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Mercy Hill
A debut family novel about four sisters growing up on the campus of the underfunded state mental hospital where their strong-willed mother serves as head of psychiatry. A richly moving story of sisterhood, loyalty, and mental health in America.
The Cross sisters have lived their entire lives on the sprawling grounds of Mercy Hill, the embattled Raleigh mental hospital run by their formidable mother. Since childhood, JJ, Caro, Mimi, and Denise have been inculcated with their mother's mission: they'll work alongside her to protect Mercy Hill from the fate of other state hospitals across the country, which are being gutted and closed, one by one.
After an incident involving the highest-security ward, Mercy Hill faces greater scrutiny than ever, and Lisa Cross pushes each of her daughters even harder in the name of her mission. As the sisters cross into adulthood, the pressures of their isolated environment and mercurial mother set them on different—and perilous—paths. And as the battle wages on, youngest sister and narrator Denise grapples with the added responsibility that comes from being the last hope for their mother’s dreams.
Set in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with Mercy Hill’s fate hanging in the balance, Denise recounts the transformations that shape and destroy her family, along with the landscape of mental healthcare in the United States. With sharp insight and real humor, debut novelist Hannah Thurman captures the turmoil of growing up, the true meaning of a calling, and the indelible bonds of family.
The Cross sisters have lived their entire lives on the sprawling grounds of Mercy Hill, the embattled Raleigh mental hospital run by their formidable mother. Since childhood, JJ, Caro, Mimi, and Denise have been inculcated with their mother's mission: they'll work alongside her to protect Mercy Hill from the fate of other state hospitals across the country, which are being gutted and closed, one by one.
After an incident involving the highest-security ward, Mercy Hill faces greater scrutiny than ever, and Lisa Cross pushes each of her daughters even harder in the name of her mission. As the sisters cross into adulthood, the pressures of their isolated environment and mercurial mother set them on different—and perilous—paths. And as the battle wages on, youngest sister and narrator Denise grapples with the added responsibility that comes from being the last hope for their mother’s dreams.
Set in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with Mercy Hill’s fate hanging in the balance, Denise recounts the transformations that shape and destroy her family, along with the landscape of mental healthcare in the United States. With sharp insight and real humor, debut novelist Hannah Thurman captures the turmoil of growing up, the true meaning of a calling, and the indelible bonds of family.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published May 5, 2026
13 people are currently reading
11215 people want to read
About the author
Hannah Thurman
1 book37 followersHannah Thurman is a Brooklyn-based writer originally from Raleigh, NC whose fiction has been published widely. In 2024 she was named a NYSCA/NYFA Fellow in Fiction. Winner of the 2023 Florida Review Editor's Prize, she's been chosen for conferences/residencies at Bread Loaf, Ragdale, Vermont Studio Center, VCCA, and Yaddo.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
April 26, 2026
I really enjoyed it but found the ending abrupt. This is a character driven story of a family and I think there was so much that I enjoyed. The writing was beautiful. Lisa Cross- complex but couldn’t help but love her.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Highly enjoyable! I really loved this story, the characters and the ending. So satisfying and well written. I look forward to more from this author!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC to review.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC to review.
September 29, 2025
Mercy Hill by Hannah Therman will be one of my favorite books for 2025, without doubt. It's far from what I was expecting and far better than I had hoped.
The book is set in a small home on the grounds of a state hospital for the criminally insane. It also houses other patients who are in need of care due to mental disabilities. Obviously, maybe, this isn't set in the present but, rather, in the not too far past. I remember these facilities so not too far at all.
The administrator of the hospital is a mother of three girls whom she pushes to accelerate their learning. They are quite capable intellectually of this rapid pace but are they psychologically ready to be pushed several years ahead of where they peers are placed? (If they were homeschooled, yes, but the mother keeps them in school for some reason.) The mother is desperate for the hospital to remain open at a time when others are being shuttered and will do ANYTHING to keep its doors open, including putting her own daughters - well below age - to work as volunteers. There are disastrous results, of course, for the hospital and the family and we see the effects of this as we slowly watch each of the three daughters age and mature through the process of handling the maternal expectations placed on them and on each other.
This is a harrowing, emotional tale, told from the viewpoint of the youngest daughter but it's also a beautiful story. It doesn't have a "happy" ending but it does have a realistic one and I greatly appreciated that. I highly recommend this book for mature readers who will appreciate its nuances.
The book is set in a small home on the grounds of a state hospital for the criminally insane. It also houses other patients who are in need of care due to mental disabilities. Obviously, maybe, this isn't set in the present but, rather, in the not too far past. I remember these facilities so not too far at all.
The administrator of the hospital is a mother of three girls whom she pushes to accelerate their learning. They are quite capable intellectually of this rapid pace but are they psychologically ready to be pushed several years ahead of where they peers are placed? (If they were homeschooled, yes, but the mother keeps them in school for some reason.) The mother is desperate for the hospital to remain open at a time when others are being shuttered and will do ANYTHING to keep its doors open, including putting her own daughters - well below age - to work as volunteers. There are disastrous results, of course, for the hospital and the family and we see the effects of this as we slowly watch each of the three daughters age and mature through the process of handling the maternal expectations placed on them and on each other.
This is a harrowing, emotional tale, told from the viewpoint of the youngest daughter but it's also a beautiful story. It doesn't have a "happy" ending but it does have a realistic one and I greatly appreciated that. I highly recommend this book for mature readers who will appreciate its nuances.
April 11, 2026
MERCY HILL
by Hannah Thurman
A character-driven debut that really leans into family dynamics and the lasting impact of a presumptuous and overbearing parent.
What stood out most to me was Lisa. She’s a formidable, overwhelming presence who casts a shadow over her entire family. As head of psychiatry, she is completely devoted to keeping Mercy Hill open, but at a real emotional cost to her family. Her determination is admirable, but also uncomfortable, especially in how strongly she pushes her own ambitions onto her four daughters. There is a quiet absence in the father—he loves his daughters and wants what is best for them, but I found him more passive than I expected. That tension is what drives the story.
I liked that the story is told through Denise looking back, as it adds a reflective, slightly haunting tone. You really feel how growing up around the hospital—and under their mother’s expectations—forces the sisters to mature quickly and shapes who they become.
The setting itself is also interesting and adds to the atmosphere, especially as the future of Mercy Hill becomes uncertain. The “troubling incident” brings everything into sharper focus, but for me, this book was less about the event and more about the emotional ripple effects within the family.
Overall, this is a thoughtful, character-focused read about ambition, control, and identity. If you enjoy stories that explore complicated family relationships, this one is worth picking up. I was impressed that this is a debut, and I’m definitely interested to see what Hannah Thurman writes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the eARC.
by Hannah Thurman
A character-driven debut that really leans into family dynamics and the lasting impact of a presumptuous and overbearing parent.
