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The Mermaid in the Millpond

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Book Synopsis

History and myth entwine in this atmospheric tale of freedom and friendship from bestselling author Lucy Strange and acclaimed illustrator Pam Smy.

Bess has left the London workhouse behind for a job at a rural cotton mill. But life at the mill is hard and cruel – a far cry from the fresh start Bess hoped for. The only way to survive is to escape, but the mill is like a prison with no way out.

Meanwhile, rumours are spreading about a vicious creature that lurks in the millpond. Bess is sure it’s all nonsense, until one night she sees something stir in the murky water.

But is it really a monster that lives in the depths of the pond? Or a creature trapped and alone, just like Bess, desperate to escape…

Our Review Panel says...

A short and powerful chapter book about life in the cotton mills for children during the Industrial Revolution.

Bess is sent to a London workhouse after her Ma falls ill and passes away. She decides to move to a northern rural cotton mill where she is promised a better life, an education and better living conditions. This is not the reality, but instead she is put to work as a threader on the large, noisy and dangerous machinery in the overheated mill.

On her first day, she and the others are told of the vicious and blood-thirsty mermaid who lives in the millpond, who will attack any child who tries to escape the mill or work – Bess thinks this is nonsense and is a myth. However, when she finds herself in trouble and wanting to leave her new ‘home’, she sees something in the murky waters – reaching for freedom.

This is a dyslexia-friendly chapter book that is also thought-provoking and rich with historical information about life for working children in Victorian times.