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A review by taralpittman
The Unraveling of Mercy Louis by Keija Parssinen
5.0
Wow. I have to admit that I am intimately connected with this story; Port Sabine, Texas is a fictitious amalgam of the area that constitutes the Golden Triangle in southeast Texas - the cities of Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange - and it is the area in which I was raised. It closely borders the state of Louisiana and, as such, lots of Cajun and Creole influences cross over into the area; I'm sure I never realized how unique an area it really is, until after I'd moved away for college and discovered that my hometown environment was a little different from that of most everyone else. As such, I had no trouble immersing myself in this tale; in fact, there were moments when I could substitute the faces of high school friends and their family members into the roles of the characters in this novel.
For me, this novel was an illuminating way to revisit or examine the culture and traditions of this part of the country with a different perspective; I can relate to the subject matter, but I now see it through a different lens. The overbearing religiosity of Mercy's grandmother, the scandal of Annie's "purity ball" and her questionable status as a virgin, the importance of high school sports to the community, and the good 'ol boys - the refineries, politicians and money-pushers - are all elements that create a lot of tension, emotion and contribute to the way of life for the residents of this area. Author Keija Parssinen nails it and if you've ever wanted a glimpse into this world (and you should, because it's pretty wild) this is your ticket. You could liken this experience to that of the residents of Appalachian coal mining towns: everyone has a family member who works for "the company" and no one wants to jeopardize what "the company" does for the community...well, when they're not killing people in accidents or working them to death. Instead, everyone entertains themselves with small town gossip and drama, especially if you have some good dirt on an influential member of town.
The writing is fantastic, Mercy's journey is captivating and the characters are solidly built; no matter where you're from or how you were raised, there is definitely a story to be enjoyed here. Through Mercy's experiences, readers are reminded that it's not all about the wins and losses but more about the way we play the game; sometimes, what's best for us in the long run may not be what we expected.
For me, this novel was an illuminating way to revisit or examine the culture and traditions of this part of the country with a different perspective; I can relate to the subject matter, but I now see it through a different lens. The overbearing religiosity of Mercy's grandmother, the scandal of Annie's "purity ball" and her questionable status as a virgin, the importance of high school sports to the community, and the good 'ol boys - the refineries, politicians and money-pushers - are all elements that create a lot of tension, emotion and contribute to the way of life for the residents of this area. Author Keija Parssinen nails it and if you've ever wanted a glimpse into this world (and you should, because it's pretty wild) this is your ticket. You could liken this experience to that of the residents of Appalachian coal mining towns: everyone has a family member who works for "the company" and no one wants to jeopardize what "the company" does for the community...well, when they're not killing people in accidents or working them to death. Instead, everyone entertains themselves with small town gossip and drama, especially if you have some good dirt on an influential member of town.
The writing is fantastic, Mercy's journey is captivating and the characters are solidly built; no matter where you're from or how you were raised, there is definitely a story to be enjoyed here. Through Mercy's experiences, readers are reminded that it's not all about the wins and losses but more about the way we play the game; sometimes, what's best for us in the long run may not be what we expected.