Set in early twentieth-century New York, this novel follows Coralie Sardie, the daughter of a sinister museum proprietor who exhibits biological anomalies on Coney Island. Coralie performs as a mermaid in a glass tank, living a sequestered life under her father’s control. Her world intersects with Eddie Cohen, a Jewish immigrant who abandoned his orthodox upbringing to become a forensic photographer. Against the backdrop of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire and the Hudson River’s industrial shifts, the two investigate the disappearance of a young woman while navigating the city’s criminal underworld and social unrest.
Readers of historical fiction choose this book for its detailed recreation of Manhattan’s labor history and the atmosphere of early carnival culture. It attracts those interested in the tension between scientific progress and superstition during the Gilded Age. The reader gains a stark perspective on the exploitation of marginalized bodies and the harsh realities of urban poverty before the implementation of modern safety regulations. It provides a look at how individuals forge identities outside of restrictive family heritages.
Balanced in tone; a moderate read.
Best for readers like The Story Seeker. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 2014
- Language
- EN
