When We Believed in Mermaids

I liked the premise of this one: Kit’s sister Josie was supposedly killed in a terrorist attack, but one night she sees her on a TV news report in faraway New Zealand.

We might all wonder what we would do if the chance to find and reunite with a lost loved one arose. Questions must be asked and answered: Why did she leave? How could she let us grieve all this time? What happens if I find her?

What begins as a mystery surrounding a missing sister becomes a richly told tale of family, loss, and vulnerability. I loved Kit―she’s a fascinating protagonist―nuanced, multi-faceted, and a mass of contradictions. Seeing her sister, presumed dead, in a news story from across the world ignites a quest to delve into the past to understand the present. It’s an emotional, raw, and cathartic read. 

This mountain-based author has captured a world that fits right into the #coastalfiction genre. We feel in our bones the joy that two estranged sisters feel when wave-riding, and we see the mesmerizing changes in both ocean and sky as a storm approaches. Though the only boat rides are on ferries, the descriptions of both the California and New Zealand coastlines make me want to go back. The book is also a reminder of the subtle ways we recognize people: a distinctive walking style, seen across a street, can take us right back to childhood.