The First Book of Old Mermaids Tales

by Kim Antieau

WHEN THE OLD sea dries up, the Old Mermaids find themselves washed up on the new desert. These tales of the Old Mermaids remind us of the beauty all around us, even on those days when we wonder how we'll survive, let alone thrive. Sister Ruby Rosarita Mermaid brews a magical storytelling soup to bring peace. A mysterious stranger brings the Old Mermaids an elixir to heal all. And then there's the Tea Shell, where the Old Mermaids serve the most marvelous teas, and Sister Sophia Mermaid dispenses bits of wisdom like, "Never try to stop a wave," "A watched pot eventually boils," and "This is not the end of the world, it just feels like it." The Old Mermaids support one another, love their new world, and build community with all their new human and nonhuman neighbors. You can be assured when you stop by the Tea Shell for a cup of Essence of Coyote Laughter Tea that no coyotes were harmed in the making of your brew.

Genres: Fantasy

126 pages, Paperback

First published November 28, 2011

About the author

Kim Antieau is the author of several novels and short stories for adults and teenagers, including Mercy, Unbound. She graduated Eastern Michigan University and lives with her husband, poet Mario Milosevic, in the Pacific Northwest. Aside from writing books, she works as a librarian.

Reviews

[Lori]

I can’t get enough of the Old Mermaid tales. First I read the delightful Annotated Church of the Old Mermaids, followed by The Blue Tail, and then The First Book of Old Mermaid Tales. It was fun to read the stories of the individual Old Mermaids when they first settled in Arizona after the Old Sea dried up.

Not only are the stories enjoyable, but also they make me long for the times I spent in Arizona exploring the desert towns and archaeological sites. Kim Antineau is a master at being the Old Mermaids to life and describing their desert home while telling their tales. Not since Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series, Charles de Lint’s Newford tales, Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic series, and Katherine Arden’s Winternight trilogy have I enjoyed a collection of tales more.

[Herman]

The First Book of old mermaid tales by Kim Antieau; whimsical light and easy to read this was a number of short stories about old mermaids who moved to a desert or maybe the old sea dried up and the desert moved to the old mermaids. A little magic realism a fun soft read not much too chew on but entertaining nonetheless give it a solid three stars

[Brooke]

A nice afternoon read. Cute snippets with interesting characters. This is the first work by this author that I’ve read, am interested in picking up more.

Looking for the Church of the Old Mermaids next!

[Denise Gobble]

Love these books.

[Beth]

This was my introduction to Kim Antineau, and boy was it ever great! This story will haunt you, inspire you, maybe make you weep a little. So good, rich and vast and intimate. Thank you, Kim.