Sometimes to be who you really are, you have
to pretend you’re already who you want to be.
At two, Delores’s mother dr... read full description
to pretend you’re already who you want to be.
At two, Delores’s mother dr... read full description
reviews
Oct 09, 2007
Jeanne
rated it: 
Weeki Wachi Springs was the vacation destination that Delores Walker would never forget: a place devoted to living "mermaids."
When Delores's father walks out on her family, she remembers WWS and decides to apply for a job. Leaving the Bronx for Tampa, FL, Delores leaves an unhappy family situation and starts anew. At WWS, Delores shines, with her combination of strong swimming skills and irresistible good looks.
And just when Delores's life is looking up, an un More...
When Delores's father walks out on her family, she remembers WWS and decides to apply for a job. Leaving the Bronx for Tampa, FL, Delores leaves an unhappy family situation and starts anew. At WWS, Delores shines, with her combination of strong swimming skills and irresistible good looks.
And just when Delores's life is looking up, an un More...
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Nov 29, 2007
Lucy
rated it:
Betsy Carter is one of those authors whose books seem deceptively simple. Delores leaves her stifling Bronx apartment and her sad frustrated mother and goes to Florida to become a weekie Wachie mermaid at 17.As a period marker, Walt Disney World is just becoming popular in another part of Florida.
The roles of women are explored within the mermaid troupe and the character of Delores's mother is wonderfully complex. But the eccentric director of Weekie Wachie is a character I'd love to see More...
The roles of women are explored within the mermaid troupe and the character of Delores's mother is wonderfully complex. But the eccentric director of Weekie Wachie is a character I'd love to see More...
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Jul 25, 2011
E
rated it: 
My daughter gave me this book. It is set in Weeki Wachee where the mermaid show has
been an old time Florida attraction for decades. My daughter and I have gone swimming in the
springs many times so it caught both of our interest. The spring is now a state park, and luckily they kept the mermaid show.
Delores' family takes a Florida vacation and Delores is intrigued by the mermaids.
Back in New York, she frequents the YMCA and becomes a skillful sw More...
Apr 22, 2011
Marissa
rated it: 
It was a simple, but delicate story. An easy read, but gave you food for thought afterwards. It was a growing up story for all the characters, even the parents. It has a good feel to it. The main character, Delores, is so grown up for a young age, but she also is young in a way that she still doesn't understand her family completely and the fact that she confides in a puppet named Hugo. I believe the only reason that she didn't leave her family for her dream job and never look back, keeping
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Nov 30, 2008
george
rated it:
Ever since she saw the wonderful mermaid show on vacation in Weeki Wachee Springs, Florida, Delores Walker has dreamed of becoming a mermaid. Now, boarding a Greyhound bus to take her far away from the Bronx and to the unknown in Florida, Delores is leaving her mother and beloved younger brother for a dream. Her father took off two years ago and hasn't been heard from since and now Delores is solely responsible for herself. After making her way to Weeki Wachee, her dream is realized in ways she
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Feb 07, 2010
Vanessa
rated it: 
This was a really easy read, but I did enjoy. Not great writing and it seemed to end without resolving some issues, but that may have been the point.
The book takes place in 1972 in Florida at Weeki Wachi Springs (which is a real place)where 16 yr old Dolores has landed after leaving NY City to follow her dream of becoming a mermaid. She leaves behind her overworked mother and toddler brother. Her father left them recently and she has no idea where he ended up until a little later More...
The book takes place in 1972 in Florida at Weeki Wachi Springs (which is a real place)where 16 yr old Dolores has landed after leaving NY City to follow her dream of becoming a mermaid. She leaves behind her overworked mother and toddler brother. Her father left them recently and she has no idea where he ended up until a little later More...
Dec 09, 2008
Amanda
rated it:
Delores doesn't understand a lot of what is going on with her family, but when her dad splits, her mom isn't coping well and somebody has to support her little brother, she steps up. And what Delores has to work with are her looks, her smarts, and the fact that she's more comfortable in water than out. So she gets a job as a mermaid.
I like Delores, I like the other mermaids, even the bitchy ones. The seem like real people to me.
I don't like Delores' mother or father, but they really More...
I like Delores, I like the other mermaids, even the bitchy ones. The seem like real people to me.
I don't like Delores' mother or father, but they really More...