What stood out most to me was Lisa. She’s a formidable, overwhelming presence who casts a shadow over her entire family. As head of psychiatry, she is completely devoted to keeping Mercy Hill open, but at a real emotional cost to her family. Her determination is admirable, but also uncomfortable, especially in how strongly she pushes her own ambitions onto her four daughters. There is a quiet absence in the father—he loves his daughters and wants what is best for them, but I found him more passive than I expected. That tension is what drives the story.
I liked that the story is told through Denise looking back, as it adds a reflective, slightly haunting tone. You really feel how growing up around the hospital—and under their mother’s expectations—forces the sisters to mature quickly and shapes who they become.
The setting itself is also interesting and adds to the atmosphere, especially as the future of Mercy Hill becomes uncertain. The “troubling incident” brings everything into sharper focus, but for me, this book was less about the event and more about the emotional ripple effects within the family.
Overall, this is a thoughtful, character-focused read about ambition, control, and identity. If you enjoy stories that explore complicated family relationships, this one is worth picking up. I was impressed that this is a debut, and I’m definitely interested to see what Hannah Thurman writes next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the eARC.
September 4, 2025
I found the plot of this book very interesting. With relatable themes of family bonds and mental health, the time period this took place in was interesting but these themes are still relevant in today’s world. I was fascinated by the sisters’ personalities and the toll of isolation. psychiatry. A richly moving story of sisterhood, loyalty, and mental health in America. The writing was so well done in this book. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 5, 2026
4 stars. Thurman’s coming-of-age debut is quite unique as it’s set at an underfunded state mental hospital, and follows four daughters raised up in the late 90’s-early 2000’s on the hospital grounds where their mother is head of psychiatry. Told in the youngest daughter’s voice, you learn their mother is super controlling about anything hospital related and pushes her own ambitions on her girls. You can’t help feel for them growing up in those unusual circumstances, and their father is no help as he is passively absent considering his wife’s strong-willed nature. So of course this shapes what they do and who they become. I love a good character-drawn novel + anything about sisterhood, and also Thurman’s creativity of a very unexpected family dynamic + setting. A really great debut. Would read more from her. 📖🎧 Pub. 5/5/26
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review.
April 1, 2026
After seeing so many books with the same recycled plotlines over and over again, it was so refreshing to find this absolute gem.
This original debut novel takes place in the late 90’s/2000’s centering around the Cross family: Lisa and Tucker, and their four daughters, JJ, Mimi, Caro, and Denise. It’s told from Denise’s perspective (the youngest child). They live in a cottage in Raleigh, NC on a large property of a mental hospital where the mother Lisa works as the head of psychiatry. This unconventional lifestyle makes for a very interesting plot that I was gripped to from the very beginning.
I can’t say enough about the quality of the writing- it’s literal PERFECTION. The characters are amazing, the character development is fantastic, and the setting of this book is a fascinating character in of itself. I absolutely loved every single word of this story and ripped through it in 24 hours. It’s definitely on my list of top 10 books of 2026. Even though I’m not originally from Raleigh, it’s where I now call home, and it made my connection to this book that much stronger. I’ll have a major book hangover from this one for a long time. The author (originally from Raleigh) is visiting my local bookstore soon, and I can’t wait to hear her discuss this unforgettable novel.
*Thank you @netgalley and @doubledaybooks for this advanced reader copy. Mercy Hill hits bookshelves on May 5!
This original debut novel takes place in the late 90’s/2000’s centering around the Cross family: Lisa and Tucker, and their four daughters, JJ, Mimi, Caro, and Denise. It’s told from Denise’s perspective (the youngest child). They live in a cottage in Raleigh, NC on a large property of a mental hospital where the mother Lisa works as the head of psychiatry. This unconventional lifestyle makes for a very interesting plot that I was gripped to from the very beginning.
I can’t say enough about the quality of the writing- it’s literal PERFECTION. The characters are amazing, the character development is fantastic, and the setting of this book is a fascinating character in of itself. I absolutely loved every single word of this story and ripped through it in 24 hours. It’s definitely on my list of top 10 books of 2026. Even though I’m not originally from Raleigh, it’s where I now call home, and it made my connection to this book that much stronger. I’ll have a major book hangover from this one for a long time. The author (originally from Raleigh) is visiting my local bookstore soon, and I can’t wait to hear her discuss this unforgettable novel.
*Thank you @netgalley and @doubledaybooks for this advanced reader copy. Mercy Hill hits bookshelves on May 5!
August 26, 2025
Ok, so I vacillated between giving this 3 or 4 stars, but ultimately decided to round up to four because, honestly, it was too close for me to call and I always err on the side of more vs less. This is the story of the Cross family, a mother, father, and 4 sisters of varying ages who live on the grounds of a mental health facility. Long story short, the mother, who runs the facility, is whip smart, demanding, willful, and expects her daughters to not only succeed, but to excel at all costs, including their own. The father is kind- a stay at home dad who seems resigned to his fate of being less important to his wife than the facility which she seemingly loves more than anything in her life. The Cross sisters- JJ, Caro, Mimi, and Denise are all intelligent and gifted, and respond to their mother’s heavy handed pressure in wildly varied ways. A good story with a unique setting and family melodrama at its core? Yes, sign me up, please! I’m grateful to netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to have read this arc. This is a book full of heart that doesn’t shy away from complicated matters.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This coming of age book takes place in a residential mental institution where a driven psychiatrist's children grow up and learn about the world. On a personal level, it deals with how such an unusual, isolated setting as well as such a unbending, driven mother, affects the experiences and development of the children (a group of sisters) and the dynamics of the family. On a political level, it deals with the movement toward deinstitutionalization of mental health care over time. Thurman does her best descriptive writing as she paints a picture of the facility and some of its inhabitants. Although the hospital and its campus are near to Raleigh, NC, and the family does some politically motivated traveling, those details are blurred as they accentuate the importance of the facility through contrast to the clarity with which it is portrayed.
The story is told from the youngest child's (Denise's) perspective. She is so young and naive for much of that story that she offers observations but not insight. Her mother, the psychiatrist heading up the facility and fighting for its life, remains an enigma. There is very little sense of the characters motivations, other than the broad political one of keeping the facility open. The split between the mother and father seems like an unexpected discontinuity given their roles in the marriage. This is the downside of assuming a young child's perspective as a frame for the character development.
The central theme of the novel deals with mental health deinstitutionalization. Along the way, the author asks the reader to consider and question corporate greed, personal ambition vs. the needs of a family, and teenage pedophiles, among other things. There is a lot to think about in this book, and a lot to discuss. These themes suggest a depth that doesn't actually infuse the book. The book is surprising in that it seems to skim these topics without asking the reader to carry their weight. Again, this may be because this take on mental illness is viewed from a child's perspective.
Because of that child's eye view, the writing skirts around the edges of the reality of mental health issues, making the book an easy read but one that is perhaps not as rewarding or memorable as the topic might suggest. It's a straightforward, eyes-wide-open sort of perspective that is somewhat lacking in nuance.
