Venessa Vida Kelley's debut novel, "When the Tides Held the Moon," is set against the backdrop of 1911 Coney Island during the Gilded Age. It follows Benny, a Puerto Rican immigrant who discovers his talent in metalworking, which leads him to a career with a sideshow that houses a merman named Rio. As their bond deepens into love, the novel explores themes of self-empowerment, community, and belonging, portraying a nostalgic yet vibrant vision of early 20th-century New York life. The story invites readers to reflect on their struggles for identity in a rapidly changing world.
"There's no being free on the outside without being free on the inside," proclaims the Mighty Matthias in Venessa Vida Kelley's lush and luminous debut novel, "When the Tides Held the Moon." The themes of freedom, agency, self-empowerment, community and resilience play out in a nostalgia-tinged kaleidoscope in this historic romantasy set in 1911 Coney Island.
Aren't we all fish out of water?" they ask. This thought reflects the struggle for identity and belonging faced by the characters in Kelly's vibrant depiction of early 20th-century New York.
The merman, whom Benny names Rio, is far more than a mythological creature; he's a philosopher, a poet, a linguist, and more beautiful and compassionate than anyone Benny has ever met.
This new position isn't without unforeseen benefits. Not only is Benny now away from the smoke and heat of the foundry that inflamed his asthma, he finds himself becoming part of the Morgan's Menagerie family of sideshow performers.
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