Mermaids - Paperback

by Patty Dann (Author)

A teenager follows along as her mother moves from town to town--and man to man--in this coming-of-age novel: "Both hilarious and tragic . . . a radiant debut." --The New York Times Book Review

The inspiration for the cult-classic film starring Winona Ryder, Christina Ricci, and Cher, this novel is narrated by Charlotte Flax, a fourteen-year-old helplessly dragged by her mother from place to place, brief affair to brief affair. When they settle into a quiet New England town in 1963, the teenager yearns to stay put for once. With a convent just steps away from their home, this could be Charlotte's chance to fulfill her dream of becoming a martyred Catholic saint--despite the fact that she's Jewish. At the same time, the young caretaker at the convent is inspiring some unsaintly thoughts . . .

"Patty Dann gives us a magnificent voice in the young Charlotte . . . Compelling and tender, touching and alive in her search to find some order in the chaos of her life." --The New York Times Book Review

"This is a really funny book about people trying to find something to hang onto in a world that keeps shifting under their feet. Patty Dann guides us through the guerilla war between mother and daughter, through the minefields that lie between being a child and being an adult, in a voice not like any we've heard before." --John Sayles, director and novelist

"Moments of pure gold . . . An energetic talent." --Kirkus Reviews

"Both of [the sisters'] characters are sharply etched and recognizable." --Publishers Weekly

"Poignant . . . a quirky charm." --Booklist

Author Biography

Patty Dann's novels have been translated into French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Chinese, Korean, and Japanese. Her novel Mermaids was made into a movie starring Cher, Winona Ryder, and Christina Ricci. Dann is also the author of The Butterfly Hours: Transforming Memories into Memoir, The Goldfish Went on Vacation: A Memoir of Loss, and The Baby Boat: A Memoir of Adoption. Dann's articles have appeared in the New York Times, Boston Globe, O, The Oprah Magazine, and numerous other publications. She teaches writing workshops at the West Side YMCA in New York. Dann is married to journalist Michael Hill and has one son and two stepsons.