A review by odinspot
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

dark emotional reflective sad tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

I really enjoyed this book. Hargrave managed to handle this sad part of Norwegian history with care, while also showing how the community turned on each other and anti-sámi sentiment that rears it ugly head in times of crisis. 

I did find the use of Norwegian words distracting at times, like having a character from Scotland use the word «kirke» for church, but other than that it was a solid hit for me. 

One thing I really enjoyed is that towards the end, Ursa and Absalom moved into the house of one of the accused. A small detail, but very accurate to Norwegian history, we have quite the history of stealing other peoples houses.
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