A review by mariebrunelm
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

It is 1617 on an island off the coast of Norway and a wave of unprecedented proportions swallows most of the men from the village of Vardø. The women find ways to survive even when some of them have to turn a blind eye to propriety. Their community is united by grief more than anything, but still divided by the importance they are willing to give to Christianism, the imported religion, which clashes with the Sámi way of life some of them uphold. Yet Vardø is enduring, when a boat brings to them a commissioner, Absalom, and his wife Ursa. He is tasked with restoring religious order and putting an end to the spread of witchcraft. She is merely doing her best in this new life alongside a husband she did not choose.
This novel, in the best vein of historical fiction, gives a body and feelings to anonymous silhouettes in history books. The characters are nuanced and though the action doesn’t rush forward, the narrative has an intensity and a tension that is reflected in the unforgiving landscape and biting wind blowing through this naked land. The writing style is concise but beautifully complex, taking sentences in unexpected directions without using fancy words or trying to mimic a historical style. This is a fiercely feminist novel in that it doesn’t put women on a pedestal but rather shows the multiple ways in which each one deals with her grief and considers her place within society, flaws and all. When I first heard of this book I thought it was some kind of historical utopia, describing a moment when women had lived harmoniously after the men had disappeared. It’s not. There’s tension and conflict, which makes it all the more realistic. I think this is a fantastic book (not a drop of magic here) which looks at the history that is not only made by white, rich men.
Rep : sapphic characters.
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