Aug 06, 2011
Tamara
rated it:
I chose to read this book for two reasons. 1) I was looking for a book--that was an interesting, easy read--to recommend to my book club and 2) I grew up in San Diego and, when I was a little girl, dreamed of being a mermaid like the ones I saw swimming with dolphins at Sea World.
I enjoyed this book, until the very end, which was ambiguous. If you want your stories neatly wrapped up, then this book is not for you. If you don't mind that the ending is somewhat left to interpretation, then I w More...
I enjoyed this book, until the very end, which was ambiguous. If you want your stories neatly wrapped up, then this book is not for you. If you don't mind that the ending is somewhat left to interpretation, then I w More...
Sep 21, 2009
Dianne
rated it:
I was hoping I'd get an insider's view of what it's like to be an underwater performer, but aside from a few very minor references, it's simply not there.
And, really? She put her preschooler brother on her back, said 'hold your breath,' and dove under the water with him to view the turtles? Really? Hello out there...has this author NEVER been around children?
Yes this novel does have some worth. The message about making yourself into someone you want to be is strong. O More...
And, really? She put her preschooler brother on her back, said 'hold your breath,' and dove under the water with him to view the turtles? Really? Hello out there...has this author NEVER been around children?
Yes this novel does have some worth. The message about making yourself into someone you want to be is strong. O More...
Nov 21, 2008
Dodie
rated it:
I can't believe I didn't put this on the list! This was a big fave of mine a year or so ago when it first came out, and since I'm fresh from a visit to Weeki Wachi Springs, in Florida, where the mermaids live, I had to pull this title back out. To escape a miserable life in Brooklyn (Bronx, maybe?), a gawky eighteen year old girl returns to the only place she ever felt truly happy - at Weeki Wachi Springs, not just watching the mermaids swim, but becoming one of them. A sweet story with little p
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Dec 03, 2009
Nancy
rated it:
A story about reinventing yourself. A dysfunctional family that manage to change for the better by being apart and growing up. The plot is a teenage girl from the Bronx who auditions for a water show in a small town in Florida, outside of Orlando. (They are competing with the NEW Disney World.) She turns out to be really good in the show, and then in other avenues, changing from a shy outsider to a take-charge kind of gal. A very easy read (3 days for me), and even though it seems light, th
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Jan 12, 2009
Sonia
rated it: 
1.5 stars. The bulk of this novel takes place in 1972. SOMEONE SHOULD HAVE TOLD Betsy Carter that WALT DISNEY DIED in 1966. He wouldn't have been alive to comment on Weeki Wachi! It was a fast read, so I kept going, but I didn't care for the rudimentary prose. Not just the prose, but the plot and the characters also were under-developed. I didn't feel connected to any of the characters. Maybe because the point of view kept jumping between so many of them. The good things are that it's cl
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Apr 20, 2010
Sarah
rated it:
Delores Walker in Swim to Me by Betsy Carter loves to swim and is enchanted one summer by the mermaids at Weeki Wachee Springs. She decides to leave her home in the Bronx after her father abandons the family to become a mermaid herself. She reinvents herself as Delores Taurus as the Springs is trying to do the same in the shadow of the recently opened Walt Disney World.
The Walt Disney World plot point is the weakest and most distracting part of an otherwise charming coming of age nov More...
The Walt Disney World plot point is the weakest and most distracting part of an otherwise charming coming of age nov More...
Mar 01, 2010
Jena
rated it:
This has a Yaya Sisterhood feel, but I liked it more than I usually enjoy books of that "genre". Delores sees a mermaid show as a child on vacation in FL. She grows up and as her family falls apart she fulfills her dream of becoming a mermaid. This seems like a tale from another time...when entertainment was less of an industry and more a of a family business. Enchanting...but maybe I am predisposed to like this as I too harbored dreams of growing up to be a mermaid!
Feb 01, 2011
Betty
rated it:
Betsy Carter
I will continue to read everything Betsy Carter writes. I have read The Orange Blossom Special and Swim to Me. These two, set in Florida, are perfect for cold winter days. Her characters make me believe that life can be hopeful. I'm looking forward to reading The Puzzle King and her memoir.
I will continue to read everything Betsy Carter writes. I have read The Orange Blossom Special and Swim to Me. These two, set in Florida, are perfect for cold winter days. Her characters make me believe that life can be hopeful. I'm looking forward to reading The Puzzle King and her memoir.
