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The Mermaid: Christina Henry

Historical fiction will always have a special place in my heart, no matter what time period. in Christina Henry's The Mermaid, we travel back to turn of the century New York and P.T. Barnum starting his museum. When he is brought the "Fiji Mermaid" he decides to expand on the exhibit by finding a real mermaid, and find a real mermaid he does. Amelia is a young mermaid who, after getting caught in a fisherman's net comes to land to marry him. After his death, she travels to New York and agrees to become part of the exhibit for a time. after falling in love with Barnum's lawyer, Levi, she leaves and finds home in Fiji.

Now, no matter what Hugh Jackman tells you, P.T. Barnum was a jerk and this book solidifies this statement. While Amelia wasn't real, Barnum was and treated all his "acts" as animals in cages, and the animals in cages and less than that. The author really brings Barnum to life as well as the other characters, including Charity Barnum, P.T.'s wife. Charity is overlooked by many when looking at P.T. and everything he did so bringing her to the front a center and making her best friends with Amelia is perfect. All in all, this book is perfect for anyone that has seen The Greatest Showman and wants to learn more about Barnum and the circus or wants to start a foray into historical fiction.

Pros:
phenomenal story-telling
accurate historical placement

Cons:
Wish it was longer
Phineas Taylor Barnum is a jerk!