When Mermaids Sing [Hardcover]

Mark Zvonkovic (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 18, 2009

In the early 1970s, religious cults aggressively recruited baby boomers who were coming of age in a new era of experimentation and self-pursuit. Many parents, desperate when a child would disappear into a cult, resorted to hiring a "deprogrammer" who would, usually surreptitiously, "extract" the child from the cult and use deprogramming techniques to convince the child to return to the family. This practice was extremely controversial and often resulted in criminal and civil actions, as well as good newspaper copy.

Larry Brown is a young, self-absorbed junior high school English teacher in Medford, Massachusetts with serious relationship problems. One weekend he meets Jenny, a young woman who is attempting to extract her brother from a cult that has an ashram on Cape Cod. Larry soon discovers that his cousin, Bradley, is a member of the same cult. With the help of Sam Henry, a feared deprogrammer also known as "Black Lightning," they kidnap Jenny's brother and Bradley from the ashram and Larry is forced to face the hard reality that his cousin is in a precarious emotional state. Larry's comfortable liberal principles are tested, and his cherished childhood memories are shattered by the ordeal.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Mark Zvonkovic's When Mermaids Sing is an interesting look at a time when the world was changing on an almost daily basis. As most of the story takes place within the ivy halls of America, we get to see some of these changes discussed or at least displayed. And a few characters illustrate the dangerous depths to which such ideas can bring a person. Choosing a self-centered character as narrator may turn some readers off, but Zvonkovic's choice is actually quite brilliant: who better to study the great challenges represented by such a rapidly changing America? If you enjoy literary experiments or interesting character studies, When Mermaids Sing is a book you should enjoy. --TheDeepening World of Fiction, Copyright 2010, Clayton Bye

Some readers will be disappointed in the lack of action, but the book might hit the right spot for those who are more meditative. When Mermaids Sing strives to be an introspective story and attempts to show the different path individuals take to find their niche in the world. With Larry it's about maintaining the status quo--a respectable job, a nice apartment and a girlfriend--while Bradley is more open to exploring other avenues to find his nirvana. --Foreword Review, Copyright 2010, Foreword Magazine

To save one's family from a dangerous cult, people will toe the line of the law. "When Mermaids Sing" tells the tale of Larry Brown and Jenny, as they try to save their family members from a cult in Cape Cod. With the help of the unsavory individual known as Black Lightning, they realize there are far bigger issues than cult brainwashing with their family. "When Mermaids Sing" is a choice and highly recommended look into the early 1970s cult hysteria. --Midwest Book Review, Copyright 2010, Midwest Book Review

"The title of Zvonkovic's carefully written novel is suggested by a line from John Donne's playful "Go and Catch A Falling Star." Catching falling stars and hearing mermaids singing are, in Donne's thinking, rather unlikely events. Readers of "When Mermaids Sing" may wonder whether substantive change in Larry Brown is also unlikely. As literary fiction, the story relies heavily on theme, interior monologue and a strong sense of place rather than non-stop action on its introspective journey to a powerful conclusion." --POD Book Reviews & More, Copyright 2009, Malcolm R. Campbell

About the Author

Mark Zvonkovic grew up in Connecticut and New York and started his working life as an English teacher. He subsequently went to law school and currently practices law in New York City when he is not writing. This is his first published novel. --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 248 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (September 18, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 144016715X
• ISBN-13: 978-1440167157
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 8.5 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,655,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rare Treat, October 11, 2009

By 

R. Johnson "History Buff" (Taos, NM USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: When Mermaids Sing (Hardcover)

To be clear up front I don't read novels, but I picked up "Mermaids" at the suggestion of a friend and absolutely loved it. Why don't I read novels? Pretty much for the same reasons I don't watch prime time TV: in most cases you can consume 5% at random and figure out the rest, and in most cases you don't really care what happens to the characters anyway. So why waste the time?

