The Shape of Mercy
I am honored to have the opportunity to review Susan Meissner's latest novel, "The Shape of Mercy." As a history buff, I especially enjoyed delving into this fictional recreation of an era that I'm not that familiar with, the Salem Witch Trials. I enjoyed learning more of the era, experiencing the language, and seeing how the events so many centuries ago still affect people today. By the end of the book, I was in tears. I related to Lauren and Abigail, because I understand how it's difficult to forge your own way in a family where expectations are automatically set upon you at birth, and how it affects your life when you feel you don't live up to your parents' expectations. Mercy Hayworth was a strong woman, who gave her life to save the man she loved, and led her history to be a legacy of accused witchcraft. This is a riveting book, full of emotions that remain, even through the ages.
Summary:
Lauren Durough is a college student longing to break free of family expectations when she stumbles into a project for eighty year old Abigail Boyles—transcribing the journals of Mercy Hayworth, a seventeenth-century victim of the Massachusetts witch trials. Almost immediately, Lauren finds herself drawn to this girl who lived and died four centuries ago. The strength of her affinity with Mercy forces Lauren to take a startling new look at her own life, including her relationships with the mysterious Abigail, her college roommate, and a young man named Raul. But on the way to discovering the candid truth, Lauren must earnestly ask if she is playing the role of helpless defendant or the misguided judge? Can she break free from her own perceptions and recognize who she really is?
In our high-pressure, success-oriented culture, readers will identify with Lauren’s struggle to forge her own identity separate from the plan her family designed for her. Offering intrigue, romance, and heartbreaking drama, this contemporary novel with a historical twist conveys the intense beauty that emerges when we see how our stories affect the lives of others.
Author Bio:
From early school-day projects to becoming editor of a local
newspaper in Minnesota, Susan Meissner’s
love for writing has been apparent her entire life. The Shape of Mercy is her latest novel in a string of books
that delve into the deeper issues of life. She is the author of nine novels and
lives with her family in San Diego,
California. Find out more about
her at www.susanmeissner.com.
GIVEAWAY:
I did not request a book to give away during this tour. However, as I was reading the book during a high school substitute teaching assignment, a student teacher who is teaching a unit on the Salem Witch Trials, expressed interest in the book, so I am giving my copy to her. You can get your own copy of Ms. Meissner's book at www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1400074568
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