Bind Me Tighter Still

With nods to “The Little Mermaid,” Ehrlich’s lovely sophomore outing (after Animal Wife) again probes themes of womanhood and monstrosity. Ceto, a siren and hunter of men, yearns to break the cycle of hunger and satiation that defines her life and so slices her tail to give herself legs and live among humans. She even marries a human man and gives birth to a human child. Fifteen years later, having left her husband, she and her daughter, Naia, live in Sirenland, a tourist attraction that Ceto has created to be a haven for women, who can find shelter and a job working at Sirenland’s famed mermaid burlesque, where performers put on fake tales and lounge in human-size tanks. Conflict arises when Naia, repeating the cycle started by her mother, starts longing for a life outside of Sirenland—and then worsens when someone turns up dead. Ehrlich raises the question of what makes a “good” mother with alternating narration from Ceto and Naia. There’s not much new brought to this familiar thematic exploration of mother as monster, but the dazzling specifics of Sirenland captivate. Fans of feminist fabulism should take note. (Sept.)