The Mermaid of Black Conch Quotes

“Later I saw that change came as change always comes, from a chain of events with a long history, too long to see from back to front, till it come.”
― Monique Roffey, The Mermaid of Black Conch

“The sea was the giant woman of the planet, fluid and contrary.”
― Monique Roffey, The Mermaid of Black Conch

“Her sadness had changed her into another woman altogether; it had wearied her and it had also blossomed her.”
― Monique Roffey, The Mermaid of Black Conch

“Womanhood was a dangerous business if you didn't get it right.”
― Monique Roffey, The Mermaid of Black Conch

“It was the magic that music makes, the song that lives within every creature on earth, including mermaids.”
― Monique Roffey, The Mermaid of Black Conch

“I was impatient, troubled by this woman who was so hard to understand. I wanted to keep her safe, or so I told myself, but maybe I fool myself too; maybe 'keep' was the problem. ... Man, you need to give deep feelings of affection and care, not keep them.”
― Monique Roffey, The Mermaid of Black Conch

“History or love. One must win. I cannot fight history. I cannot. You win. I’m bad. I always will be. But we can do better than letting history win out over love.”
― Monique Roffey, The Mermaid of Black Conch

“The sea, that expanse of nothingness, could reflect a man back on himself. It had that effect. It was so endless and it moved around underneath the boat. It wasn’t the same thing at all as being on any expanse of earth. The sea shifted. The sea could swallow the boat whole. The sea was the giant woman of the planet, fluid and contrary. All the men shuddered as they gazed at her surface.”
― Monique Roffey, The Mermaid of Black Conch

“This was the way of a small place full of interwoven families. From birth, people developed the necessary social skill of being duplicitous. Be polite and mind yer own business. Never say true things if it didn't help matters; in fact, the truth often made matters worse. The present was complicated enough. And history? Well that had been the tragedy that lay behind it all. The truth was often way too painful; it would end in talk of heinous crime. So no one bothered to speak of it.”
― Monique Roffey, The Mermaid of Black Conch

“I badder than she when I ready.”
― Monique Roffey, The Mermaid of Black Conch

“Life change quick boy. Another planet so. Later I saw that change came as change always comes, from a chain of events with a long history, too long to see from back to front, till it come”
― Monique Roffey, The Mermaid of Black Conch

“The younger men fought hard to keep a cockstand from bouncing up in their pants.”
― Monique Roffey, The Mermaid of Black Conch

“Each man felt a deep tug in his crotch. The old man wanted to take out his dick and piss all over her.”
― Monique Roffey, The Mermaid of Black Conch