This book takes an interesting and unique time in our history and makes the political movement toward deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill more personally accessible. It does so by employing the straightforward wide-eyed perspective of a child. In doing so, however, it loses some depth. Some of that depth could have been brought to the book through more nuanced characterization and perhaps multiple perspectives.
The story is told from the youngest child's (Denise's) perspective. She is so young and naive for much of that story that she offers observations but not insight. Her mother, the psychiatrist heading up the facility and fighting for its life, remains an enigma. There is very little sense of the characters motivations, other than the broad political one of keeping the facility open. The split between the mother and father seems like an unexpected discontinuity given their roles in the marriage. This is the downside of assuming a young child's perspective as a frame for the character development.
The central theme of the novel deals with mental health deinstitutionalization. Along the way, the author asks the reader to consider and question corporate greed, personal ambition vs. the needs of a family, and teenage pedophiles, among other things. There is a lot to think about in this book, and a lot to discuss. These themes suggest a depth that doesn't actually infuse the book. The book is surprising in that it seems to skim these topics without asking the reader to carry their weight. Again, this may be because this take on mental illness is viewed from a child's perspective.
Because of that child's eye view, the writing skirts around the edges of the reality of mental health issues, making the book an easy read but one that is perhaps not as rewarding or memorable as the topic might suggest. It's a straightforward, eyes-wide-open sort of perspective that is somewhat lacking in nuance.
This book takes an interesting and unique time in our history and makes the political movement toward deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill more personally accessible. It does so by employing the straightforward wide-eyed perspective of a child. In doing so, however, it loses some depth. Some of that depth could have been brought to the book through more nuanced characterization and perhaps multiple perspectives.
October 4, 2025
Four sisters are raised “on site” at Mercy Hill, a North Carolina residential mental health facility operated by their psychiatrist mother. The book is told from the perspective of the youngest sister, 9 when the book begins and following her through her college years. All four sisters are borderline-prodigy “child geniuses,” skipping multiple grade levels repeatedly and at will, ivy-league courted, destined and duty-bound to become MD’s and return to Mercy Hill to continue their mother��s mission. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on your feelings) Mercy Hill is constantly under threat of closure in favor of less restrictive settings for the population it serves.
The book captivated me with its premise but lost me a bit in the execution. Mainly I felt that some elements erred on the side of unrealistic. 4 child geniuses, but no explanation or commentary on how unusual this would be in any given family, just presented as a fact early on in the story. An extremely domineering mother, to the point of demanding all 4 of her children follow precisely in her footsteps, but no one really bats an eye. The story builds ominously toward a “shocking” event, but when it happens it is covered so quickly that it feels anticlimactic and a bit rushed. Overall I did enjoy this story and think others will too, I just wish we got a little bit more here and there.
Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read early and review!
The book captivated me with its premise but lost me a bit in the execution. Mainly I felt that some elements erred on the side of unrealistic. 4 child geniuses, but no explanation or commentary on how unusual this would be in any given family, just presented as a fact early on in the story. An extremely domineering mother, to the point of demanding all 4 of her children follow precisely in her footsteps, but no one really bats an eye. The story builds ominously toward a “shocking” event, but when it happens it is covered so quickly that it feels anticlimactic and a bit rushed. Overall I did enjoy this story and think others will too, I just wish we got a little bit more here and there.
Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read early and review!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book could be called “Fawning: What My Mommy Issues Taught Me - A Novel”. What a truly unique and captivating tale about the toll passion and duty takes on family. It was also a spotlight on how mental health has been viewed and weighed in America’s eyes. The pacing was a little slow and the build-up left me wanting, but a superb debut!
▹My ⭐ Rating: ★★★.5 out of 5
▹Format: 📱 eReader
Thank you kindly to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book comes out May 5, 2026.
─────────────────────────
○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○
– About: The Cross sisters have lived their entire lives on the sprawling grounds of Mercy Hill, the embattled Raleigh mental hospital run by their formidable mother. Since childhood, JJ, Caro, Mimi, and Denise have been inculcated with their mother's mission: they'll work alongside her to protect Mercy Hill from the fate of other state hospitals across the country, which are being gutted and closed, one by one. As the sisters cross into adulthood, the pressures of their isolated environment and mercurial mother set them on different—and perilous—paths.
– Location: North Carolina
– POV: Single first-person (the youngest sister, Denise) told over the course of the late-1990s through the mid-2000s
– Spice: A few explicit scenes with minor details (but it may be disturbing to some readers due to the age of the character)
– Tropes: genius sisters, coming-of-age, mental health in America, historical fiction, complex family dynamics, unique upbringing, loyalty (to duty and to family)
– Content warning: peer pressure, sexual content with a minor, mental health advocates vs. the government, adultery (accusations but nothing on-page), suicide (not a MC and mostly off-page), grief, abuse (mentioned), a demanding mother
– Representation: criminals with mental health issues, caretakers, mental health facilities and those that advocate for better rights
─────────────────────────
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ 1:00 ──ㅇ────── 4:12
Now Playing: My Girls by Animal Collective
─────────────────────────
★○ If You Like the Following, You Might Like This Book ○★
➼ Vibes similar to Girl, Interrupted but instead of the female characters being institutionalized, they are four sisters growing up on the grounds of the mental health facility
➼ Stories about people who give their all to their field of work (maybe to their detriment), but are trying to make a difference for the greater good
─────────────────────────
⍟»This or That«⍟
Character Driven————✧———————Plot Driven
Light/Fluffy——————✧—————Heavy/Emotional
─────────────────────────
🎯 My Thoughts:
A truly superb debut about four sisters growing up in a strange environment. I was interested in the fact that these four sisters were all geniuses and yet somehow stunted by their upbringing.
The demanding mother, the almost emotionally unavailable stay-at-home father, the very intriguing characters in the different wards…it all made up a cast of people that had their own stories to tell. But I loved that this was told through the eyes of the youngest sister. In the beginning, you really got the sense that she was just going about life trying to please everyone like children sometimes do, and then throughout the book you watch her grow and that narrative changes a bit. It hardens as she learns not only the impact of the games of the government, but how her relationships change with peers, with her sisters, and with her parents.
There were times I questioned the sanity of all characters and thought maybe this was going to veer into a mystery, but at its core, this is really about the ripple effect of what people will do to stay loyal to their cause. Even if it comes at the expense of family.
I feel, however, that the pacing ultimately did me no favors here. It felt drug out at times and then the ending felt so sudden. But I have a shorter attention span than some readers, so if you enjoy drawn out details that add color to the story but perhaps don’t advance the plot, then you won’t struggle with that part as much as I did.
Would I Recommend?: Maybe to yes. I think it had such an important message about mental health that I want people to read it, but I recognize it also won’t be for everyone.
•♥Consider following me on Instagram @kelseyreviewsbooks for more visual content and bookish discussions.♥•
▹My ⭐ Rating: ★★★.5 out of 5
▹Format: 📱 eReader
Thank you kindly to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. This book comes out May 5, 2026.
