by Dey
Nicely written - good symbols of the sea.

Review submitted by Book Club Member
Sue Monk Kidd's books are all about relationships. I loved this book because I like her style of writing. I didn't think it was as well written or as good a story as The Secret Life of Bees.

Review submitted by Book Club Member
I felt that Ms. Monk Kidd is a gifted writer, it flows so beatifully. Now I would love to visit the Carolinas and wander around the reedy areas, wave at the turtles and alligators.

For commuters, we have the book on cd.