Review: The Woman of the Stone Sea by Meg Vandermerwe

Hendrik lost his wife. Five years ago, she walked into the ocean and disappeared. Despite this, he waits for her return, refusing to believe that she is dead, or has left him. With alcohol and his dog as his only companions, Hendrik’s ordered life as a fisherman soon spirals into one filled with hangovers, darkness and painful memories.

Despite his self-imposed misery, Hendrik’s lonely pining is punctuated by the arrival of an unexpected woman, or half woman, given that where her legs should be, she has a brilliant silver tail. Hendrik has found an injured mermaid. Unsure of what to do with the woman, but convinced that she has been sent by his wife, Hendrik takes the woman home to recover. Her presence brings good fortune, and while he revels in the change of affairs, he scrambles to keep her secret. The more he prospers, the heavier she weighs on his conscious, until keeping her may require a greater price than he can afford.

South African literature often has a primary focus on politics and race, and The Woman of the Stone Sea is no different. However, these concepts are dealt with so well, and cleverly interspersed with mystery, heartbreak and mythology that it is an overall delightful read. Meg Vandermerwe has proven that she is capable of handling a myriad of serious topics in a playful but heart-churning manner, with characters that cement themselves into the reader’s heart, and demand to be heard.

The Woman of the Stone Sea is penned in a hypnotic, beautiful prose that is broken only but occasional dives into Afrikaans which can be somewhat distracting, and are bound to leave international readers somewhat baffled. Despite this, there is no denying that this story is richly populated with imagination, creativity and flair. A testament to multicultural stories, this book will leave you wanting more.

The Woman of the Stone Sea by Meg Vandermerwe is published by Umuzi, an imprint of Penguin Random House South Africa.