However, I found that ultimately it did not serve the story if I presented the precise Barnum in all his complicated glory. My Barnum is a character who shares some characteristics with the real Barnum, but he is not meant to be a true, historically accurate rendition of Barnum.
He is the Barnum who suits my story, and if it’s not exactly reality—well, the Feejee Mermaid didn’t really exist, either.
I did use much of the existing historical record about the Feejee Mermaid hoax, including the performance by Levi Lyman as Dr. Griffin and the southern tour, and modified it to suit my mermaid.
As for Levi Lyman, he is often presented only as one of Barnum’s co-conspirators for the two most famous Barnum hoaxes—Joice Heth and the Feejee Mermaid. I wanted to know more about Levi Lyman but found information on him after the hoaxes to be very sparse. Like all fiction writers, I made up his story when I couldn’t find the one I wanted to read.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
How do Amelia’s and Charity’s different experiences affect their ideas of womanhood and correct behavior? Did you feel sympathy for Charity? Why or why not?
How does Amelia’s grief over the loss of Jack impact her decision-making? Would you make different decisions if you were in her position?
The author has stated the P. T. Barnum of the book is only loosely based on the historical figure. What did you think of Barnum as a fictional character? What do you think he was really like in person? Did this book change your perspective of him?
There is a tension between Amelia’s curiosity and interest in people and her bewilderment at many of their behaviors. How does Amelia’s position as an outsider affect her point of view of human society?
Levi Lyman is presented as a character who is very sympathetic to Amelia and her differences, yet the difficulties in their marriage come from his expectations that she will act like other women do. Did you understand his point of view, or did you think that he shouldn’t have had those expectations in the first place? Can you think of similar expectations in today’s world?
The magical element of the book (the changing of Amelia from her mermaid form to human) is presented in a very straightforward manner. What did you think of the way the author presented the magic in the story? Did it make the story feel more realistic?
Different characters respond to Amelia’s mermaid form in different ways—Jack is accepting; Levi is amazed; Barnum thinks of the money he will make; Charity is overwhelmed by regret. How does each character’s response to the mermaid affect your opinion of that character?
Which character did you most connect with in the book, and why?
This novel is written from a number of perspectives. How do the different points of view shape your reading experience?
Amelia’s relationships with Jack and Levi are different, and her feelings reflect that. How do your opinions and feelings about the two men differ?
People’s reactions varied when they first saw Amelia in her mermaid form. What would your reaction be if you saw Amelia now in an exhibition?
Photo by Kathryn McCallum Osgood
Christina Henry is the author of the Chronicles of Alice duology, Alice and Red Queen, a dark and twisted take on Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, as well as Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook, an origin story of Captain Hook from Peter Pan.
She is also the author of the national bestselling Black Wings series (Black Wings, Black Night, Black Howl, Black Lament, Black City, Black Heart, and Black Spring), featuring Agent of Death Madeline Black and her popcorn-loving gargoyle, Beezle.
Christina enjoys running long distances, reading anything she can get her hands on, and watching movies with samurai, zombies, and/or subtitles in her spare time. She lives in Chicago with her husband and son.
You can visit her on the Web at christinahenry.net, facebook.com/authorchristinahenry, twitter.com/c_henry_author, and goodreads.com/chenryauthor.
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