Book Review: ‘When the Tides Held the Moon’ by Venessa Vida Kelley
Now, I am not a historical fiction girlie, but I’ve been following Venessa Vida Kelley on Instagram for a while as I adore their art, so as soon as they announced a novel, I was all in. If Kelley’s writing was even half as beautiful as their art, I knew I was in for a treat, and I was treated.
Benigno “Benny” Caldera knows an orphaned Boricua blacksmith in 1910s New York City can’t call himself an artist. But the ironwork tank he creates for famed Coney Island playground, Luna Park, astounds everyone, especially the eccentric side-show proprietor who commissioned it. Benny’s work earns him an invitation to join the show’s eclectic crew of performers—his first welcome in the city—and share in their astonishing secret: the tank Benny built is a cage for their newest exhibit, a living, breathing, in-the-flesh merman stolen from the banks of the East River under a gleaming full moon.
The merman is more than a mythic marvel, though. Benny comes to know Río as a clever philosopher, an observant traveler, and a kindred spirit more beautiful and compassionate than any human he’s ever met. Despite their different worlds, what begins as a friendship of necessity deepens to love, leading Benny’s heart into uncharted waters where he can no longer ignore the agonizing truth of Río’s captivity—and his own.
A cage is no place for a merman to survive. Though releasing Río means betraying his new family, bankrupting their home, and losing his soulmate forever, Benny must look within for the courage to do what’s right, and find a love strong enough to free them both.
I will admit that it took me a while to settle into the novel and get used to the historical setting as historical fiction isn’t a comfort spot for me, but as soon as Río and Benny started to bond, I feel for them rather hard. I loved that their connection was slow and steady; it felt natural and inevitable in that way that really good love stories do. Their romance really epitomises that John Green quote from ‘The Fault in Our Stars’: "I fell in love the way you fall asleep: slowly, and then all at once". The moment when the title makes it’s appearance in the novel actually made me say ‘aww’ out loud. To my cat.
As well as a glorious romance, I’m a big setting girl and Brooklyn’s Coney Island in 1911 is a real vibe. I’ve been to Luna Park and Coney Island a few times so it was really cool to explore a familiar setting a century in the past. The grime and the pollution, the suffocating heat and the feeling of danger on every corner is so vivid and weirdly inviting considering all of the above: it’s full of life and the ultimate environment for found family.
‘When the Tides Held the Moon’ also tackles some big topic and some significant historical events (all of which Kelley discusses in the author’s note at the end of the novel) that were new to me. When colonialism is discussed here in the UK, there’s very talk of Puerto Rico and especially the modern ramifications and legacy. It was both really sad and really interesting to get a glimpse into this and it’s something I know that I need to look into further by myself.
‘When the Tides Held the Moon’ is a sweeping, romantic and thoughtful fantasy adventure of about being seen and being loved for who and what you are.
Thank you to Erewon Books and NetGalley for the review copy.