─────────────────────────
○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○
– About: The Cross sisters have lived their entire lives on the sprawling grounds of Mercy Hill, the embattled Raleigh mental hospital run by their formidable mother. Since childhood, JJ, Caro, Mimi, and Denise have been inculcated with their mother's mission: they'll work alongside her to protect Mercy Hill from the fate of other state hospitals across the country, which are being gutted and closed, one by one. As the sisters cross into adulthood, the pressures of their isolated environment and mercurial mother set them on different—and perilous—paths.
– Location: North Carolina
– POV: Single first-person (the youngest sister, Denise) told over the course of the late-1990s through the mid-2000s
– Spice: A few explicit scenes with minor details (but it may be disturbing to some readers due to the age of the character)
– Tropes: genius sisters, coming-of-age, mental health in America, historical fiction, complex family dynamics, unique upbringing, loyalty (to duty and to family)
– Content warning: peer pressure, sexual content with a minor, mental health advocates vs. the government, adultery (accusations but nothing on-page), suicide (not a MC and mostly off-page), grief, abuse (mentioned), a demanding mother
– Representation: criminals with mental health issues, caretakers, mental health facilities and those that advocate for better rights
─────────────────────────
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ 1:00 ──ㅇ────── 4:12
Now Playing: My Girls by Animal Collective
╰┈➤ ❝I don’t mean to seem like I care about material things, like my social status, I just want four walls and adobe slats for my girls❞
─────────────────────────
★○ If You Like the Following, You Might Like This Book ○★
➼ Vibes similar to Girl, Interrupted but instead of the female characters being institutionalized, they are four sisters growing up on the grounds of the mental health facility
➼ Stories about people who give their all to their field of work (maybe to their detriment), but are trying to make a difference for the greater good
─────────────────────────
⍟»This or That«⍟
Character Driven————✧———————Plot Driven
Light/Fluffy——————✧—————Heavy/Emotional
─────────────────────────
🎯 My Thoughts:
A truly superb debut about four sisters growing up in a strange environment. I was interested in the fact that these four sisters were all geniuses and yet somehow stunted by their upbringing.
The demanding mother, the almost emotionally unavailable stay-at-home father, the very intriguing characters in the different wards…it all made up a cast of people that had their own stories to tell. But I loved that this was told through the eyes of the youngest sister. In the beginning, you really got the sense that she was just going about life trying to please everyone like children sometimes do, and then throughout the book you watch her grow and that narrative changes a bit. It hardens as she learns not only the impact of the games of the government, but how her relationships change with peers, with her sisters, and with her parents.
There were times I questioned the sanity of all characters and thought maybe this was going to veer into a mystery, but at its core, this is really about the ripple effect of what people will do to stay loyal to their cause. Even if it comes at the expense of family.
I feel, however, that the pacing ultimately did me no favors here. It felt drug out at times and then the ending felt so sudden. But I have a shorter attention span than some readers, so if you enjoy drawn out details that add color to the story but perhaps don’t advance the plot, then you won’t struggle with that part as much as I did.
Would I Recommend?: Maybe to yes. I think it had such an important message about mental health that I want people to read it, but I recognize it also won’t be for everyone.
•♥Consider following me on Instagram @kelseyreviewsbooks for more visual content and bookish discussions.♥•
April 11, 2026
Mercy Hill by Hannah Thurman is a recommended debut domestic drama/coming-of-age novel following a dysfunctional family of four sisters, their domineering mother, and easy-going father.
Starting in 1999 the narrative follows psychiatrist Dr. Lisa Cross, her husband Tucker Palmer, and their four daughters, J.J. (13), Caro (12), Mimi (10), and Denise (9). The family lives in an isolated setting, in a cottage on the grounds of Mercy Hill, the state mental hospital in Raleigh where their mother is the head of psychiatry. As state mental hospitals are being closed across the country, Dr. Lisa Cross is single-mindedly determined to keep Mercy Hill open and expects her daughters to become doctors and work with her as part of her plan to protect the hospital. Part of her plan involves enrolling her four daughters in a magnate school, two grades above their level, without any thought to the emotional and social effects. Tucker reluctantly agrees to the plan. She even has the girls volunteer to help at the hospital which leads to distressing results.
This is a worthwhile debut novel in the sense that it explores the complicated relationship between mothers and daughters. Thurman also does a good job creating an atmospheric setting. Setting the novel over 5 years was to show the end of an institution in real time, which it does, but it also shows a family crumbling due to unrealistic expectations and demands placed on everyone by Lisa. Youngest daughter Denise Cross is the narrator of the story and her account shows her sister's struggles, along with her own.
After a reasonably strong and interesting start the narrative begins to flounder a bit. Their mother, Lisa Cross, is quite simply an authoritarian bully. All her daughters have her last name rather than their father's and she has plans for all the girl's without even a modicum of thought about their own personal strengths and interests. This also has Denise starting college at 14.
As the plot developed, the novel veered toward a new adult novel and my interest waned. At the same time, the plot slowed down and began to feel imitative and forced, as if it had to meet a list of expectations. Additionally, there are two major plot elements that simple stretch all credulity. All four of the girls being brilliant and allowed to skip two grade levels in a magnate school is unrealistic. period. The same is true of them being allowed to volunteer at the state hospital. No matter who their mother is, this is incredulous. 3.5 rounded down.
Mercy Hill is a good choice for those who enjoy domestic drama/coming-of-age novel featuring a dysfunctional family. Thanks to Doubleday for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/0...
Starting in 1999 the narrative follows psychiatrist Dr. Lisa Cross, her husband Tucker Palmer, and their four daughters, J.J. (13), Caro (12), Mimi (10), and Denise (9). The family lives in an isolated setting, in a cottage on the grounds of Mercy Hill, the state mental hospital in Raleigh where their mother is the head of psychiatry. As state mental hospitals are being closed across the country, Dr. Lisa Cross is single-mindedly determined to keep Mercy Hill open and expects her daughters to become doctors and work with her as part of her plan to protect the hospital. Part of her plan involves enrolling her four daughters in a magnate school, two grades above their level, without any thought to the emotional and social effects. Tucker reluctantly agrees to the plan. She even has the girls volunteer to help at the hospital which leads to distressing results.
This is a worthwhile debut novel in the sense that it explores the complicated relationship between mothers and daughters. Thurman also does a good job creating an atmospheric setting. Setting the novel over 5 years was to show the end of an institution in real time, which it does, but it also shows a family crumbling due to unrealistic expectations and demands placed on everyone by Lisa. Youngest daughter Denise Cross is the narrator of the story and her account shows her sister's struggles, along with her own.
After a reasonably strong and interesting start the narrative begins to flounder a bit. Their mother, Lisa Cross, is quite simply an authoritarian bully. All her daughters have her last name rather than their father's and she has plans for all the girl's without even a modicum of thought about their own personal strengths and interests. This also has Denise starting college at 14.