Jun 28, 2011
Nicola
rated it:
This one was supposed to be a light summer read. I found it hit too close to home for my taste. Immediate family was very dysfunctional and the protagonist must fend for herself. Sink or swim if you will....no pun intended.
The editing should have tamed the multiple story lines a bit. And should have left out Otto, the puppet. That was a weak link and an imaginary friend would have been more believable. This was more of a 2.5 star novel.
The editing should have tamed the multiple story lines a bit. And should have left out Otto, the puppet. That was a weak link and an imaginary friend would have been more believable. This was more of a 2.5 star novel.
Jan 12, 2009
Valerie
rated it:
This book was WEIRD... just weird. It was very poorly written, and most of the time, I found myself not caring about what happens. I do have to give it more than one star, though, because it's kind of about a synchronized swimmerish... in that she wasn't technically a synchronized swimmer... but she kind of was. If you're not a synchronized swimmer you shouldn't read this book... you'll think it's stupid. If you are... yeah, you probably still don't need to read it.
Apr 08, 2009
Sandy
rated it:
I wanted a light read--something fun, and that's what this is. I picked it up at the library because I loved the cover and the blurb sounded interesting enough to give it a try. Set in the early 70's, a teenager from the Bronx goes to Florida to be a Mermaid performer at a water park. Nothing earth-shattering here, but it was entertaining...
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Aug 08, 2011
Tammie
rated it:
This book was entertaining and interesting. Set in the 1960's, when Florida's tourism boom was evolving, the teenage heroine in this book joins a roadside attraction featuring a live mermaid show. Her adventures and existence in this make-believe world are both funny and poignant. A very good read.
Jul 07, 2011
Christy
rated it:
This was cute! Some people have complained that it just isn't realistc but I don't care. I got involved with each character and was enthralled in the story. Besides being a fun read, it was an interesting study in family dynamics.
I would like to read more of this author.
I would like to read more of this author.
Jul 02, 2010
Shannon
rated it:
Another fanciful book with one-of-a-kind places and characters. It was fun, but as always I am left wondering things and wishing a few plotlines had been further fleshed out. I do like a good girl-finds-her-niche story though, and Delores (the main character) does just that when she travels to Florida from NY to perform in a "mermaid" show... along the way her family goes through some major changes and she meets some interesting people and it's an amusing ride!
Apr 24, 2009
Diana
rated it:
I actually picked this book up at a resort I was staying at in Marathon Key. I read the book while on vacation and simply enjoyed it. It was a very easy read and well entertaining. The characters were well developed and the story was simply inspiring.
Jul 09, 2009
Cindy
rated it:
A New York transplant to the Gulf Coast of Florida. I can't wait till my next visit to the Tampa area to discover Weeki Wachi and the Aqua Zoo. Did this really exist - is it still there? How fun - to aspire to be a mermaid! quick read.
Feb 28, 2009
Maggie
rated it:
Strange book! A girl from the Bronx becomes a mermaid in a water show in Florida; her dad runs away and joins the circus. But it is mostly a well written tale of family dynamics and sucks you right in.
Jan 27, 2009
Heather
rated it:
I really didn't like this book. I don't know if I would have finished it if it hadn't been such an easy read. There was nothing to inspire me, and the story just seemed like all the other "woe is me" stories.
Sep 29, 2011
Dawn
rated it:
I thought this book was fun, it brought back a lot of memories for me of our Family vacations to Florida. I remember the Mermaids. The story was cute but ended a little strange. Was ok
Jan 08, 2009
Laura
rated it:
I thought this was a really nice book. I picked it up randomly at the library and was pleasantly surprised. I was especially touched by the main character's love for her brother.
Jan 02, 2009
Chantel
rated it:
A fun, easy read. Easy to imagine characters. The main character has an anything but ideal family situation and has to grow up earlier than most. Despite her situation, she follows her dreams and makes somehting of herself.
Jan 31, 2009
Abby
rated it:
A lovely fantasy based on reality. I love that it all takes place less than half an hour from where I live too. As it says in the book "make impossible possible." Mermaids, elephants, brothers and Florida... READ THIS!
Dec 01, 2009
Jan
rated it:
This book took quite awhile to get into and then never really went anywhere. It read more like a biography than a story. It just never hooked me.
