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A review by rcrops
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
4.0
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
4 STARS
At the start of 2022, I joined a book club and this was the first read picked and incidentally has been my first read of the new year.
From reading the blurb, and not giving away spoilers as much as humanly possible whilst also convincing you that this book should be read ASAP!!! The book centres around independent women of a small island called Vardø. The story unfolds around women who are left to fend for themselves which later comes back to them as possible witch craft, pretty standard stuff ha.
Vardø is a real place, I googled it after thinking hmm this does sound like it could exist and the story is (loosely) based on real events.
Absalom (yes that is his name) Cornet takes a new wife from nearby on the way to Vardø bringing Ursa to the forefront of the story. He has been given a new post at Vardø to keep these wily ladies in their place and stop any witchy funny business – he is a total bastard. Anyway, Ursa is the story that we are more interested in hearing as we see her navigate a new marriage to a man she has met once (and is much older) and the relationship she makes with one of the women from Vardø who she befriends on arrival to the island named Maren.
It’s really a story of crossed lives and love between Maren and Ursula and both women’s stories are interesting throughout.
I really wanted more love scenes between Maren and Ursa but the author (Kiran Millwood Hargrave) did do an amazing job of building their romance which the story essentially is apart from the very serious undertones around witchcraft and how easily women could be accused and sent to horrific death at the drop of a hat back in the day.
The book overall was good and I enjoyed the tension between characters built throughout. I probably wouldn’t have chosen this book myself but I’m so happy it was picked as the first book club read!
4 STARS
At the start of 2022, I joined a book club and this was the first read picked and incidentally has been my first read of the new year.
From reading the blurb, and not giving away spoilers as much as humanly possible whilst also convincing you that this book should be read ASAP!!! The book centres around independent women of a small island called Vardø. The story unfolds around women who are left to fend for themselves which later comes back to them as possible witch craft, pretty standard stuff ha.
Vardø is a real place, I googled it after thinking hmm this does sound like it could exist and the story is (loosely) based on real events.
Absalom (yes that is his name) Cornet takes a new wife from nearby on the way to Vardø bringing Ursa to the forefront of the story. He has been given a new post at Vardø to keep these wily ladies in their place and stop any witchy funny business – he is a total bastard. Anyway, Ursa is the story that we are more interested in hearing as we see her navigate a new marriage to a man she has met once (and is much older) and the relationship she makes with one of the women from Vardø who she befriends on arrival to the island named Maren.
It’s really a story of crossed lives and love between Maren and Ursula and both women’s stories are interesting throughout.
I really wanted more love scenes between Maren and Ursa but the author (Kiran Millwood Hargrave) did do an amazing job of building their romance which the story essentially is apart from the very serious undertones around witchcraft and how easily women could be accused and sent to horrific death at the drop of a hat back in the day.
The book overall was good and I enjoyed the tension between characters built throughout. I probably wouldn’t have chosen this book myself but I’m so happy it was picked as the first book club read!