Despite the fact that Jessie appears to have a solid marriage, she falls instantly in love with this man of the cloth. During a prolonged visit to her mom, Jessie meets a faith-doubting monk, Thomas, formerly a married lawyer.Īfter her mom cuts off the first finger, Jessie goes to spend time with her mother, where she meets Brother Thomas. Jessie’s elderly mother, Nelle, obviously is disturbed (she intentionally cuts not one but two of her fingers off – and she’s a cook for a nearby monastery).
She is married to Hugh (an extremely tolerant man, by profession a psychiatrist), and they have one daughter, Dee. The book centers on a 42-year-old woman, Jessie (she’s a semi-retired painter – as are many female protagonists these days).
That said, I expect some women readers will like The Mermaid Chair for just that final reason. Before Kidd wrote Bees, she had been primarily a Christian writer, penning books like When the Heart Waits: Spiritual Direction for Life’s Sacred Questions and God’s Joyful Surprise: Finding Yourself Loved. Yet the book seemed similar to other titles I’ve read - not as imaginative as I had hoped, not entirely believable and too religious for my taste. As I love the ocean, The Mermaid Chair’s setting, primarily on Egret Island off South Carolina, attracted me, as did the promise of a new twist on the mid-life crisis story. These facts piqued my interest in reading works by the author.
I’ll be honest: I haven’t read The Secret Life of Bees by the same author, but I know it has been enormously successful and popular. Although it held my interest, The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd also disappointed me.
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