Little Mercies

By: Heather Gudenkauf

Narrated by: Kate Rudd, Tanya Eby

Length: 8 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

In her latest ripped-from-the-headlines tour de force, New York Times best-selling author Heather Gudenkauf shows how one small mistake can have life-altering consequences….

Veteran social worker Ellen Moore has seen the worst side of humanity - the vilest acts one person can commit against another. She is a fiercely dedicated children's advocate and a devoted mother and wife. But one blistering summer day, a simple moment of distraction will have repercussions that Ellen could never have imagined, threatening to shatter everything she holds dear, and trapping her between the gears of the system she works for.

Meanwhile, ten-year-old Jenny Briard has been living with her well-meaning but irresponsible father since her mother left them, sleeping on friends' couches and moving in and out of cheap motels. When Jenny suddenly finds herself on her own, she is forced to survive with nothing but a few dollars and her street smarts. The last thing she wants is a social worker, but when Ellen's and Jenny's lives collide, little do they know just how much they can help one another.

A powerful and emotionally charged tale about motherhood and justice,Little Mercies is a searing portrait of the tenuous grasp we have on the things we love the most, and of the ties that unexpectedly bring us together.

©2004 Heather Gudenkauf (P)2014 Brilliance Audio, all rights reserved.

Potentially Great Listen Ruined By Awful Narration

This was a no-brainer for me. I spent 20 plus years in Child Protective Services, many as a social worker. And, one of my most trusted reviewers loved it. How could I not get this book?

There were some things in this story that made me want to shout, "That just could not have happened!" Yet, I don't know how other locations run their children's services. Who knows, maybe it could have happened. It was in the realm of possibility, I acceded to myself.

At first, I was put off by the second thread, the 10-year old runaway girl. As I continued to listen, that thread grabbed me. I realized that it broke the tension of the main story. I really came to like the little girl character and that of the main character's mother, who befriended the child.

What really bothered me about this book was the terrible narration performed by Kate Rudd of the social worker, Ellen. I certainly do understand that the social worker/mother would have been near hysterical and unnerved by what happened to her own child at her own hands, but Rudd overplayed this to the point of distraction. Her hysterical voice was really unpleasant, and it seems she has no idea how to modulate her voice. The ugliness of the social worker's voice detracted from the story, for me. What was even worse--really worse--was her portrayal of male voices. They all sounded alike and did not fit the characters' personalities at all. I have heard other female narrators use those throaty, odd male voices before and I absolutely HATE it. The totally incompetent narration of male voices, actually by both narrators, took away from the seriousness of the content and made some of the men sound like buffoons. Over all, a very serious subject was made to sound almost silly at times. (Some women do male voices so well and others have a terrible time as here. I would be so disappointed if I were the author.)

So, if you aren't as bothered by poor narrations as I am, I would recommend this book, particularly if the subject matter interests you. This is for me, one of those rare and infrequent times that I would have preferred to read a book on my Kindle.

And wouldn't it be great if Audible provided a forum for us to discuss books like this?

So loved this book!!!!

Any additional comments?

Not certain why I selected this book but so, so loved it. I recommended it to 3 more people, finished it in 2 days. Could not put it down.

Little Mercies

This book had me in the first few pages. As a parent, it was difficult to read at times, because I just wanted to put my fingers in my ears and say, "no, no, no!" It is hard to imagine adults treating kids like Jimmy did. On the other hand, I just had to root for the other people, caught in unimaginable circumstances. I ended up feeling pretty good about humankind in general, and kind humans in particular. Highly recommended.

Great story line

This was one of those books that was hard for me to stop listening to. The story really opened my eyes to how life isn't all black and white. Unless we, as observers of other people's lives, know the backstory of all the circumstances leading up to an incident, we have absolutely know right to judge people.

This is a must read\listen to

I listen to the audio version which was fantastic narration. The story is heartbreaking and emotional, I highly recommend listening to this it is definitely worth the credit

Whoa! Ten stars, if that's possible.

I listened to "The Weight of Silence", also by -- then unknown to me -- author Heather Gudenkauf and generally liked it -- I liked it well enough to try another. Who knew that this second book would ultimately rank among my all-time favorites? All through the whole book, I kept making mental lists of everyone I had to pester, to get them to read/listen to 'Little Mercies'. It's a stunner, by any standard. Wish I had someone to discuss it with.

There's a dual plot: in one segment, Ellen Moore is a first-class social worker, the kind of passionate, caring, dedicated social worker we wish all of them were. But by a freaky communication error with her husband on a hot and hectic morning, Ellen doesn't realize that her husband has already put baby Avery in Ellen's car. Ellen rushes off to a client emergency, not knowing her one-year-old is in the back seat. Not until she returns to her car hours later and finds people breaking the windows to free her unconscious child does she realize what happened.

In a parallel story, a gutsy little ten year old Jenny Baird finds herself alone on a bus, heading to a strange town, after her ne'er-do-well father gets himself into a fight and arrested as he's just about to board. it's a heartbreaking tale, as this little girl tries to seek out first her grandmother, whom she's never met, and then her mother, who's never cared two bits about her, and finds herself lost and alone, each time - except, that is, for the 'little mercies' of total strangers who lovingly take her in and try to help.....