As the plot developed, the novel veered toward a new adult novel and my interest waned. At the same time, the plot slowed down and began to feel imitative and forced, as if it had to meet a list of expectations. Additionally, there are two major plot elements that simple stretch all credulity. All four of the girls being brilliant and allowed to skip two grade levels in a magnate school is unrealistic. period. The same is true of them being allowed to volunteer at the state hospital. No matter who their mother is, this is incredulous. 3.5 rounded down.
Mercy Hill is a good choice for those who enjoy domestic drama/coming-of-age novel featuring a dysfunctional family. Thanks to Doubleday for providing me with an advance reader's copy via NetGalley. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/0...
September 30, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for this advance reader’s copy, in exchange for an honest review. “Mercy Hill” is scheduled for release on May 5, 2026.
Every parent wants the best for their kids, and often will push or steer them in what they feel is the right direction.
But can parents push too vehemently?
That’s a good question to ponder in discussing Hannah Thurman’s debut novel, “Mercy Hill.” It’s a story about four sisters, their domineering mother who is the head psychiatrist at a mental health facility in North Carolina, and their evolving relationships.
And it’s pretty darn good.
The story is told through the eyes of Denise, the youngest of the Cross sisters (age 9 at the start of the story), but revolves heavily around the other three – J.J., Caro and Mimi – and their highly motivated mother, Lisa. The latter is driven to ensure each of her daughters excels academically and expects them to follow in her footsteps by attending medical school. She also ‘enhances their resumes’ by having them volunteer at the asylum afternoons and during the summer – even though the two youngest, Denise and Mimi, are only 9- and 11-years old, respectively.
But it becomes clear early on that at least three of them have no desire to follow in their mother’s path. The more their mother pushes them – which includes cajoling school administrators to have the girls skip several grades at a time – the more the girls push back. Rebellion that in some cases becomes violent.
It’s also clear that in many respects, while the girls certainly excel academically, their social skills and understanding of the ‘real world’ are lacking. Not surprising given that Denise finds herself graduating high school and heading off to college at age 14-1/2. As she says to a fellow freshman shortly after arriving at New York’s Columbia University, “I don’t have any friends.”
Character development for the four sisters is solid, even if only seen through Denise’s eyes. But why is their mother so rigid and domineering? Thurman provides a brief glimpse into Lisa’s upbringing when her ailing father comes to visit, but it’s brief. Seeing the relationship through Lisa’s eyes might have been beneficial.
In addition, some of the situations the sisters found themselves in – such as running around unsupervised while volunteering at the asylum – were a bit implausible.
Overall, though, “Mercy Hill” is a solid debut novel and a worthwhile read. Four stars for an interesting examination of family values, dynamics and relationships.
And you can check out all of my reviews at my Raised on Reading (www.raisedonreading.com) book blog.
Every parent wants the best for their kids, and often will push or steer them in what they feel is the right direction.
But can parents push too vehemently?
That’s a good question to ponder in discussing Hannah Thurman’s debut novel, “Mercy Hill.” It’s a story about four sisters, their domineering mother who is the head psychiatrist at a mental health facility in North Carolina, and their evolving relationships.
And it’s pretty darn good.
The story is told through the eyes of Denise, the youngest of the Cross sisters (age 9 at the start of the story), but revolves heavily around the other three – J.J., Caro and Mimi – and their highly motivated mother, Lisa. The latter is driven to ensure each of her daughters excels academically and expects them to follow in her footsteps by attending medical school. She also ‘enhances their resumes’ by having them volunteer at the asylum afternoons and during the summer – even though the two youngest, Denise and Mimi, are only 9- and 11-years old, respectively.
But it becomes clear early on that at least three of them have no desire to follow in their mother’s path. The more their mother pushes them – which includes cajoling school administrators to have the girls skip several grades at a time – the more the girls push back. Rebellion that in some cases becomes violent.
It’s also clear that in many respects, while the girls certainly excel academically, their social skills and understanding of the ‘real world’ are lacking. Not surprising given that Denise finds herself graduating high school and heading off to college at age 14-1/2. As she says to a fellow freshman shortly after arriving at New York’s Columbia University, “I don’t have any friends.”
Character development for the four sisters is solid, even if only seen through Denise’s eyes. But why is their mother so rigid and domineering? Thurman provides a brief glimpse into Lisa’s upbringing when her ailing father comes to visit, but it’s brief. Seeing the relationship through Lisa’s eyes might have been beneficial.
In addition, some of the situations the sisters found themselves in – such as running around unsupervised while volunteering at the asylum – were a bit implausible.
Overall, though, “Mercy Hill” is a solid debut novel and a worthwhile read. Four stars for an interesting examination of family values, dynamics and relationships.
And you can check out all of my reviews at my Raised on Reading (www.raisedonreading.com) book blog.
September 15, 2025
There’s something about growing up in a place that is falling apart that shapes who you become and something even more powerful about being told from childhood that it’s your job to save it. Mercy Hill is a deeply compelling debut from Hannah Thurman, a story not only of four sisters and the hospital they call home, but of what happens when a mother’s mission becomes her daughters’ inheritance. It’s not just any hospital, it’s a mental institution and it is their home with their mother as its controlling head of psychiatry. Denise, the youngest and narrator, carries the weight of expectation like a hand-me-down white coat too big, a little threadbare, but impossible to take off. The novel is rich with moments that ache and linger, and there’s a quiet brilliance in how Thurman captures the slow unraveling of a family under pressure.
The characters are drawn with both sharpness and grace. Mimi, Caro, J.J., and Denise each react to their upbringing in different ways, and their personalities crackle most vividly in the dialogue especially after Caro’s religious revelation. The shared trauma they experience throughout the years The Girl being a big one felt like we needed more thoughtful moments. Denise’s teenage entanglement with Skate is one of those storylines where you want to reach into the book and shout. The relationship between the girls feels true. These girls hurt each other, try to protect each other, misunderstand and try to save each other. Like real sisters do.
The mother Lisa is a woman so committed to her mission that she doesn’t see how she’s consuming her children in the process. Lisa believes she's saving the hospital, but what’s most haunting is how convinced she is that this sacrifice including her daughters' childhoods is noble. As the head of psychiatry at Mercy Hill and the matriarch of the Cross family, she looms over every decision her daughters make whether she's in the room or not.
If anything, I wanted more of the sisters together. I wanted more space for their conversations, especially in the later years. Still, Mercy Hill is a beautifully written exploration of generational weight, institutional failure, and familial love that refuses to look away. It is a story that carries some historical weight about state hospitals.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Thurman, and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this debut and for the ARC.
The characters are drawn with both sharpness and grace. Mimi, Caro, J.J., and Denise each react to their upbringing in different ways, and their personalities crackle most vividly in the dialogue especially after Caro’s religious revelation. The shared trauma they experience throughout the years The Girl being a big one felt like we needed more thoughtful moments. Denise’s teenage entanglement with Skate is one of those storylines where you want to reach into the book and shout. The relationship between the girls feels true. These girls hurt each other, try to protect each other, misunderstand and try to save each other. Like real sisters do.
