The Mermaid Chair Book

The Mermaid Chair by Sue Monk Kidd follows Jessie Sullivan, a middle-aged woman who returns to her childhood home on Egret Island, South Carolina, to care for her troubled mother. Her time there forces her to confront her conventional life, a marriage to her husband Hugh, and a mysterious attraction to a Benedictine monk named Brother Thomas. The mysterious mermaid-carved chair at the local monastery becomes a symbol of spiritual and erotic awakening, leading Jessie on a journey of self-discovery and healing as she untangles the secrets of her mother's past and her own soul.