Among the Mermaids: Facts, Myths, and Enchantments from the Sirens of the Sea

Whether you first encountered them in Odyssey or Peter Pan or The Little Mermaid, you've probably heard of mermaids and their seductive songs that have led many a man to their watery grave. As a officianado of strange beasts and mythical beings, Varla Venture packed stories, trivia, in-person encounters, and theorizations of the merfolk and their role in contemporary society into her book Among the Mermaids. You'll learn about Blackbeard's fear of the ocean dwellers, selkies and seals, why people believe that mermaids were simply manatees seen from a distance by sex-hungry sailors with scurvey, and rewards that remain unclaimed for proof of mermaids' existence. Well-organized and filled with lovely spot-illustrations, plus mermaid poems from classic writers like J.M. Barrie & William Butler Yeats.