The Tail of Emily Windsnap

"The Tail of Emily Windsnap" (2003) is a children's novel written by Liz Kessler.

Plot summary

Emily Windsnap is a 12 year old girl who lives with her mother, Mary Penelope Windsnap, on a little houseboat. She is very shy, quiet, and confused. At the beginning of the book she questions why her mother doesn't let her go in the water. She has begged and pleaded to her mother that she wants to take swimming classes but her mother keeps refusing. Until one day her mother gives in and lets her take swimming classes.

The day she goes to her swimming class, Emily spots her old friend, Julia Cross. She has the impression that she hates Emily and wants to be best friends with Mandy Rushton. So as everyone begins to settle by the pool, the swimming instructor introduces himself as Bob. Later on, Emily gets into the pool. Bob says that she's a natural swimmer. Suddenly, Emily screams out that she cant feel her legs. She gets out of the pool and Bob checks to see if she's alright. He tells her to sit out and come back in when she is ready. But Emily decides to sit out for the whole class and find out what really happened later.

Later on, Emily sneaks out of the houseboat and goes to the sea. She jumps in and sees that she is normal. But then she feels that her legs are starting to glue together. After a few moments the feeling stops and finds out that she is a mermaid.

Emily's head fills with questions on why she is a mermaid. But she just enjoys swimming. The next day, Emily sneaks out again to the sea. She sees a mermaid who is singing and combing her hair. Emily calls out to her and the mermaid becomes frightened because she was caught by a human (Emily was not in mermaid mode at the time). Emily tells her to stop and tries to prove to her that she is a mermaid. She stops swimming and sees her tail. The mermaid comes up to her and asks her how she did that. Emily answers that she doesnt know. The mermaid introduces herself as Shona Silkfin and Emily tells her that her name is Emily Windsnap. Shona becomes suspicious of her name but tells Emily to forget what she said. Shona asked about Emily's father and Emily says that she doesn't know who or where he is. The two start talking and Shona invites her to come to her neighborhood. Emily agrees and the two meet again on Wednesday (Emily was supposed to go to Julia's but lied to her mother that she was going).

Shona introduces Emily to her teacher. The class starts talking about illegal marriages and shipwrecks and how King Neptune forbid merpeople to marry humans. Then Shona and Emily get interested in the illegal marriages. They ask Shona's teacher about any illegal marriages. She ended up talking about a poet named Jake Windsnap who married a human and had a child with her. He got caught and was sent to prison 12 years ago. After their conversation, Emily discovers that she is Jake's daughter.

Days later, Shona and Emily find files of Emily, Emily's mother and father in a safe. They find out that Emily is Jake's daughter and that he is in prison since he got caught. Emily ends up confused because she has so idea what the file means. But she realizes that the creepy lighthouse keeper Mr. Beeston has been spying on Emily and her mother since her father went to prison and that Emily's mother has been drugged with memory wipes. The two go to the prison and give up because it is too far and then go home.

A few days later, Emily takes the boat and goes to the place where Emily and Shona first met: Rainbow Rocks. Emily's mother and Mr. Beeston see what she is doing and Emily's mother orders her to stop. But Emily refuses and tells her that Mr. Beeston has been spying on them for years. Emily's mother does not believe her. Then Mr. Beeston is left unconscious by hitting himself in the head.

Then, Shona shows up and takes a rope from the boat to guide her to Rainbow Rocks. Emily's mother finds the truth about Emily's mermaidness. Emily and Shona go out to find Emily's father in the prison. Unfortunately, Shona gets stuck in a hole and cant accompany Emily to the prison. So Emily goes on her own.

When Emily gets to the prison, she finds her father and gives her two poems and a bracelet to give to her mother. Emily gets back and gives them to her mother, who is flattered. Suddenly, Neptune takes Emily, her mother, and Millie (Emily's babysitter) to court after Emily went to the prison to see her father. Neptune releases Jake Windsnap to live with his family on Allpoints Island and Shona can come along.

Following books

* "Emily Windsnap and the Monster from the Deep" (sequel to "The Tail of Emily Windsnap")
* "Emily Windsnap and the Castle in the Mist"