The Mercies
Ratings40
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings40
Average rating3.8
The bestselling Richard and Judy Book Club pick The Sunday Times Bestseller and BBC Radio 2 Book Club Pick ‘Dark, dramatic and full of danger’ - Daily Mail For readers of Circe and The Handmaid’s Tale, Kiran Millwood Hargrave's The Mercies is inspired by real historical events. The storm comes in like a finger snap . . . 1617. The sea around the remote Norwegian island of Vardø is thrown into a vicious storm. A young woman, Maren, watches as the men of the island, out fishing, perish in an instant. Vardø is now a place of women . . . Eighteen months later, a sinister figure arrives. Absalom Cornet has been summoned to bring the women of the island to heel. With him travels his young wife, Ursa. In her new home, and in Maren, Ursa encounters something she has never seen before: independent women. But where Ursa finds happiness, even love, Absalom sees only a place flooded with a terrible evil, one he must root out at all costs . . . A story about how suspicion can twist its way through a community, about a love that could prove as dangerous as it is powerful. ‘Gripping’ - Madeline Miller, author of Circe ‘Took my breath away’ - Tracy Chevalier, author of Girl With a Pearl Earring ‘A beautifully intimate story of friendship, love and hope’ - Douglas Stuart, author of Shuggie Bain ‘Something rare and beautiful’ - Marian Keyes, author of Again, Rachel ‘Chilling and page-turning’ - The Times
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Reviews with the most likes.
This book made me incredibly angry the entire time I read it but because things like this actually happened back then but the writing was so beautiful that I can't help but love it.
A really interesting and intriguing read. This is a historical fiction novel based around the first Vardø witch trials (yes, there were more than one there!). At this point in time I have been living in Norway for about 10 years, so reading more stories set in an around my adopted country is appealing to me. This one grabbed me with its interesting concept and cool looking cover (yes, I occasionally judge a book by its cover). The setting of 17th century Norway is not one I am so familiar with - it is away from the modern day reality that Nordic noir tends to focus on and the earlier Viking period or norse mythology, which form the backbone of a lot of peoples image of Norway. I know there is a lot literary fiction set in 19th century Norway (eg the works of the ‘four greats': Kielland, Ibsen, Bjørnsen and Lie), but I always found that a bit heavy to dive into.
Norway is such a large country that even into the 17th century the reach of the church was still limited, especially up in the far north. Here the Norwegian people and the Sami people coexisted to a certain extent - the Norwegians practicing chritianity, but the Sami holding to older traditional beliefs. Certain religious elements found this very objectionable, and led to many Sami being tried as witches. The Vardø witch trials were something a bit different in that they were the first in which Norwegian women were tried as witches. This provides the background history for the story.
Essentially the story here is how petty grievances can lead to drastic and brutal outcomes in the settings of paranoia that such religious persecution generates in small and isolated communities. The plight of the various people involved is harrowing and the sense of paranoia generated feels visceral at times. You get a real sense that the instigators do not understand the consequences until it is too late. A harrowing read.
This book was powerful and pretty and sad and the ending made me choke up but I would read it all over again. I really am on a streak of great books this year.
Should not have reviewed this one immediately after finishing it. After sleeping on it, I've revised my rating to 3 stars. The writing is fantastic, but definitely don't make the mistake of going into this one thinking you'll emerge emotionally unscathed.
