Sweet Mercy

By: Ann Tatlock

Narrated by: Morgan Hallett, Barbara Caruso

Length: 7 hrs and 56 mins

Publisher's summary

When Eve Marryat's father is laid off from the Ford Motor Company in 1931, he is forced to support his family by leaving St. Paul, Minnesota, and moving back to his Ohio roots. Eve's uncle Cyrus has invited the family to live and work at his Marryat Island Ballroom and Lodge.

Eve can't wait to leave St. Paul, a notorious haven for gangsters. At 17, she considers her family to be "good people," not lawbreakers like so many in her neighborhood. Thrilled to be moving to a "safe haven," Eve soon forms an unlikely friendship with a strange young man named Link, blissfully unaware that her uncle's lodge is anything but what it seems.

When the reality of her situation finally becomes clear, Eve is faced with a dilemma. Does she dare risk everything by exposing the man whose love and generosity is keeping her family from ruin? And when things turn dangerous, can she trust Link in spite of appearances?

©2013 Ann Tatlock (P)2013 Recorded Books

Shades of Gray Mercy

What was one of the most memorable moments of Sweet Mercy?

There were many. I could picture the town coming together for the Fourth of July, hear the band and see the games... it was terrific!

If you could take any character from Sweet Mercy out to dinner, who would it be and why?

It would be Eve and Cassandra... I liked the direction their relationship took as young adults, when the complications and simplicity of childhood were removed. I liked Eve's idealism, even as she was (due to her youth) so sure of herself; and Cassandra's wrestling with her guilt of how she lived her life.

Any additional comments?

I enjoyed this look at coming of age in Prohibition-era Ohio. Tatlock has a knack of providing Christian characters who are complex - doing something illegal for a good cause, or something good for the wrong reasons. I think Eve is older than many of Tatlock's other protagonists, which is both a blessing and a drawback. Either way, this book is a welcome addition to any Tatlock fan.

Morgan Hallet and Barbara Caruso were terrific narrators for their parts - Hallett for the majority of the book, Caruso for the prologue and epilogue.

Great work!

Oh, to Be Young Again . . .

The clarity with with the young see things . . . black and white . . . good and evil . . . right and wrong . . . the laws and the lawless . . . but ONE thing is certain, ONE thing is never changing, God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow . . . and this beautiful book, Sweet Mercy, by Ann Tatlock, is yet another of her works that gently shines the faithfulness of the only One who is unchanging in a world of turmoil . . . whether it be in the 1930s or now. I fell in love with Eve right away . . . optimistic, right-seeking, the "good daughter" . . . wanting to do for others . . . and her father, having lost his job at the Ford Motor Company deep in gangster territory, who is forced to take the family back to Ohio, where he was raised . . . Eve is delighted . . . she thinks she will feel safe there . . . she thinks that crime won't exist there . . . not once considering that evil exists in the hearts of all men . . . some would think Eve is self-righteous, but as a child growing up myself, wanting to be good, and do good, I can honestly say, I don't think she was, I think she was learning . . . learning that you can't earn God's love and mercy, learning that there are perilous times in history, such as the Great Depression, illness, and poverty, that cause good people to do bad things . . . yet none of these things can separate us from the love of God . . . Eve's mother and sister had a big impact upon young Eve as well, as did Jones, her cousin . . . and Ann Tatlock never knocks you over the head with her writing, instead gently weaving a story that will grab your interest, challenge your own beliefs and ultimately leave you with a deeper commitment to a loving God.

Ann Tatlock keeps outdoing herself!

Where does Sweet Mercy rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Near the very top of my list. I love all of Ann Tatlock's books. She's an incredible author.

What did you like best about this story?

Realistic characters, historical context

Any additional comments?

I'll listen to this again!

Did not care for the characters in this book

I really was disappointed in this book. I kept thinking that the main character telling the story would get it...........the world is not black and white, people have flaws........she never did. The book was extremely juvenile and the main character was obnoxious. Made myself finish it thinking something would happen to fix the bad but it didn't. Truly unrealistic.