One September evening in 1785, one of Jonah Hancock#s captains arrives - having sold Jonah's ship for what appears to be a mermaid. As gossip spreads through the docks, coffee shops, parlours and brothels, this marvel spins him out of his ordinary existence and through the doors of high society. A spell-binding story of curiosity and obsession, filled to the brim with intelligence, heart and wit. A Sunday Times bestseller.