When the Tides Held the Moon

The first chapter of When the Tides Held the Moon takes the time to show Benny constructing the tank that will hold the merman captive. What do we learn about Benny and his worldview at the start of the novel as he designs and builds the tank? As the book progresses, how do Benny’s feelings about his iron creation change?

Benny’s first-person narration often shifts between the two languages he speaks: English and Spanish. Even his English changes depending on his audience, shifting in and out of Brooklyn slang. How did this affect your reading experience? In what ways did encountering multiple languages in real time make you feel like a foreigner too?

Río’s mer culture is very different from the human culture Benny is used to, particularly in the way it regards each merperson not as an isolated individual, but as part of a spiritual collective. Why does this philosophy appeal to Benny? In your opinion, what challenges prevent humankind from feeling like our lives are interconnected?

Lulu mentions that she and Saul the Skeleton once went on stage together because the contrast between a fat lady and a thin man would “hook” the crowd. How did the Menagerie members play into stereotypes to provoke 5 an audience reaction? In your opinion, did this strategy empower them or make them more vulnerable?

When sideshow giant Igor describes his deceased wife Ekatarina, he tells Benny she saw him as a devoted husband, not a giant. This story sticks with Benny, who understands what it’s like to get defined by only his most superficial traits. How do you interpret the difference between looking at someone and truly seeing them? Which characters succeed or fail at perceiving the truth in other characters? Why or why not?

Matthias the strongman never confirms or denies whether he is truly capable of lifting two thousand pounds. Instead, he states that whether Benny believes he can do it is what truly matters. Offstage, how do the characters’ beliefs influence the way they respond to each other and the world around them?

Caught up in Sam Morgan’s secret dealings, Sonia Kutzler makes several strategic decisions to safeguard herself, the Menagerie members, and the show. How did her attempts to force solutions on Benny’s circumstances make you feel about her as a character?

“With It, For It, Never Against It” is the Menagerie credo, coming up at key moments whenever a member of the sideshow cast is under threat. How do the sideshow characters relate to and express this stance in their actions throughout the novel? In what ways does Benny adhere to it, even when he thinks he isn’t?

Romance and intimacy between Benny and Río play out in both familiar and fantastical ways, culminating an “alternative” love scene. Before reading When the Tides Held the Moon, what was your understanding of how intimacy should be portrayed in romance fiction? In what ways did this book satisfy your expectations or surprise you? 6

When the Tides Held the Moon takes place six years before Puerto Ricans were granted US citizenship. At the beginning of Benny’s story, he admits that after four years in America, he doesn’t quite know who he is. How does being an immigrant undermine Benny’s ability to know and express himself authentically? What affect might working and living in another country have on your identity?

Like other members of the Menagerie, Samuel Morgan was ostracized by society before being taken in by the show’s original proprietor. However, he chooses not to join their found family. How does Sam’s upbringing wind up setting him apart from the other performers? How does being rejected affect Sam’s behavior compared to Benny’s?

History often gets told through a narrow lens, overlooking or erasing the accounts of marginalized communities. How did reading about the lives of marginalized characters in a 1910s context make you feel about the past? What about their struggles feels familiar or reflects today’s attitudes toward marginalized communities in America?

Benny’s transformation at the end of When the Tides Held the Moon is described as occurring inside his body rather than a visible transformation. Why do you think the author chose not to change his outward physical form? In what ways might giving Benny a tail have altered the story and its message?

What do you think happens to Benny and Río after the end of the book? If you were to choose a character to write a sequel or a spin-off book about, whose future—or backstory—would you want to explore further?