The Lake Huron Mermaid

A Tale in Poems

Wayne State University Press, 2024

A dazzling tale of sisterhood and the healing power of nature embodied in the Great Lakes.

A young girl faces turmoil when she must rise to the challenge of caring for her sister suffering a long-haul case of COVID-19. Brooding over her sister’s precarious condition, Dawn seeks solace in free diving in Lake Huron, where she discovers a presence in the gray-blue waters who also knows the pain of loss and loneliness. The Lake Huron mermaid reaches out to Dawn, starting a chain of events that set the human sisters on a wild journey to the Straits of Mackinac.

A new tale in the spirit of the award-winning The Lake Michigan Mermaid, this collection of poems introduces another beautifully illustrated freshwater mermaid to the world, fluidly shifting between Dawn and the mermaid’s voice. Their voices resonate with a parallel sense of longing and isolation, interrupted by the hope, compassion, and restoration found in sorority. Through this poetic adventure, Dawn and the mermaid unearth a deeper understanding of sisterhood and the significance of growing up together, making sense of the world together, and fighting to stay together.

“As I plunge down to the depths…
…as I rise to the
lake’s glittering and jeweled surface…
every movement reflects a dance.”

from the poem, “Morning on the Lake,” (published in the book, The Lake Huron Mermaid, Wayne State University Press, 2024)

Notable Review

“Literary magicians Linda Nemec Foster and Anne-Marie Oomen, along with gifted illustrator Meridith Ridl, have made a beautiful book of poems about deep water—the literal and the metaphorical kind. Readers of all ages will dive deep then resurface, buoyed by invaluable wisdom and knowledge. This book isn’t just wildly and satisfyingly imaginative; it is a genuine teaching text: about Lake Huron, about medical science, about sisterly love, and about the power of joining feeling with knowing.”

Alison Swan, author of A Fine Canopy (Wayne State University Press) and Fresh Water

News

The Lake Huron Mermaid with Linda Nemec Foster and Anne-Marie Oomen

Thursday, October 24, 2024 – 6:30pm Schuler Books 2660 28th Street SE Grand Rapids, MI 49512 Two acclaimed Michigan authors are back with a dazzling tale of sisterhood and the healing power of nature embodied in the Great Lakes. This event is free to attend, however, it helps us in planning to receive your RSVP. […]

Bearsprout Films Interview with Linda Nemec Foster about New Book, The Lake Huron Mermaid

Linda Nemec Foster was recently interviewed about her forthcoming book, The Lake Huron Mermaid.

Accolades

YearHonorPrizeDescription
2019FinalistForeWord Book of the Year Award in Poetry“The Lake Michigan Mermaid” is a finalist in this national book competition for independent, university, and small presses sponsored by ForeWord Reviews.
2019FinalistThe da Vinci Eye Award“The Lake Michigan Mermaid” is a finalist in this prestigious national contest given for superior cover artwork by the Eric Hoffer Book Awards.
2019WinnerMichigan Notable BookThe Lake Michigan Mermaid received Library of Michigan’s 2019 Michigan Notable Book award.

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