The Last Mermaid Princess
Author Lily Lewis
($20, 198pp, 6X9”: Softcover: ISBN: 978-1-68114-433-7;
$35: Hardcover: ISBN: 978-1-68114-434-4;
$2.99: Ebook: ISBN: 978-1-68114-435-1; LCCN: 2018947710;
Fiction—Women; Edited by: Alicia S. Jacques; Release: November 19, 2018; Purchase on Amazon or Barnes & Noble)
From Back Cover
Lily Chaidee was never at home with herself, her family, or her geography, and as a hybrid-Asian growing up in the Texas Panhandle during the 1960’s, she was ill-equipped to face the challenges that would inevitably come. Amarillo, an inhospitable place for an ethnically diverse family, was only part of the problem. Mental illness, sexual predation, addiction, and hypocrisy lay formidable difficulties in her path. But Lily was smart, and smart people often find ways to triumph over horrific circumstances. Even if she could claim her joy, sometimes the worst enemy dwells within. Lily must seek her peace and her place in order to rise above the things that bind her.
Lily Lewis is a warrior in the battle against ignorance and injustice both in the classroom and in the community. She is active in catalyzing positive change and strives to leave the world a better place. Three extraordinary children and four luminescent grandchildren illuminate her path and provide joy. World travel, the arts, great food, and music are sources of delight, and the deep blue sea remains her place of power, awe, and wonder. She is a survivor, living one day at a time, with her life partner and two cats, Sophie and Sylvester.
My Thoughts
For a while, I have been reading an Asian diaspora literary pseudo-fiction book titled The Last Mermaid Princess. This read chronicles the life of Lily Lewis ( pen name), a disenfranchised Thai-Caucasian (Thai father and Caucasian mother).
In this book, readers learn about the hardships Lily faces and the determination it takes her to move through them.
While there are many topics covered here that make one feel uneasy such as skin bleaching and exploitation, this book helps one better understand cultural dissonance as it follows Lily's life over a period of many years as she challenges preexisting conceptions and journey's towards self-acceptance.
The Last Mermaid Princess is creatively written and speaks to the importance of non-conditional love for not only regeneration but for growth.
I received this amazing advanced reading copy through the generosity of the author for an honest review.