Read it or Weep

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave takes places on Vardo, a remote island in Norway, in 1617. In a scenario based on historical fact, a terrible storm drowns most of the men from the tiny settlement on Vardo while they are out fishing. The women are left to provide and protect themselves. They are also left seeking answers: why did the storm come and take their men? And what do they do now?

Eighteen months later, Commissioner Absalom Cornet and his new wife Ursula come to Vardo. Ursula grew up in Bergen, Norway, surrounded by servants; she has no experience cooking, baking or cleaning, all of which are expected of women. Luckily, local woman Maren offers to help Ursula adjust to her new life. The women become fast friends.

The Vardo community has been left reeling from the storm, and is trying to adjust to their new normal. As commissioner, Absalom has been sent to take control of the situation, and to rid the community of supposed witchcraft. As suspicion mounts, Maren’s sister-in-law Diinna is suspected, as are others in the community. With the community turning to accusation and her husband seeking answers, Ursula is left to watch the chaos unfold.

The Mercies is a challenging read, that focuses on superstition, brutality, and the subjugation of women. For the willing audience, though, it is a fascinating journey back to seventeenth century Norway.

It is also interesting to explore the true history behind this book. In 2011, a monument was erected on Vardo in memory of the victims of this episode.

Steilneset Memorial

~Emma

 I went outside of my comfort zone by choosing to read Long Bright River by Liz Moore.  While my reading list can appear eclectic at times, mystery/thrillers tend to fall to the very bottom of my list. However, due to good press – an instant New York Times Bestseller and a Good Morning America Book Club pick,  and wanting to expand my reading horizons, I chose to dive in.  Almost instantly I realized that this book is a convergence of almost everything I like to read.  Along with being a gritty cop tale, this book is a family saga, with complex female characters, twists and turns that you never see coming, and equally heartfelt and suspenseful.

Meet Mickey Fitzpatrick, a thirty something patrol officer in the Philadelphia Police Department.  Mickey’s younger sister, Kacey, is an addict who supports her habit through prostitution in the rough & drug ridden Philly neighborhood of Kensington.  Recently, there has been a spree of murders in the Kensington area, and Kacey has gone missing.  A desperate Mickey must use everything she has learned about addiction and the drug trade in Kensington to find her sister.

The story alternates between present day mystery and the story of the sisters childhood in an equally rough and dysfunctional environment.  The reader is set on a roller coaster ride of gripping suspense to heart-wrenching family turmoil.  In the end the reader will have experienced a story of mystery, suspense, addiction, and the family ties that persist in aiding the characters come to their fate.