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"We understand what we want to understand."
The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner is classified as contemporary fiction, but I must report that it is much, much more. A mixture of history, romance, and mystery, The Shape of Mercy is a thrilling and inspiring tale of three women who realize the importance opinion and judgement play in every aspect of life. Lauren Durough is a young college student on her way to becoming CEO of her wealthy father's company, yet she longs for a life free of judgement and superficiality. Abigail Boyles is an eighty-three-year-old retired librarian with many secrets who employs Lauren to transcribe an ancient diary written by Mercy Hayworth, a young woman victimized by the infamous Salem witch trials.
I was not sure about this story at all when I received it from WaterBrook Multnomah, and the title did not even register with me. It wasn't until I finished the book that I realized what The Shape of Mercy really means. I can't say much about the story besides what is above because it would be so easy to give it all away. All I can say is that this book is on my Best of 2011 list already, and its only February.
Susan Meissner's writing style is spectacular; it is one of the best first-person tales I've read. Her descriptiveness is impeccable, and her characters are so well developed. I've never read any of her books before, but I can say that, after this one, I am a fan! She tastefully tackles history and romance in this book, something I can't say about all authors. At the end of the book Susan Meissner notes that Mercy Hayworth is a fictional character -- she was not actually part of the Salem witch trials -- but all other information in the book is accurate. Still, she did a wonderful job making me believe the diary, the girl, and the story were real.
The only thing that I didn't approve of was the lazy mentioning of God. Besides one character taking the Lord's name in vain twice (which shocked me in a book published by a Christian company), God and prayer are mentioned loosely and vaguely. I rather wish God had been removed altogether; putting Him in last place doesn't sit well with me. This aside, the book is a great one.
If you like mystery, historical fiction, romance, and great writing, you will love The Shape of Mercy.
To read an excerpt or to buy your own copy, click here.
I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah
via Blogging for Books.
All opinions of this book are my own.