In a way, 'Little Mercies' reminds me of the best of Jodi Picault's books. With the two parallel stories, each told by an excellent narrator, you experience two compelling tales as they intertwine. in Jenny's story, we wish we all had the kindness of some of the people Jenny meets. And in Ellen's story, virtually all of us who are mothers won't have too much trouble seeing this terrible chain of events as happening to any one of us. One of my friends -- mother of seven children herself -- is adamant that any parent who "forgets" his/her child in a locked car should simply be taken out and shot, no further questions asked. No caring parent, she contends, could ever be so mindless. This friend is at the top of my list to get her to read this book. It CAN happen. Innocently, and in spite of every safeguard -- well almost every safeguard -- it does happen. And what follows compounds the tragedy.

Warning: once you start listening, you'd better clear your schedule. There are times when you simply can't stop listening, you just have to push on. It's that good.

Loved the story; hated the narration

What did you love best about Little Mercies?

The story was a new one and believable. The characters were believable and likable - warts and all. I have read news stories about tragedies such as these but never a novel. Good subject.

What other book might you compare Little Mercies to and why?

Maybe some of Anna Quinland's books. Black & Blue, Every Last One.

Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Kate Rudd and Tanya Eby ?

I would have cast a young reader (child or teenager with a believable kid's voice) for Jenny. The adult narrator didn't work for that character. I hated the Ellen narrator. The male voices were awful. Her 'tragic moments" were not done well. Hard to describe but she missed it. Too breathy; too whiney. Some books are better read and some books are better listened to. This is one that I would have enjoyed more if I had just read it.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No but in a fairly short period of time. A couple of days.

Any additional comments?

I liked the book very much but the narration bothered me so much that it took away from my enjoyment of the experience.

Definately pulled from the headlines!

Any additional comments?

This topic is all over the newspapers right now and I'm seeing discussions on Facebook and other social media outlets all the time. I would love to think that I could never leave one of my children in a car, but I am a busy mom of three and I can never say that an accident could never happen. This story gives you insight into what may happen in the situation. The story is well-written and the audio book was very well-narrated.

A good emotional quick read from Gudenkauf

Any additional comments?

I first became a Gudenkauf fan with her debut, The Weight of Silence. These Things Hidden was a pretty good read; One Breath Away was a misstep for this talented author.

This book deals with the tragedy of Ellen Moore, a child advocate who - after a morning of chaos - left her baby in the back of her car on a hot summer morning. her path intersects with Jenny, a street-smart yet naive ten-year-old who travels to Iowa in search of relatives.

Perhaps Kate Rudd's narration is a bit overdramatic, but it didn't call for the scathing review posted on this site. Tanya Eby's narration of Jenny's portion was admirable.

I found the ending was a little too Hallmark, but this book is a riveting read. Good work, heather Gudenkauf!

People Can and Do Make Mistakes

This story revolves around the fact that people can and do make mistakes. Some of these mistakes are inconsequential while other's can be life threatening.

This family of five have all gotten up late and need to move fast. They are all rushing except 11 month old Avery.

Adam suggests that Ellen could take Avery to the babysitter. Ellen agrees while continuing to pull up her skirt. The day is extremely hot. Adam is running back inside the house and yells at Ellen, letting her know that Avery is in her van. He screams and asks if Ellen has heard him and she raises her hand, waving, which acknowledges that she has. Ellen hurriedly gets into the van, turns the key and is driving to work.

Ellen is a Social Worker whose job is to be a an advocate for children. While driving down the highway, her cell phone begins ringing. The caller is a young client who has locked herself in the bathroom because she is in danger. Her parent's are engaged in a violent fight.

Ellen is already late for the meeting at work and gets off of the highway to go and help the child. She arrives and jumps out of the van, closing the door behind her. She does not realize that Avery is with her.

Ellen's mother, Maudeen, has been very lonely since her husband's death. She works in a diner. Jenny, a 10 year old girl, has just gotten off of a bus, having traveled hundreds of miles to Cedar City, Iowa. This is where her grandmother lives. Jenny is famished and finds a place to eat. She slides into a seat and orders breakfast. Maudeen is her server. She begins to question Jenny when she serves her breakfast. Jenny hurriedly eats several bites of the pancakes, slides out of the seat putting her back pack on. She pushes the door hard and leaves the diner. Jenny realizes that her waiter has figured out that something is not quite right.

Maudeen's shift is over but when she leaves work she doesn't go home. Instead, she searches for Jenny. It doesn't take too much time, when Maudeen spots Jenny and pulls over. Maudeen has grown children of her own and knows how to persuade Jenny to get into her car after she has heard answers to her inquisitive questions and realizes that Jenny is on her own. Jenny has been taught not to get into a stranger's car. However, she is street smart and feels comfortable with Maudeen. Jenny's father is in jail and Jenny needs a place to stay until her dad is released. Her dad loves her very much but has difficulty holding down a job. Jenny's mother left when she was four years old.

This story shows how the actions of many people can bring people together who need one another. Working together, this group of older and younger people learn how to solve their problems, that at one time were unanswerable.

The narrator's, Kate Rudd and Tanya Eby give life to the book, Little Mercies. The reader wants to continue reading to see what happens next. The character's are well developed. The reader can get into their minds and understand what they are feeling. I would encourage a friend to read this book. The story moves along without un-necessary words to make the book longer. The novel touches on occurrences that are difficult for people but with help, there are answers. It was a good read. I don't think you would be disappointed if you were to purchase this book.