A review by dorottyagoston
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave

dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

A deep, beautiful and tragic exploration of womanhood, power, and love. The tension between the two main characters bubbles under the surface throughout the whole book

until it finally bursts out in the last few chapters.

Their love is essential to the story - frankly it’s one of the main things that drew me in - however it doesn’t take up the entire space, it works harmoniously within the larger frame of the story. A great piece of historical fiction, blends historical accuracy with the imagined innermost thoughts and feelings of the characters. At some points I felt like these imagined parts may have been too modern, nonetheless, I remind myself, that we cannot know the minds and sounds of people from the past. Beautiful narrative, the changing POV was compelling.