The Mermaid of Paris

Lisa Rohlmann is a freelance writer in Shelburne, Ontario.

Cary Fagan is an award-winning author of history and literary journalism
as well as adult and juvenile fiction. His latest novel transports the
reader a full century back to a wealthy family’s estate in an Ontario
town. The young husband, a gifted inventor, works diligently on building
a flying device, while his elusive and mysterious wife quietly
disappears at night to swim in the nearby river, apparently to ease the
unexplainable pain in her legs.

One day, a Russian strongman comes to town and puts on an impressive
show. After returning from a trade show in Toronto, the husband
discovers that his wife has vanished, and so has the Russian Count. With
the help of his hunchback friend, the husband eventually discovers the
runaways in Paris during a performance called Le Mermaid de Paris. Only
a duel between the Russian and himself will suffice to settle the
situation; the Russian Count’s one condition is that the duel be done
while riding on a bicycle.

Fagan’s novel explores such issues as personal freedom and the role
of marriage in a relationship. At the same time, it provides an intimate
glimpse into the world of our grandparents through its intricate
descriptions of life at the start of the 20th century. The story itself
keeps the reader spellbound to the end.