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When Mermaids Sing

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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.

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.

"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.

When Mermaids Sing is a narrative of the protagonist, Larry, during his early adult years. Larry seems to be caught in the ebb and pull of the people that surround him, while demonstrating an inability to feel passion about anything, content to drift along and reminisce about his idyllic childhood spent with his cousins.

Larry is the classically described middle child. Both of his parents are college professors, his father a professor of literature and his mother a professor of French history. He in romantically involved with a shallow, unfaithful college student. He works as a high school English teacher, mostly because it was easy to get and easy to keep. His older sister seems driven and passionate in her work, while his younger sister is as charmingly petulant as a pre-teen can be. He is miserable and awkward in all aspects of his life and spends an inordinate amount of time reflecting on how life is swirling around him and people are making progress while he treads water unsure of which direction to go.

Central to his contemplation is the time he spent as an adolescent with his family on Cape Cod. His descriptions begin as romantic and surreal, but eventually begin to take on shades of reality, especially his relationship with his cousin Bradley. Bradley is described as independent and strong-willed at the beginning, but by books end, we learn that Bradley had some serious emotional and behavioral difficulties during childhood that necessitated weekly visits to a psychiatrist. Bradley's admirable work with the migrant farmers on the West Coast, is revealed to really be involvement in the counter-culture movement and drug use. This may be why Larry does not seem to be surprised when he learns that Bradley is reportedly involved with a cult in the area.

It is during a recovery attempt by a brainwashing deprogrammer that Larry is finally able to speak with Bradley and try to understand what it is that he has been searching for all of these years. Larry leaves the encounter with a more grounded view of his cousin and more realistic recollections from his childhood. No longer is he chasing some amorphous ideal, just outside of his grasp. He finally ends his relationship with his emotionally abusive girlfriend. However, the passion is still lacking in his life, as evidenced by his subdued reaction to being awarded a tenured teaching contract at the school where he teaches.

This is a well written book, with great attention to grammar and a diverse vocabulary. The story was interesting and rich with detail, but the lead in from the dust jacket is misleadingly focused on an exploration of cults, rather than the exploration of Larry's struggle for identity that is central to the story.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the LibraryThing book review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 [...] : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Prepare to sit back and enjoy the beautifully written literary fiction of Mark Zvonkovic in When Mermaids Sing. When a former English teacher also has the creative genius to tell stories, it results in a pleasurable read, no matter the topic. In Zvonkovic's case, his first novel takes us back to the 70s when there were many, many religious cults which aggressively recruited young people, often resulting in a complete break of teens from their families.

As I started to read and review the issues that led to what was, in essence, brainwashing, I thought of today's reality shows that reveal how people now use drugs and alcohol to find that "something" that is lacking in their lives. Why is it that there are always those that seek "alternative" methods to find what seems to be missing?

Larry Brown appears to be the low man on the totem pole in his family--he's just a high school English teacher, while his parents teach at the college level. On the other hand, he's satisfied with his life and looks back on his early years with pleasure. Now, however, he's heard from his best friend that his companion is cheating on him and he's taking a harder look at the relationship, even following Milly to theatres where she is an actress. When he sees her leaving with a fellow actor, carrying an overnight bag, he is forced to face the truth. Not only is she cheating, but she later continues to lie, dominate and abuse his feelings for her.

So when he attended his father's annual "welcome" for his students, he was open to meet and talk with Jenny, who had been captured by his father in one of his usual discussions about W. H. Auden. But as soon as his father moves on to other responsibilities, Jenny and Larry change to more personal topics. Trying to get himself out of an embarrassing situation, he comments about his cousin Bradley being involved with meditation--which leads Jenny to share that her brother, Josh, had joined a cult that has an ashram, a retreat on Cape Cod. When Larry learns that Bradley is also staying at this site, he becomes immediately more concerned and agrees to work with Jenny. Her father had hired Sam Henry, a well-known deprogrammer who was known as "Black Lightning."

With Black Lightning in charge, a rescue is planned for Josh and Bradley. Along the way, a few others join the group, and Larry is upset to learn that getting Josh out is the main objective since getting both out might be impossible. Although Jenny had visited Josh in the past, it was known that none of the members were ever allowed to be alone. But, although nothing had been proven, Larry was concerned that a young man they had briefly met, who had recently been found dead, had "not" committed suicide, but had been found by two members of the cult who had been trying to take him back! Now, there was a need to not only get Josh and Bradley to travel together, but to get them both away from the ashram! A difficult task...

I was completely caught off-guard with the ending and think you will be also! Mark Zvonkovic's When Mermaids Sing, takes reader into an insightful, introspective look, at ourselves, our lives, and a consideration of what so many are searching for from life. Personally, I enjoyed the look back into my own memories of those times when there was always some group of young people, selling flowers, or whatever, as you traveled, who invited you to accept their handouts about their lives. Whether or not, you have those memories, you will certainly be taken into the time period and the experience. Enjoy the time spent there during the 70s in America's northeast! I did!

G. A. Bixler

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.

Larry Brown's musings about life as he observes it are insightful, humorous and often jaded. Outwardly, the protagonist of Mark Zvonkovic's gently written novel "When Mermaids Sing" is a pleasant, unassuming Medford, PA high school English teacher who tries to get along with everyone and avoid conflicts.

He often feels manipulated by the requirements of his teaching job and the endless expectations of his parents and his girl friend Millie. Brown's parents, both college teachers, expect him to play a role in their world, while Millie--an actress who might be cheating on him--expects him to make dutiful appearances in her social and family life. At work, where he may not really be happy, he's hoping to be granted tenure. And, his cousin Bradley has joined a cult and might have lost himself in the addictive peace it provides.

Brown can ponder the humor and the irony of such realities because he has a "cure." He copes with the chaos of his job and his relationships by retreating into memories of the halcyon summer days of his youth at a Cape Cod vacation house with his siblings and cousins. Those were the best years of his life. The present cannot compete with them. He doesn't want it to.

Henry David Thoreau once said of Cape Cod's Outer Beach, "A man may stand there and put all America behind him." Likewise, Brown retreats to the house of his youth to put all of life's troubling challenges behind him.

While making an obligatory appearance at his father's annual party for freshmen college students, Brown meets a personable young woman named Jenny with a strong aversion to cults. Her brother Josh has joined the charismatic Path to God, the same group to which Bradley as sworn allegiance, if not his soul.

Jenny complains that Josh has repudiated their father as Satan and "become a different person." A psychiatrist at the party remarks that the sudden personality change exhibited by cult members is due to brainwashing, not hypnosis. This, and the lack of fences and armed guards at an ashram, make it difficult for families to intervene.

Brown vacillates about the difference between the freedom to choose a path others don't agree with and losing one's freedom through brainwashing and choosing the same path. Jenny's family is no longer splitting hairs. They've engaged the services of a well-known deprogrammer to help them extract Josh from the Cape Cod ashram even though everyone involved might end up being charged with kidnapping.

When Jenny points out that Bradley and Josh are together at the same place and enlists Brown's help, he can no longer ignore the issue as a mere philosophical topic for debate.

Will Brown help Jenny, Bradley and Josh? He would rather not, because if he does, he will have to admit there's more involved here than the rescue of two impressionable young people from the brainwashing of a cult. He will finally have to take a stand on something and answer a lingering question. Is escaping life by running away to a cult different than running away to the past?

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.

--Malcolm R. Campbell for POD Reviews & More