Synopsis:
Formerly an up-and-coming magazine editor, Jenny Lipkin is now your average, stretched-too-thin Brooklyn mom, tackling the challenges of raising two children in a cramped Park Slope walk-up. All she really wants is to survive the sweltering New York summer with a shred of sanity intact. But when her husband, Harry, vanishes one evening, Jenny reaches her breaking point. And in a moment of despair, a split-second decision changes her life forever.
Pulled from the brink by an unexpected ally, Jenny is forced to rethink her ideas about success, motherhood, romance, and relationships. But confronting her inner demons is no easy task. . . .
Pulled from the brink by an unexpected ally, Jenny is forced to rethink her ideas about success, motherhood, romance, and relationships. But confronting her inner demons is no easy task. . . .
My Thoughts:
What do you do when you have a history of depression, no job, two small children and a husband who disappears without a word? You lose your mind. Jenny Lipkin is in this very position. After her husband, Harry, never comes home from work one night, Jenny is left to care for the children alone. Unfortunately, with little family or friends around to help out, Jenny is on her last nerve. But after making a snap decision and getting strange results, Jenny is finally starting to see things clearer. Forced to examine every aspect of her life and marriage, Jenny is finally coming out of the haze and starting to live again.
This book was nothing that I expected. What I thought was going to be a light-hearted, romantic comedy was actually a rather depressing drama. In fact, I had a hard time with the beginning of this book and had to force myself to read past page 40. I'm glad I kept reading because it did pick up quite a bit, but I'm still having mixed feelings about it and about Jenny as well.
For the most part, I just didn't like her. She was whiny, selfish and even critical and judgmental about people just because of how they dressed or where they lived. She judged the other mothers based on what neighborhood they lived in and this really put me off. Just because someone lives in a better/worse area than you, don't automatically assume you know everything about them and not worth your time. I also found it extremely annoying that she let her two year old, Betty, run her life. All she did was complain about the things Betty did, but who leaves a two year old unattended long enough to go through your room and trash it? Honestly, Jenny was just a bad parent. She was too obsessed with flirting with the cute stay-at-home father and whining that she didn't notice that her daughter would be suffering the loss of her father too.
On the other hand though, I could still somewhat sympathize with Jenny's position. I can't imagine having two small children and being left alone to care for them with no help. Being a stay-at-home mom is hard work, whether you think so or not. There's always someone needing to be fed or changed or entertained. I could understand why Jenny would latch on to anything that would help take her mind off the daily downs and the fact that her husband has left her without a word. Sometimes obsessing over something trivial is the only way to make it through the day with even a thread of sanity left.
Although I sympathized with Jenny to a degree, there's no love lost here for Harry. I hated him, actually. I spent this entire book with a rage boiling in my chest for this horrible man who just up and left his wife and kids. I won't deny that I wanted to see something very bad happen to him, even though I didn't really get to know him at all throughout the book. We only get glimpses of him through Jenny and I did not find what she had to say very admirable.
Aside from all the drama with the characters, the author does a fantastic job of setting the scene and describing Jenny's home and neighborhood. I can still see her apartment in my mind and can imagine her walking through the streets and playing with her kids at the park. I've never been to Brooklyn I appreciated the attention to detail.
Overall I can't say that I loved The Mermaid of Brooklyn, but it did turn into a satisfying read in the end.I recommend this book to readers who prefer a deeper, more emotional read.
For more about Amy Shearn and The Mermaid of Brooklyn, visit her website here.
Purchase:
*I received this book for free in exchange of my honest review. This did not influence my opinion in any way and all views and opinions expressed are 100% my own.
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