When the Tides Held the Moon
Book • 2025
Venessa Vida Kelley's 'When the Tides Held the Moon' transports readers to 1910s Coney Island, immersing them in the kaleidoscopic world of amusement, wanderers, and sideshow performers.
The novel incorporates mythic and magical realist elements—most notably a merman—into a richly textured period setting that highlights marginalized lives.
Kelley examines themes of belonging, spectacle, and the cost of performance, using period detail to animate characters' inner lives.
The book is praised for its evocative atmosphere and inventive melding of history and fantasy, offering readers both emotional intimacy and imaginative breadth.
Cat Sebastian mentioned it as a current read she was enjoying.
The novel incorporates mythic and magical realist elements—most notably a merman—into a richly textured period setting that highlights marginalized lives.
Kelley examines themes of belonging, spectacle, and the cost of performance, using period detail to animate characters' inner lives.
The book is praised for its evocative atmosphere and inventive melding of history and fantasy, offering readers both emotional intimacy and imaginative breadth.
Cat Sebastian mentioned it as a current read she was enjoying.
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Recommended by Cat Sebastian as a 1910s Coney Island novel featuring sideshow and merman elements.
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