The Hard to Catch Mercy

Southern Revivals

by William P. Baldwin III

Told by a young boy forced to deal with the changing world around him in fictional Cedar Point, Baldwin's story touches on religion, race and coming of age in the post-Civil War South, when the lines dividing these issues were not clear.

Genres: Fiction

352 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 1993

Reviews

[LadyCalico · Rating 5 out of 5]

Except for moving the South Santee River too far south and having Georgetown's North Island and its lighthouse float from Winyah to Muddy Bay, the map of Cedar Point is instantly recognizable as McClellanville, SC, so I guess Mumford must be Georgetown, The Hard to Catch's shack is on Rt. 45, Widow Mercy's is on Turner-Sullivan Rd., Crown's Bluff is Charleston, and Savannah is Savannah. Okay, now I'm oriented.
I was seeking a book by a "local author" to fill a category in the Popsugar Reading Challenge and serendipitously wandered across this brilliant gem of a Bildungsroman. It is 14 tales and an epilogue as told by young Willie T. Allson, all of which build upon each other as answers are found for most of the mysteries--or were they, since the people with the answers are the liars, crazies, cons, senile, superstitious, or just people with peculiar ways of viewing things? The paranormal hovers around the edges of these stories--or does it, since Willie T. filters his perceptions through the lowcountry "haint" tales of his elderly nanny, Maum Anna? As another reviewer put it "An epic tale of Southern myth, mystery, and mayhem!" Tales well told, such as this, are the reason that I read.

[Kimberly Westrope · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am always pleasantly surprised when an author's first novel is so amazingly well-written. This story draws the reader in quickly and doesn't let go. Though it moved a bit slow in some spots, this is a fascinating story of a small Delta town and its people. Oh, such a wonderful variety of people! These characters are so vivid and and so multi-dimensional. Each one has a story to tell, and you get to read about all of them.

I particularly like how the author presents so much of the culture of the area and time, through the characters and their stories. I had a hard time putting this one down. Will definitely need to check out more from this author.

[Bill Sanwald · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Almost gave up on this about half way through. But that's a very hard thing for me to do. Glad I stuck with it. I enjoyed it.

[Elise · Rating 3 out of 5]

A southern novel with well developed characters and setting. A lot of action happens at the end.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not always an easy story to read, but a remarkably well written one. And one of my favorite things- a first novel by an author who went on to prove it wasn't a fluke.

ANNOTATION
In a small town in South Carolina in 1916, fourteen-year-old Willie T. Allson comes to manhood in a manner befitting the finest Southern tall tales. "An epic tale of Southern myth, mystery, and mayhem."--The Indianapolis News. Winner of the Lillian Smith Award for Fiction.

FROM THE PUBLISHER
"A work of art . . . Baldwin's first novel is like a great wheel with fifteen spokes, each spoke an adventure emanating from its hub in the story of the Allson family of Cedar Point in low-country South Carolina. Set in 1916, most of the tale involves the maturation of the 14-year-old narrator, Willie T. Allson, who learns about sex, death, history and the fragile nature of happiness."
— The Raleigh News & Observer

"[A] funny, sad, gentle, violent story . . . The adventures of Willie T. are so exciting a reader can scarcely get from page to page fast enough." — Detroit Free Press

WINNER OF THE LILLIAN SMITH AWARD FOR FICTION

[David DeValera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Baldwin serves up a great Southern tale but lets you have some say in the seasoning. Stories are told from different angles and so you have to reason out your own version of events. It's not the least bit confusing, however; because Baldwin is too good of a story teller for that.

You can believe that Hard to Catch Mercy's (yes, that is a character's name) sister was or wasn't pregnant. You can believe that a great family treasure (buried somewhere) exists or never existed. Was the preacher's wife guilty in deed or only in thought? I enjoyed entertaining the different possibilities and the subtle flavor changes they brought to the tale.

Maum Anna is so complex and rich of a character that I can't imagine that Baldwin invented her. Instead, I choose to believe that he knows Maum Anna personally. I hope he does because I really have to know what kind of Christian, Voodoo-whammy Maum Anna unleashed upon the sheriffs poor ole dogs!

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good story well told. The main character, Willie T., is a hoot, sometimes sweetly innocent and naive, always keenly observant and often scared half to death by the people and events happening around him. His two cousins come to live with him and open up his understanding of the world in a big way and then a long unknown elderly aunt comes to live nearby and expands his world even further. All the time there are lots of calamities happening, often funny but sometimes tragic, and through it all Willie keeps learning new things about his family's history and his parents that really are very significant and telling. I highly recommend it.

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a coming of age story that started in the year 1916, when Willie T. Allson was just fourteen years old. He and his cousins Uncle Jimmy and Brother, orphans who came to live with Willie T.'s family after their pa died, had numerous escapades that gave the book both humor and tragedy. I found it to be a real page-turner.

[~mad · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like three and a half stars.

! Been on my shelves since 1995....why'd I wait so long?
Drags some and slow to start - but worth it.

Episodes from a southern boyhood: family intrigue, post-Civil War history, race, religion, and superstition are all part of the mix in Baldwin's meandering first novel.

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

picked this up at a used book sale. pretty interesting.

[Terry Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE THIS BOOK. While the themes are nothing like To Kill A Mockingbird it reads similiarly. This is a great book.

[Holly Drawdy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read in college. I need to read again

[Erica Castellanos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun & entertaining read, a well varied cast of characters in a unique setting. Everything was perfectly real and believable, an excellently written book.