It's because neither of these things applies to "Mermaids" that it is such a rare treat. The characters are complex and believable. Their lives are layered and a bit messy. And I REALLY cared what happened to them. The plot is oriented around the cult movement of the 70s and two characters, each of whom has a loved one who has been drawn into a cult. But it's really a story about life, with all the ambiguity and confusion intact. The cult theme is brought to a satisfying conclusion, but that's not really the point. On their way to that conclusion the characters struggle, make mistakes, and gain insight into themselves and the human existence that they're part of. That's the point.

Okay, I wasn't entirely honest at the beginning - I do occasionally read novels. But they're typically classics, complex stories written by authors who are (or, more often, were) shrewd observers of the human animal and his foibles. Contemporary fiction seems much more often to be entirely plot-driven, without the depth or satisfaction of true human insight. "When Mermaids Sing" is a delightful exception to this rule; it draws you completely into its characters' world, a world you'll be reluctant to leave when the story's over.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent read!, October 16, 2009

By 

Marc Gustafson "Mgustafson" (Oxford) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: When Mermaids Sing (Hardcover)

After a string of assassinations, a failed war in Vietnam and a decade of intense civic engagement in the civil rights movement, many young Americans decided to turn inward by the 1970's and join `transcendental' cults. Orange-robed youths were selling flowers at airports, chanting "Hare Krishna" in Central Park and seeking to remove themselves from the idealism that guided their generation in the decade before.

Mark Zvonkovic is one of the few to write about the bizarre cult movements of the 1970's and the American psyche of the time. He gives readers insight into how these cults developed and how they were perceived by bringing the reader into the troubled mind of Larry Moore, an insecure and cerebral 6th grade teacher. Larry's cousin Bradley has joined a cult and moved to an ashram on Cape Cod. Larry decides to kidnap "brainwashed" Bradley from his ashram and convince him that he has lost his senses. With help from "black lightning," a professional "deprogrammer" who has made a career out of kidnapping cult members and returning them to their wealthy New England families (his clients), Larry embarks on wild journey to bring Bradley back.

Larry's expedition, however, teaches him more about himself than he expected. His gripping (post-kidnapping) conversations with Bradley leave Larry and the reader unsure whether or not Bradley has become enlightened, or just lost his way.

"When Mermaids Sing" raises bold questions and helps readers understand the dynamics of this very transformative period in American history.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Series of Stories, January 26, 2010

By 

Haroon Butt (Washington, DC) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: When Mermaids Sing (Paperback)

"When Mermaids Sing" is not a story. It is a series of stories, a multitude of moments and a wonderful cast of believable characters that the reader actually cares about. I had overlooked the blurb on the book jacket when I began this book and I am glad I did. The short summary does not do the story justice. The summary describes the plot, but the plot is not where the magic of this book lies. The magic comes from journeying with the characters as they discover themselves and the rich world of people, places and events. It comes from experiencing the shock, suspense, awe, sadness, happiness and a variety of other emotions alongside the characters. Living with the characters is where the heart of the story is. The plot, a young public school teacher getting entangled in the counter culture of cults, is merely the backdrop.

The most impressive aspect of the book is the author's incredible ability to mimic real life so precisely. The protagonist, Larry, walks through his waking, everyday life and deals with new situations as they arise. With each new situation, or with each situation he revisits, an object, place or person triggers a chain of memories that Larry recounts in a beautiful, nostalgic manner. Often I would get lost in the detailed memories of Larry and forget entirely that Larry still had a plot to finish. The descriptions would trigger my own memories and I too would then sit, with the book on my lap, and reminisce about my own childhood. Though he is in his mid 20's when the book starts, the author wonderfully weaves the memories so fluidly that it feels as if we grew up with Larry. We know his childhood, his teen life and his college career and now we are journeying with him as he finds his place in the world.

The parallels drawn in the book, either deliberately or unintentionally, are stark and eerie. One cannot help but compare cult life to the public education system, or to religion or to any other aspects of arbitrary social life. But through the midst of ambiguity, one main argument always remains clear. Finding your place in the world is always a tough journey, and it's a journey we all have to take.

The book ends as it begins; in the midst of events, questions and ambiguity. "When Mermaids Sing" keeps us guessing after it has ended. Not only does the book harbor a great story, but it is also a unique and informative perspective into a dark period of American History.