The Drowning Girl
ISBN 9780451464163 | | |
Preceded by | The Red Tree (2009) | |
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Followed by | Blood Oranges (2013) |
The Drowning Girl: A Memoir is a 2012 novel by American writer Caitlín R. Kiernan, set in Providence, Rhode Island.[1] The story's protagonist and unreliable narrator, India Morgan Phelps (also known as Imp), has schizophrenia.[2]
It has been described as an "eerie masterpiece of literary horror and
The novel has been translated into a number of languages, including French, German, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Romanian, and Turkish.Synopsis
The Drowning Girl follows the story of India Morgan Phelps, an
One night, India picks up a
India often deals with traumatic events by writing short stories. Some of them relate to Eva Canning, while others revolve around mysterious artists Phillip George Saltonstall and Albert Perrault, as well as a painting titled "The Drowning Girl," which India saw on display at a museum as a child.
After running into Abalyn and her new girlfriend, India begins to lose her grasp on what is real and what isn't. As a result of her inability to tell fact from fiction, her growing obsession with Eva Canning, and Abalyn's abandonment, India suffers a
With the help of Abalyn, India discovers that Eva Canning's mother (also named Eva) was part of a cult led by a woman known as Jacova Anjevine, who committed mass suicide with her followers by walking into the sea some years prior. Eva was apparently the only survivor of said mass suicide. India believes that Eva might be a ghost or a sea-dwelling creature of some sort in a human disguise, but the story is vague as to whether India actually encounters any supernatural phenomena.
India eventually does meet Eva Canning, and the two have a bizarre sexual encounter during which Canning appears to morph into a fish-like creature. Eva confesses to India that she wishes to go to the sea to be with her mother, which India obliges by taking her to the beach, at which point Eva walks into the water. India sits on the shore for a long time.
India reunites with Abalyn, and it is implied they are still together at the end of the novel. Eva's body washes up on the shore sometime after.
Awards
Won
- James Tiptree, Jr. Award[5]
- Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a Novel
Nominated
- Nebula Award for Best Novel[6]
- Locus Award for Best Fantasy Novel (finalist)[7]
- Shirley Jackson Award—Novel[8]
- Mythopoeic Fantasy Award for Adult Literature[9]
- British Fantasy Award – Novel
- World Fantasy Award for Best Novel[10]
See also
- Mental illness in fiction
References
- ^ Elizabeth Bear (January 13, 2012), "The Drowning Girl review", Elizabeth Bear blog
- ^ Downs, Alison (March 1, 2012), "The Drowning Girl", The Booklist, 108 (13): 53(subscription required)
- ^ Cassada, Jackie (March 15, 2012), "Science Fiction/Fantasy, March 15, 2012", Library Journal, 137 (5), archived from the original on March 3, 2014, retrieved 2013-05-13
- ^ Elizabeth Donovan (February 22, 2012), Rhode Island Voices: Caitlin Kiernan, Kingstown, Rhode Island: North Kingstown Free Library, retrieved 2013-05-13
- ^ 2012 Tiptree Award Winner announced, James Tiptree, Jr. Literary Award Council, archived from the original on 2012-05-09, retrieved 2013-05-13
- ^ 2012 Nebula Awards Nominees Announced, SFWA, February 20, 2013
- ^ 2013 Locus Awards Finalists, Locus Science Fiction Foundation, 8 May 2013, retrieved 2013-05-13
- ^ Nominees for the 2012 Shirley Jackson Awards, Shirley Jackson Awards, May 2013, retrieved 2013-05-13
- ^ 2013 Mythopoeic Award Finalists Announced, Mythopoeic Society, May 14, 2013, archived from the original on July 2, 2013, retrieved 2013-05-18
- ^ 2013 World Fantasy Award Nominees, World Fantasy Board, 2013, archived from the original on 2013-08-17, retrieved 2013-09-10