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ReviewsBy Merri Monk This well-written, sensitive novel tells several complex, interwoven stories. Anna, the narrator, lives with her parents on Cape Cod near a beach house haunted by Goody Hallett, either a sea witch or a mermaid. Anna's aunt Tanja and uncle Tony and their daughter, Tara, unexpectedly come to Cape Cod and rent the haunted house. Anna has difficulty understanding Tara, but as Tara reveals herself bit by bit, Anna's innocence gives way, first to revulsion and fear, then to compasion. After Tara's mother commits suicide, Anna learns from Tara that is is being abused by her father. When a pod of pilot whales beaches itself near Anna's home, Tara and Anna meet marine biologist Petr'Ann, who senses Tara's problem, and through her intervention and the reluctant assistance of a terrified Anna, and eventually, Anna's paretnts, Tara gets help. Provoost not only handles the incest theme well, but also skillfully portrays the complex nature of familial relationships, particularly between the two young cousins - and that friendship is the story's central issue. Additionally, there is an engrossing parallel tale about the community's whale-rescue efforts and the girls' places in the natural environment surrounding them. |
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