The mother Lisa is a woman so committed to her mission that she doesn’t see how she’s consuming her children in the process. Lisa believes she's saving the hospital, but what’s most haunting is how convinced she is that this sacrifice including her daughters' childhoods is noble. As the head of psychiatry at Mercy Hill and the matriarch of the Cross family, she looms over every decision her daughters make whether she's in the room or not.
If anything, I wanted more of the sisters together. I wanted more space for their conversations, especially in the later years. Still, Mercy Hill is a beautifully written exploration of generational weight, institutional failure, and familial love that refuses to look away. It is a story that carries some historical weight about state hospitals.
Thank you to NetGalley, Hannah Thurman, and Penguin Random House for the opportunity to read this debut and for the ARC.
September 17, 2025
On the campus of a crumbling psychiatric hospital, four daughters live with their parents. Their mother runs the hospital which has been slowly and systematically being dismantled, the government funding stripped away penny by penny.
Lisa Cross, the mother of the four girls, is a steadfast and determined woman who refuses to let her life's work go to waste. That holds true for both all the work she's put in at Mercy Hill and the work she's put into her four precocious daughters who she is determined will follow in her footsteps.
We hear this story from the perspective of the youngest daughter, Denise, who spends her formative years worrying about the state of the hospital, of her sisters, of her mother's mental health, her father who turns to rigorous exercise to cope with everything, her ailing grandfather, and, of course, The Girl.
We watch the Cross girls discover exactly who their mother is and who the people are that she's dedicated her life to helping. They spend time in Ward B where they meet a number of people and become attached to them, understanding that mental health decline is just as heartbreaking to watch as physical health decline. When an incident happens to one of the patients, the girls are barred from their volunteer work in Ward B and within a year, the ward has closed down leaving only the "criminally insane" in Ward C.
I have so much to say about this book and the rich cast of characters who populate it. The settings are all sublimely written and while it's a slice of life book in the strangest way possible, it's also a fantastic novel to dissect for a book club. There's so much in here to pick apart and discuss at length including Denise's journey into adulthood, the narrow feminism and classism that Lisa Cross represents which was very prevalent in the 1990s and early 2000s, the general public's reactions to the girls' home being on the campus of the local psychiatric hospital, consent both within and around the patients in the hospital and with the girls themselves,
This novel is haunting in the best possible way and I am obsessed. Highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. Cannot wait until I can annotate a physical copy of this one.
Lisa Cross, the mother of the four girls, is a steadfast and determined woman who refuses to let her life's work go to waste. That holds true for both all the work she's put in at Mercy Hill and the work she's put into her four precocious daughters who she is determined will follow in her footsteps.
We hear this story from the perspective of the youngest daughter, Denise, who spends her formative years worrying about the state of the hospital, of her sisters, of her mother's mental health, her father who turns to rigorous exercise to cope with everything, her ailing grandfather, and, of course, The Girl.
We watch the Cross girls discover exactly who their mother is and who the people are that she's dedicated her life to helping. They spend time in Ward B where they meet a number of people and become attached to them, understanding that mental health decline is just as heartbreaking to watch as physical health decline. When an incident happens to one of the patients, the girls are barred from their volunteer work in Ward B and within a year, the ward has closed down leaving only the "criminally insane" in Ward C.
I have so much to say about this book and the rich cast of characters who populate it. The settings are all sublimely written and while it's a slice of life book in the strangest way possible, it's also a fantastic novel to dissect for a book club. There's so much in here to pick apart and discuss at length including Denise's journey into adulthood, the narrow feminism and classism that Lisa Cross represents which was very prevalent in the 1990s and early 2000s, the general public's reactions to the girls' home being on the campus of the local psychiatric hospital, consent both within and around the patients in the hospital and with the girls themselves,
This novel is haunting in the best possible way and I am obsessed. Highly recommend.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC. Cannot wait until I can annotate a physical copy of this one.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
As J. J., Caro, Mimi, and Denise grow up in a cottage on the grounds of an underfunded, floundering state mental institution in Raleigh, North Carolina, their obsessive mother, Dr. Lisa Cross, fights to keep Mercy Hill afloat, working overtime, meeting with congressmen, and even using her young daughters to supplement the staff. Pressuring her four brilliant girls to prepare for ivy league schools and pressuring school administrators to let each of them skip multiple grades, she seems oblivious to the effects her actions have on her children’s lives. Only their stay-at-home dad provides some understanding and balance for parts, although not all, of the book.
When two mishaps involving the girls and patients lead to lengthy investigations into Mercy Hill and further threaten its existence, family life begins to deteriorate. To make matters worse, the girls’ sense of guilt resulting from the second of those incidents further erodes their self-images, causing rebellion against their mother’s expectations as well as unwise—even dangerous-- youthful decisions creating schisms among the sisters, themselves. One such decision nearly caused me to stop reading but was eventually dealt with appropriately.
Thurman makes an interesting and excellent narrative choice. As the prologue reveals, youngest daughter Denise recounts events from her individual adult perspective. Beginning with a history of Mercy Hill and her mother’s 1984 appointment as first female head of psychiatry, followed by the quick succession of the four girls’ births beginning in 1985, she wonders if her mother, knowing what she does now, would have done everything the same way again. Although confident her mother would answer, Denise has her reason for not asking. The bulk of the novel is divided into yearly sections set between 1999 and 2004. It ends with an epilogue set twenty years later, thus closing Denise’s account of the history of public mental health but, even more so, of shifting family relationships and of personal growth.
Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for an advance reader egalley of this attention-holding debut novel from Hannah Thurman.
When two mishaps involving the girls and patients lead to lengthy investigations into Mercy Hill and further threaten its existence, family life begins to deteriorate. To make matters worse, the girls’ sense of guilt resulting from the second of those incidents further erodes their self-images, causing rebellion against their mother’s expectations as well as unwise—even dangerous-- youthful decisions creating schisms among the sisters, themselves. One such decision nearly caused me to stop reading but was eventually dealt with appropriately.
Thurman makes an interesting and excellent narrative choice. As the prologue reveals, youngest daughter Denise recounts events from her individual adult perspective. Beginning with a history of Mercy Hill and her mother’s 1984 appointment as first female head of psychiatry, followed by the quick succession of the four girls’ births beginning in 1985, she wonders if her mother, knowing what she does now, would have done everything the same way again. Although confident her mother would answer, Denise has her reason for not asking. The bulk of the novel is divided into yearly sections set between 1999 and 2004. It ends with an epilogue set twenty years later, thus closing Denise’s account of the history of public mental health but, even more so, of shifting family relationships and of personal growth.
Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for an advance reader egalley of this attention-holding debut novel from Hannah Thurman.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Four sisters, being raised in an employee cottage on the grounds of a mental hospital complex of buildings in Raleigh, North Carolina. Idyllic childhood, right? Four extremely smart sisters, a. mother, the doctor of psychiatry for the complex, focussed on saving the institution and pushing her girls to excel. Setting these goals above everything else in her world. One father, the peacekeeper for the family, tiring from his position as at home caretaker for the girls and as buffer for the mother's rants and overpowering need to control everything. Could anything go wrong in this setting, could anything go right?
Mercy Hill, a debut Novel by Hannah Thurman, strongly reminds me of the Pulitzer novel, Demon Copperhead in the flavor of a story that compels the reader to continue the journey with the characters, even though each step is painful to experience. The fact that the Cross family is a dysfunctional family is a given, with a mother and father who have experienced difficult, perhaps tragic childhoods, and begin their family not only with the baggage of their pasts, but in a physical setting isolated from other families and children, surrounded by mentally ill patients.
I was hesitant to request this Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley because it was such a heavy premise of a story. Yet I did and I am glad I decided to read the story. Yes, it was dark at times, but I was so engaged in the story that I wanted to know what would happen to the family. How would the sister's mature, what would happen to the mental hospital, and the family as a whole. I can honestly say that as a first book, Thurman did an excellent job. The book was engaging. I felt the story moved along so well I eagerly stayed with the story through it's completion and felt very satisfied with the ending. I'm eager to see the responses to it as it publishes May 5, 2026 by Doubleday Books. I think it will be much talked about in reading circles. I encourage all to read it next spring and experience this accomplished new author.
#MercyHill #NetGalley
Mercy Hill, a debut Novel by Hannah Thurman, strongly reminds me of the Pulitzer novel, Demon Copperhead in the flavor of a story that compels the reader to continue the journey with the characters, even though each step is painful to experience. The fact that the Cross family is a dysfunctional family is a given, with a mother and father who have experienced difficult, perhaps tragic childhoods, and begin their family not only with the baggage of their pasts, but in a physical setting isolated from other families and children, surrounded by mentally ill patients.
I was hesitant to request this Advanced Reader's Copy from NetGalley because it was such a heavy premise of a story. Yet I did and I am glad I decided to read the story. Yes, it was dark at times, but I was so engaged in the story that I wanted to know what would happen to the family. How would the sister's mature, what would happen to the mental hospital, and the family as a whole. I can honestly say that as a first book, Thurman did an excellent job. The book was engaging. I felt the story moved along so well I eagerly stayed with the story through it's completion and felt very satisfied with the ending. I'm eager to see the responses to it as it publishes May 5, 2026 by Doubleday Books. I think it will be much talked about in reading circles. I encourage all to read it next spring and experience this accomplished new author.
#MercyHill #NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A wrenchingly poignant coming-of-age story about four sisters being raised by a demanding, self-absorbed but brilliant mother on the grounds of a mental health facility while the sweet-tempered stay-at-home father holds down the home. It’s about family, relationships and independence.
Set between 1999-2004, Mercy Hill, the fictitious psychiatric institution, was becoming anachronistic, due to the results of inpatient deinstitutionalization’s legal and civil efforts begun in the 1960s and moving toward outpatient therapies along with the emergence of drug therapy in psychiatry. When Dr. Lisa Cross takes over the facility in 1999, her single focus is saving the institution. Her youngest daughter, Denise, takes up the story at this point of how she and her three sisters, J.J., Caro and Mimi, lived during those years. Their mother pushed them into situations that for their ages were incomprehensible, like volunteering on a psych ward starting at ages 13 through 8; jumping grades; setting a premed college goal for all four, etc. we watch the girls grow up reaching out to break the barriers their mother had out in them and achieve independence.
I loved the narrator, Denise ((she’s the only character without a nickname). Her voice has a soft Southern charm and a wide-eyed innocence that makes the story so effective. The political theme of “least restrictive environment” which resulted in the closure of these institutions is shown to be poorly thought through - money was taken away with no thought to the people who were displaced. This is wonderfully told through the stories of Bethy and Ashley. While Lisa was controlling, Tucker, her husband, was the good cop, showing them how to be open and kind. Without him those girls would have gone nuts.
I think this story of growing up in a unique environment was exceptionally well told. I was captivated from the beginning and entertained time end. Highly recommend.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this ARC.
Set between 1999-2004, Mercy Hill, the fictitious psychiatric institution, was becoming anachronistic, due to the results of inpatient deinstitutionalization’s legal and civil efforts begun in the 1960s and moving toward outpatient therapies along with the emergence of drug therapy in psychiatry. When Dr. Lisa Cross takes over the facility in 1999, her single focus is saving the institution. Her youngest daughter, Denise, takes up the story at this point of how she and her three sisters, J.J., Caro and Mimi, lived during those years. Their mother pushed them into situations that for their ages were incomprehensible, like volunteering on a psych ward starting at ages 13 through 8; jumping grades; setting a premed college goal for all four, etc. we watch the girls grow up reaching out to break the barriers their mother had out in them and achieve independence.
I loved the narrator, Denise ((she’s the only character without a nickname). Her voice has a soft Southern charm and a wide-eyed innocence that makes the story so effective. The political theme of “least restrictive environment” which resulted in the closure of these institutions is shown to be poorly thought through - money was taken away with no thought to the people who were displaced. This is wonderfully told through the stories of Bethy and Ashley. While Lisa was controlling, Tucker, her husband, was the good cop, showing them how to be open and kind. Without him those girls would have gone nuts.
I think this story of growing up in a unique environment was exceptionally well told. I was captivated from the beginning and entertained time end. Highly recommend.
I’d like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read this ARC.
September 18, 2025
Denise Cross lives with her family on-site at Mercy Hill, a mental hospital, with her mother, the chief psychiatrist, her father, and her three sisters. This is far from a normal childhood. Her mother, Lisa, is a dominating presence in the lives of Denise and her sisters. Scared of Mercy Hill's future, the girls are forced to work alongside their mother, often in less than ideal conditions, to save the hospital and life as they know it. As they grow up, the four sisters take very different paths in life, often in direct conflict with the hopes of their mother. The book is a close look at mental illness, difficult family dynamics, and how childhood trauma can influence adult decisions.
I really wanted to love this book. I thought the premise of the novel was excellent. And there were some really good parts in the book. In each sister, I found some relatable traits - J.J. the rebel, Caro the people pleaser, Mimi the troubled soul, and Denise the caretaker. What I didn't find as realistic was some of the situations that were described with the sisters and their responsibilities in the hospital. The book was set in the 1990's, a time when medical facilities were being scrutinized about patient confidentiality, patient treatment, etc. Four children running around without supervision, volunteering for jobs, helping with nursing duties just seemed implausible.
Another issue I had with the book was a buildup to a big "event" with one of the sisters that altered the trajectory of her life. But when the "event" happened, it was a bit anticlimactic. For me, it made the rest of the novel seem like an afterthought.
