When the Tides Held the Moon

The Shape of Water meets The Greatest Showman — a queer historical cozy fantasy set in turn-of-the-20th-century New York. Benigno "Benny" Caldera, an orphaned Boricua blacksmith, builds an ironwork tank for Luna Park's Coney Island sideshow and discovers it holds their newest exhibit: a living merman named Río, taken from the East River. Benny comes to know Río as a clever philosopher, an observant traveler, and a kindred spirit, and their friendship deepens into love. But Benny cannot ignore the cruelty of Río's captivity — and freeing him would mean betraying his found family, bankrupting their home, and losing his soulmate. To do right by both, Benny must find a love strong enough to free them both. Illustrated by the author throughout.