The Mercies

By: Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Narrated by: Jessie Buckley

After the men in an Arctic Norwegian town are wiped out, the women must survive a sinister threat in this "perfectly told" 1600s parable of "a world gone mad" (Adriana Trigiani).
Finnmark, Norway, 1617. Twenty-year-old Maren Magnusdatter stands on the craggy coast, watching the sea break into a sudden and reckless storm. Forty fishermen, including her brother and father, are drowned and left broken on the rocks below. With the menfolk wiped out, the women of the tiny Arctic town of Vardø must fend for themselves.
Three years later, a stranger arrives on their shore. Absalom Cornet comes from Scotland, where he burned witches in the northern isles. He brings with him his young Norwegian wife, Ursa, who is both heady with her husband's authority and terrified by it. In Vardø, and in Maren, Ursa sees something she has never seen before: independent women. But Absalom sees only a place untouched by God, and flooded with a mighty evil. As Maren and Ursa are drawn to one another in ways that surprise them both, the island begins to close in on them, with Absalom's iron rule threatening Vardø's very existence.
Inspired by the real events of the Vardø storm and the 1621 witch trials, The Mercies is a story of love, evil, and obsession, set at the edge of civilization.One of the Best Books of the Year USA TodayGood Housekeeping

Critic reviews

"This chilling tale of religious persecution is served up with a feminist bite . . . . In clean, gripping sentences the author is wonderfully tuned to the ways and gestures of a seemingly taciturn people."—Kirkus Reviews

"Hargrave spares the reader no gory details, whether of birth, miscarriage or the scent of a body burning at the stake. The Mercies is among the best novels I've read in years. In addition to its beautiful writing, its subject matter is both enduring and timely. . . . Four hundred years after the events The Mercies portrays, we need stories . . . to remind us of the dangers of being swept up in a maelstrom of demagogy. For such a novel to center on a cast of powerful women characters seems as appropriate to its historical context as it is to our time."—Emily Barton, New York Times Book Review

"Elegant and chilling . . . an absorbing account of women finding power and grace and love even under the most harrowing circumstances."—USA Today

"The Mercies smolders more intensely than a pyre, whirling history's ashes defiantly into the wind."—NPR.org

"Spun from real-life events, this lyrical novel charts the aftermath of a fatal storm in a 17th century Norwegian fishing village: a town almost exclusively composed of women and girls, and the violent witch-burning newcomer hell-bent on their conversion."—Vanity Fair

"The Mercies took my breath away. A beautifully rendered portrait of a community, a landscape, and a relationship. I read it with equal parts hope and dread. Kiran has masterfully built up an incredible claustrophobic atmosphere, shot through with delicate intimacy."—Tracy Chevalier, New York Times bestselling author of Girl With a Pearl Earring

"I loved The Mercies. It opened up a completely new chapter of history to me, and I loved the way it told its story in such beautiful language. I won't forget this story of these women in a Norway I knew little about. A searing historical novel."—Naomi Wood, author of The Hiding Game and Mrs. Hemingway

"Every once in a while, a modern day parable, perfectly told, reflects all that could happen in a world gone mad. Kiran Millwood Hargrave has written a novel for our times with artistry and skill."—Adriana Trigiani New York Times bestselling author of Tony's Wife and Kiss Carlo

"Kiran Millwood Hargrave's wonderful The Mercies is a mesmerizing, heart-wrenching novel which had me desperate for the women of Vardo to win through. A perfect book club choice."—AJ Pearce, author of Dear Mrs. Bird

"A book not only for our times but for any time in which people have loved and raged and wondered if there was more. Millwood Hargrave is a whirlwind, storm-building talent."—Daisy Johnson, author of Everything Under

True story, fascinating.

This is a fascinating story. Based on real events. The book was slow but it is worth the read.

Brilliant

Perfect narration. Easily in my top ten list. Atmospheric, and heart-wrenching take on the limited choices of women during the period in which the story is set. Beautifully written characters. Demonstrates the lengths men will go to keep powerful women in their place.

Compelling side characters overshadow protagonists

Describing this cold, peculiar place and time, the author transports me to the setting. Narrating the inner lives of our two main characters, the author jars me with discomfort. They are both so bland and impassive, even internally, that I am incredulous when the author foists sexual passion upon them. Romantic passion stemming from loneliness, sure. But the only sexual frisson in this book is between the first protagonist and her friend/mentor, whom the author sets up as a symbol. This is a shame, because the mentor is the most compelling and complex character in the book. She - - the most interesting and yet natural character to evolve in that isolated time and place - - SHE is the reason for reading this book. Not the two main characters.

Gripping

I was completely absorbed by this book. The author gave more emphasis to the historical fiction aspect; the surprise romance was icing on the cake and made it much more gripping. Held me from beginning to end and I want more from this author

Gripping

I loved this book so much. The combination of Hargrave's writing and Buckley's narration is a powerful one. I'm honestly a bit speechless; I cannot recommend this book enough.