Ingo by Helen Dunmore

Dunmore, Helen. Ingo.

HarperCollins; 2006,

ISBN: 031609899X.

Reader’s Annotation

It is said that their father was lost at sea, but Sapphy and Conor don’t buy that, and when they spend by the sea and meet mysterious strangers there, they are more convinced than ever that their dad is still alive.

Plot Summary

In the church where they lived by the sea in Cornwall, was a carved figure of a mermaid.  The legend went that the vicar of that church long ago met and fell in love with a mermaid.  Their dad was a fisherman who “just happened” to have the same name as the vicar.  Their father used to talk dreamily of the sea, and the underwater world, so when he mysteriously disappears, Sapphire and Conor refuse to believe it.  As much as their mother tries to get them to move on with their lives, Sapphy and Conor spend more and more time in their cove by the sea.  Their mom seems very upset and warns them to stay away from the shoreline, but to no avail.  Then the two encounter Faro and Elvira, a mermaid and merman who introduce Conor and Sapphy to Ingo—the beautiful, dangerous world beneath the waves.  As Sapphy is draw repeatedly and irresistibly back to the sea, she realizes the truth—she has Mer blood running through her veins, and now she must choose to what world she belongs.

Critical Evaluation

Dunmore’s poetic tone, especially in her descriptions of Ingo, seems almost mystical.  The novel portrays not just the legends and folklore about mermaids, but a poignant story of a girl whose world is changing and who is trying to figure out where she belongs.  Sapphire’s relationship with her mother, and the conflicted feelings they have for one another is a theme teens in particular can relate to.  The mother begins to date, much to Sapphy and Conor’s dismay.  But when that man’s life is in danger of the people of Ingo, Sapphire’s true test is at hand.  The book is the first in a trilogy, but it works well as a stand-alone novel.

Information about the Author

Helen Dunmore was born in 1952, and is best known for her award winning adult novels, short stories, and her works of poetry.  The Tide Knot, the sequel to Ingo, earn Dunmore the UK NestlÉ Children’s Book Prize Silver Medal.  She lives in Bristol, England, with her husband and children.  For more information, go to: http://www.helendunmore.com/index.asp

Genre

Fantasy

Mystery

Adventure

Curriculum Tie-ins

None

Booktalk Ideas

1. What do you think was the dad’s real story?
2. What is it about the idea of Mer people that fascinate us so much?

Reading level/Interest age

Young Adult

Challenge Issues/Challenge Response Ideas

None likely

Why I included this work

The prospect of reading about mermaids was too hard to resist!  Also, Ingo is rated 4½ stars on Amazon.com!

Great Quote from the Book:

"I wish I was away in Ingo
far across the briny sea
sailing over deepest waters
where neither care nor worry trouble me"