The Mercies

De: Kiran Millwood Hargrave

Narrado por: Jessie Buckley

The Mercies: A gripping tale of love, suspicion, and the strength of women in the face of adversity, inspired by real events.

1617. A vicious storm throws the sea around the remote Norwegian island of Vardø into chaos. Maren watches helplessly as the island's men, out fishing, perish in an instant. Vardø is now a place of women.

Eighteen months later, Absalom Cornet arrives, determined to bring the island's independent women to heel. Accompanying him is his young wife, Ursa. In Vardø, and in Maren, Ursa discovers something she's never encountered before: the strength and resilience of women left to forge their own path.

While Ursa finds unexpected happiness and even love in her new home, Absalom sees only a community corrupted by a terrible evil that he must root out at any cost.

The Mercies is a mesmerizing tale of love, fear, and the potential for both to transform a community. Kiran Millwood Hargrave weaves a rich tapestry of historical detail and poignant insights into the hearts of her unforgettable characters.

Perfect for fans of Circe and The Handmaid's Tale, this haunting and atmospheric novel will linger long after the final word.

©2020 Kiran Millwood Hargrave (P)2020 Macmillan Publishers International Ltd

The Mercies

Lyrical language and a brilliant telling kept me engrossed till the end. Organised religion’s penchant for damning and accusing people of witchcraft and sorcery has always fascinated. Kiran Millwood Hargrave weaves a spell of her own, her language superlative, her characters strongly defined. Highly recommend.

"Clawth"

"Clawth"
That's how the narrator Jessie Buckley pronounces the word cloth. Which seems insignificant, except when it's uttered about every 30 seconds. The narrator's weird mis-pronounciations and "Norwegian" accent only make this rather turgid book more unenjoyable.
The subject of witch trials in a wildly remote part of Scandinavia is darkly fascinating but I think there’s deeper understanding of this to be gained from the Zumthor/Bourgeois installation at the site of the trials than from this novel. To say there are a number of plot-holes is putting it mildly, overall this just feels turgid, and after not much happening for the first 150 pages, it then lurches awkwardly towards an ending that feels both lazy and melodramatic.