I read Sue Monk Kidd's first novel, The Secret Life of Bees, and really loved its soothingly spiritual flavour. The Mermaid Chair didn't grab me in the same way. When Jessie hears that her mother is ill, she leaves her stifling husband and returns to the island of her childhood to confront her memories of her father's death and her future.
I didn't really connect with the characters - Jessie was irritatingly obtuse, and I didn't enjoy her awakening and realisations, or the decisions she made. The myth of the mermaid which is woven somewhat awkwardly through the story feels clumsy and unneccessary. The revelation concerning Jessie's father's death was overly elaborate, and felt contrived.
I don't think I'd be attracted to any more of Kidd's work. This was a 2 out of 5 novel, and rather disappointing, as I was expecting more.
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