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The Book of Mercy
In a novel that “will grab your heart” (Library Journal), a mother’s absence continues to reverberate in the lives of the husband and two children she abandoned. A PEN/Faulkner Award Finalist and a New York Times Notable Book of the Year.
- GenresFictionLiterature
276 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1996
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
September 2, 2016
Original review in 2007:
I am one of those folks who really enjoys reading first novels of authors. That added to my pleasure.
Some thoughts:
On Alchemy: A subject that intrigues me, not so much because of the quest for turning base metal to gold or the search for eternal life, but because of the underlying component of healing and cures. The magic aspect, and witchery (eye of newt and all that) is not my thing personally, but I know it holds a strong draw to many. I thought Edmund's exploration and gradual immersion into the art well portrayed. We know from the start where he ends up, but it is interesting to trace the journey.
On Paracelsus (pictured): My husband has been writing a novel (it's really very good, and I want him to keep going, but life has gotten in the way) and did a lot of research on Paracelsus. When we were in Salzburg, we sought out his tomb. I liked reading the synopsis of his life. The motto of "Learn and learn, ask and ask, do not be ashamed" is worth remembering
On Edmund, Anne and Paul: I found them well crafted, believable and incredibly lonely. Funny that they all ended up as healers of one sort or another.
On fire: I liked how it played themes in the book,in both Edmund's careers, in the quest of the characters for warmth in their lives, and in how the story moves along.
On books:I could identify with the passage " But when (Edmund) tried to rest, his books called out to him and woke him." I've had that happen.
On babies:Anne got it spot on when she realizes the clean slate babies present and how they mirror back what is given them in life.
Review in 2016: Definitely worth the re-read.
I am one of those folks who really enjoys reading first novels of authors. That added to my pleasure.
Some thoughts:
On Alchemy: A subject that intrigues me, not so much because of the quest for turning base metal to gold or the search for eternal life, but because of the underlying component of healing and cures. The magic aspect, and witchery (eye of newt and all that) is not my thing personally, but I know it holds a strong draw to many. I thought Edmund's exploration and gradual immersion into the art well portrayed. We know from the start where he ends up, but it is interesting to trace the journey.
On Paracelsus (pictured): My husband has been writing a novel (it's really very good, and I want him to keep going, but life has gotten in the way) and did a lot of research on Paracelsus. When we were in Salzburg, we sought out his tomb. I liked reading the synopsis of his life. The motto of "Learn and learn, ask and ask, do not be ashamed" is worth remembering
On Edmund, Anne and Paul: I found them well crafted, believable and incredibly lonely. Funny that they all ended up as healers of one sort or another.
On fire: I liked how it played themes in the book,in both Edmund's careers, in the quest of the characters for warmth in their lives, and in how the story moves along.
On books:I could identify with the passage " But when (Edmund) tried to rest, his books called out to him and woke him." I've had that happen.
On babies:Anne got it spot on when she realizes the clean slate babies present and how they mirror back what is given them in life.
Review in 2016: Definitely worth the re-read.
June 13, 2022
I'd like to give this more than 4, but not quite a five for me because of the long "readings" about alchemy. I'd read a later book by this author about the Johnstown Flood titled "In Sunlight, in a Beautiful Garden."
I found it lyrical, elegant, yet down-to-earth, so decided to get this one. It's about a fireman in Pittsburgh, the young woman he marries who becomes clearly manic-depressive and leaves home and their two children. The boy becomes a priest, primarily to get out of the house and the daughter and father are left until she leaves for college.
Told from POV of the father (in third person) and Ann, the daughter (in 1st person) starting with the father in a nursing home and gradually telling the story from the beginning up to the end. Wonderful character development of daughter and watching as the father turns from being a fireman to becoming an alchemist.
Complex, short and very very good.
I found it lyrical, elegant, yet down-to-earth, so decided to get this one. It's about a fireman in Pittsburgh, the young woman he marries who becomes clearly manic-depressive and leaves home and their two children. The boy becomes a priest, primarily to get out of the house and the daughter and father are left until she leaves for college.
Told from POV of the father (in third person) and Ann, the daughter (in 1st person) starting with the father in a nursing home and gradually telling the story from the beginning up to the end. Wonderful character development of daughter and watching as the father turns from being a fireman to becoming an alchemist.
Complex, short and very very good.
September 19, 2012
If you're going to set a book in Pittsbugh, at least do a minimal amount of research (note to author: they're the Mexican War Streets, not "Spanish War Streets" - how much research does something like that take?!)
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July 12, 2016Shows how an absent mother can affect the whole family, each member turning to a source of magic to replace the loss, though not quite successfully. There is a hole in the lives of each. When they finally turn toward one another, after 40 years, they find some redemption. Aching.
November 20, 2010
Feb 2007. Good. LP -- Good
July 14, 2014
I really liked this book. It was compelling reading.
March 23, 2014
Enjoyed this.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews