The Book of Speculation

A haunting debut novel of magic, family secrets, and the power of books, perfect for fans of The Night Circus and The Historian.

Simon Watson, a young librarian, lives alone in a crumbling house on Long Island Sound. His parents are long dead, and his mother, a circus mermaid who made her living by holding her breath, drowned in the very water his house overlooks. His younger sister, Enola, ran off six years ago and now reads tarot cards for a traveling carnival.

One June day, an old book arrives on Simon's doorstep, sent by an antiquarian bookseller. The fragile, water-damaged volume is a log from the owner of a traveling carnival in the 1700s, chronicling strange and magical events, including the drowning death of a circus mermaid. Since then, generations of "mermaids" in Simon's family have drowned—always on July 24, which is only weeks away.

As his friend Alice looks on with alarm, Simon becomes increasingly worried about his sister. Could there be a curse on Simon's family? What does it have to do with the mysterious book, and can he unravel the mystery in time to save Enola? The Book of Speculation is Erika Swyler's moving debut novel, an intricately crafted tale of family secrets, magic, and the enduring power of books.