{"product_id":"mermaids-9781504079662","title":"Mermaids","description":"\u003cb\u003eA 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.\" --\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e 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 . . . \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"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.\" --\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"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 \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Moments of pure gold . . . An energetic talent.\" --\u003ci\u003eKirkus Reviews\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Both of [the sisters'] characters are sharply etched and recognizable.\" --\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e \"Poignant . . . a quirky charm.\" --\u003ci\u003eBooklist\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eAbout the Author\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cp\u003e Patty Dann has written four novels and three memoirs. Her book \u003ci\u003eMermaids\u003c\/i\u003e was adapted into a film starring Cher, Winona Ryder, and Christina Ricci. Dann's work has been translated into many languages, and her articles have appeared in the\u003ci\u003e New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eBoston Globe\u003c\/i\u003e, the \u003ci\u003eChicago Tribune, O Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eForbesWomen\u003c\/i\u003e. She has an MFA in writing from Columbia University and a BA from the University of Oregon. Dann has taught at Sarah Lawrence College and at the West Side YMCA. She was cited by \u003ci\u003eNew York Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e as one of the Great Teachers of NYC. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Open Road Media","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50647343333650,"sku":"9781504079662","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0831\/4771\/8930\/files\/img_fa3a39ec-0940-4d3e-9fa9-fcdddd1437c4.jpg?v=1733202556","url":"https:\/\/surprise-castle.myshopify.com\/products\/mermaids-9781504079662","provider":"Surprise Castle","version":"1.0","type":"link"}