Elijah's Mermaid [Hardcover]

A real cornucopia of Victoriana and peopled with some weird and wonderful characters, Essie Fox's second novel 'Elijah's Mermaid' makes for an atmospheric read. Orphaned twins, Elijah and Lily are rescued from Coram's Foundling Hospital, by their writer grandfather, Augustus Lamb. The twins are brought up in Kingsland House, their grandfather's delightful country home, cocooned from the outside world, listening to Augustus's stories about fairies, hunting for "treasure and magic things" and dreaming about mermaids with golden hair. Meanwhile, in London, a beautiful web-toed baby is found floating in the Thames one dank, foggy night and taken to the House of Mermaids, a brothel, where she is raised in luxury by the Madame of the house, Mrs Hibbert. The child is given the name Pearl and is cared for lovingly by Mrs Hibbert, or at least she is until she reaches her fourteenth birthday, when she is made aware that she and her virginity are to be auctioned off to the highest bidder.

Shortly before the auction, the paths of Pearl and the Lamb twins cross by chance, when Elijah and Lily come to London, where Elijah is struck by Pearl's luminous beauty, falling in love with her after just a glance. But Pearl is not destined to be Elijah's mermaid, for she is soon sold off to an eccentric artist, who is delighted to find his very own mermaid and muse. A few years later, Elijah meets up with Pearl again when he has become a talented photographer and has been offered a job in London. But soon after arriving in London, Elijah disappears and when no news about his whereabouts reaches his sister and grandfather, Lily realizes that she will have to travel to London herself, in order to discover what fate has befallen her beloved brother. (No spoilers - there is plenty more for prospective readers to uncover).

Inspired by Charles Kingsley's 'The Water Babies' and with the motif of water ever present, this attractively presented novel is written in a mixed media method, with first-person narratives from the perspectives of Pearl and Lily, diary entries from Elijah and a selection of newspaper articles and letters. Essie Fox has researched her subject well and includes an appendix at the end of the book informing the reader of the real life characters and places that inspired her novel and she also includes a list of Victorian slang words (which, on reflection, might have been more useful if placed at the beginning of the novel).

I haven't read Essie Fox's previous novel: The Somnambulist - in fact this book was given to me as a present and, having heard the author being compared with Wilkie Collins and Sarah Waters, I thought that Essie Fox would have a lot to live up to. Well, 'Elijah's Mermaid' may be an atmospheric story, but I do have to say that I found parts of it a little contrived and I must say that I found the writing rather overblown at times; however that said, Essie Fox's enthusiasm for her subject is evident and her Victorian world is descriptively vivid, so many readers may find it easy to become pulled into this story of secrets, obsessive love, duplicity and betrayal. If you are in the mood to be seduced by some Victorian-style sensationalism and want to spend a little time in the Victorian underworld from the safety of your armchair, then 'Elijah's Mermaid' may be just what you are looking for.

Elijah's Mermaid is broken up into four parts, with three young protagonists: Pearl, Elijah, and Lily taking turns telling their story. The setting is Victorian London. Essie Fox again, in this her second novel, proliferates each page with such realistic Victorian dialogue and an enchanting writing style the reader feels as if they are walking along Cheyne Walk in Chelsea when Pearl is found in The Thames and later on with The Lamb's at their residence, Kingsland House, Kingsland, Herefordshire, England around 1855.

Not only does Essie Fox know the Victorian era, she knows her Pre-Raphaelites as well; her passion leaps off every page. Some names are obvious i.e. Gabriel, Millais, and Rossetti mentioned but physical and descriptive hints could be found if you are familiar with such notables of The Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood (Brethren) Indeed! It could just be me reading too much into it but grandfather of Lily and Elijah's Augustus Lamb was reminiscent of grandfather to his granddaughter and grandson Sir Edward Burne-Jones! Even The Lamb's loving glimpses of conversations between Lily and Augustus reminded me so much of Three Houses by Angela Thirkell!

Water is the primary element holding the basis of the story together for good reason which is later explained as the story of Pearl intertwines with Lily and Elijah once the story gets darker and more Gothic. Mermaid is in the title for specific reasons as Essie Fox first introduces the reader to a young woman found drowned in The Thames; then baby Pearl is discovered in 1850 and I just loved how she later describes herself, 'the bastard child saved by the river by Tip that night when my mother drowned herself for shame' - who was brought up in a brothel by the rather whimsical name of The House of Mermaids. This was a `most prestigious Chelsea abode', where the owner of the house, Mrs Hibbert, indulged the `every whim of those men wishing to use the brothel's services.'

There are brothels, beautiful gardens and freak shows that appear as the story gets darker; more characters are there to 'guide' Lily and Elijah i.e. the absolutely horrible and hated Osbourne Black, the ever present Mrs. Hibbert and Uncle Frederick Hall etc. They are needed as numerous red herrings, twists, turns abound in this luscious Victorian Gothic tale. Pay attention and keep your wits about you for not everything is as it appears!

In closing, if you dear reader find yourself at a loss or just confused with these characters and their motives, fear not, for Essie Fox writes a helpful 'summation' of sorts at the end entitled, 'The Real Historical Characters Who Have Influenced Those In Elijah's Mermaid' along with a vocabulary list of Victorian Slang.

In fairness, I did not find much lacking in Elijah's Mermaid. I feel I must say something so any readers who are not used to reading Victorian era slang and 19th century dialogue might be put off or find themselves growing impatient. There are also numerous characters, London locations and places mentioned so again it might be off-putting. However, I revel in this sort of Victorian cultural and Gothic tale. I rarely find such a beautifully written one, as well.

In Elijah's mermaid, Essie Fox, has with Dickensian precision revealed a passionate story of obsessive love, and sordid betrayal. Beautifully descriptive, the highly regarded worlds of Victorian art and literature, meet the dark and repellent world of the demi-mondaine, in a story that abounds with duplicity, and scandalous intrigue.
Pearl has been brought up in the notorious brothel, The House of Mermaids, where she has been cosseted and pampered as a child of the house; however, as she nears her fourteenth birthday, she is aware that her innocence will be soon be sold to the highest bidder. Meanwhile, in a secluded country house, the twins Lily and Elijah, who were rescued as children from the Foundling Hospital, live in isolated splendour with their grandfather, the reclusive author Augustus Lamb. In an unexpected incident in London, Lily and Elijah, cross paths with Pearl, and the fickle finger of fate combines, to bind these characters together.
The dark and socially corrupt world of Victorian London is brought vividly to life, the narrative never falters, and the rich assortment of characters that flutter in and out of the story, add a fascinating glimpse into the shadowy world of the Victorian underclass.

I found much to enjoy in Elijah's Mermaid - it's a perfect book for a cold winter's evening.