The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler (2015 fiction)
Reminiscent of such novels as The Night Circus and Geek Love, this debut novel concerns a carnival sideshow family and its dark 200-year history. Simon Watson, whose mother drowned when he was a child, receives an ancient carnival logbook seemingly out of the blue and discovers its links to his mother’s past. While tracing the names in the book, some familiar and some not, he finds an alarming trend – that the women in his family have been sideshow mermaids and have all drowned on July 24th, a date that is imminent. Simon’s sister shows up unexpectedly, and while she isn’t performing as a mermaid, she does perform as a seer and tarot card reader for a carnival, so he escalates his research in the hope of preventing her death. There are a lot of subplots in this book, concerning Simon’s job as a librarian, his relationships with neighbors and co-workers, and the history of his Long Island Sound home. It is an interesting tale, just slightly creepy but one that takes unexpected turns and twists to lead to its conclusion. A prequel short story about Simon and his mother is included in the “Target Club Pick” edition that I read, and it is helpful to read the short story first.
Reviewed by Ginger Russell
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