One thing the book did really well was describe the sad state of mental healthcare during the book's timeline. The author's note at the end does discuss the closing of many mental health facilities across the country and the difficulties that faced residents; many ended up without healthcare, in prison, homeless, or worse. It was a very interesting part of the book.
I am glad I read the novel. I was interested to see how things turned out for the parents and each of the sisters. This is Hannah Thurman's debut novel, and I would absolutely read other works by her. 3.5 ⭐s rounded down.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an advanced copy. The book is scheduled to be published on May 5, 2026.
I really wanted to love this book. I thought the premise of the novel was excellent. And there were some really good parts in the book. In each sister, I found some relatable traits - J.J. the rebel, Caro the people pleaser, Mimi the troubled soul, and Denise the caretaker. What I didn't find as realistic was some of the situations that were described with the sisters and their responsibilities in the hospital. The book was set in the 1990's, a time when medical facilities were being scrutinized about patient confidentiality, patient treatment, etc. Four children running around without supervision, volunteering for jobs, helping with nursing duties just seemed implausible.
Another issue I had with the book was a buildup to a big "event" with one of the sisters that altered the trajectory of her life. But when the "event" happened, it was a bit anticlimactic. For me, it made the rest of the novel seem like an afterthought.
One thing the book did really well was describe the sad state of mental healthcare during the book's timeline. The author's note at the end does discuss the closing of many mental health facilities across the country and the difficulties that faced residents; many ended up without healthcare, in prison, homeless, or worse. It was a very interesting part of the book.
I am glad I read the novel. I was interested to see how things turned out for the parents and each of the sisters. This is Hannah Thurman's debut novel, and I would absolutely read other works by her. 3.5 ⭐s rounded down.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for an advanced copy. The book is scheduled to be published on May 5, 2026.
October 9, 2025
You know you are going to love a book when you constantly have to remind yourself that it is fiction: That you can’t look up these people’s biographies in the real world. That is how I felt about this book. It is a tale of four daughters who grow up on the grounds of a failing mental hospital, where their mother is the primary psychiatrist.
The main character, Denise, is the youngest daughter and the narrator for the entire book. The characters are very well developed and each of the four daughters has a very distinct place in the story. The writer has a great dry sense of humor. One of the daughters dates a evangelical Christian named Laketon and the other sisters give him nicknames which I thought were hilarious. There are some great underlying themes about families and their flaws, and the constant struggle to do the right thing, make your parents proud, and also strike out in your own individual way. Thank goodness this book has a linear storyline and doesn’t jump around between generations or decades or anything like that. You get to know a couple of the patients in the hospital, but I wish there had been more development of those characters and perhaps some others. People struggling with severe mental illness are always fascinating to me and more would’ve been a great addition to this book. There is one relationship that Denise has that I wish had been left out of the book… seemed completely out of place and inappropriate. Other than that, the book is a very rich tale that I enjoyed. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
The main character, Denise, is the youngest daughter and the narrator for the entire book. The characters are very well developed and each of the four daughters has a very distinct place in the story. The writer has a great dry sense of humor. One of the daughters dates a evangelical Christian named Laketon and the other sisters give him nicknames which I thought were hilarious. There are some great underlying themes about families and their flaws, and the constant struggle to do the right thing, make your parents proud, and also strike out in your own individual way. Thank goodness this book has a linear storyline and doesn’t jump around between generations or decades or anything like that. You get to know a couple of the patients in the hospital, but I wish there had been more development of those characters and perhaps some others. People struggling with severe mental illness are always fascinating to me and more would’ve been a great addition to this book. There is one relationship that Denise has that I wish had been left out of the book… seemed completely out of place and inappropriate. Other than that, the book is a very rich tale that I enjoyed. I look forward to reading more from this author.
Thanks Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book.
May 6, 2026
Thank you to Doubleday for providing me with a gifted copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I was absolutely HOOKED for the first 150 pages. The author sets the scene so well for the family drama and dynamics at play here between the four sisters and the two parents from the first pages of the first chapter. Learning about the setting and environment of the family living on campus at the mental hospital where the mom was the lead psychiatrist was fascinating. I just needed to see how these complex and at many times toxic relationships were going to pan out and how it would inevitably impact Mercy Hill.
I really thought the focus of the book was going to be on: (1) the deinstitutionalization policies, politics and movement; and (2) a more in depth discussion of mental health as developed by and reflected in the characters you meet through their actions, emotions, decisions, and interpersonal relationships.
However, the author ends up trying to do wayyyy too much by the middle to the end of the book. It started to drag. Also, every other chapter had a new “thing” the author was trying to comment on. The problem with this is that nothing felt “enough.” It fell flat. To the point where no character or issue felt like it was discussed enough or resolved. This was a big let down in the second half and ending of the book. In my opinion, the epilogue was absolutely pointless.
This would have potentially been a 5 star read if the second half didn’t take the turn it did. All 3 stars come from the first half, overall concept, and solid prose. To be honest, the second half almost bumped my rating down to a 2.
I was absolutely HOOKED for the first 150 pages. The author sets the scene so well for the family drama and dynamics at play here between the four sisters and the two parents from the first pages of the first chapter. Learning about the setting and environment of the family living on campus at the mental hospital where the mom was the lead psychiatrist was fascinating. I just needed to see how these complex and at many times toxic relationships were going to pan out and how it would inevitably impact Mercy Hill.
I really thought the focus of the book was going to be on: (1) the deinstitutionalization policies, politics and movement; and (2) a more in depth discussion of mental health as developed by and reflected in the characters you meet through their actions, emotions, decisions, and interpersonal relationships.
However, the author ends up trying to do wayyyy too much by the middle to the end of the book. It started to drag. Also, every other chapter had a new “thing” the author was trying to comment on. The problem with this is that nothing felt “enough.” It fell flat. To the point where no character or issue felt like it was discussed enough or resolved. This was a big let down in the second half and ending of the book. In my opinion, the epilogue was absolutely pointless.
This would have potentially been a 5 star read if the second half didn’t take the turn it did. All 3 stars come from the first half, overall concept, and solid prose. To be honest, the second half almost bumped my rating down to a 2.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
• ARC Review •
[Mercy Hill]
🔥 Release Date: [May 05 2026] 🔥
Thank you to Doubleday Books, Hannah Thurman, and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
★★★½☆
Mercy Hill is ultimately about inheritance — not money, but emotional weight. It explores how children internalize their parents’ obsessions, how institutions shape identity, and how siblings can experience the same childhood in wildly different ways. The book blends coming‑of‑age with institutional decay, creating a tone that’s tender, unsettling, and quietly sad. The early sections are especially vivid, with the hospital itself feeling like a living, bureaucratic character. The sisters’ relationships are textured, full of loyalty, resentment, and unspoken understanding.
For a debut novel, Hannah Thurman does an excellent job crafting an atmosphere that feels both intimate and expansive. Her control over tone, character dynamics, and emotional nuance is impressive, especially in the first half of the book.
That being said, the pacing falters in the second half, which feels weaker and less engaging. Some emotional beats land beautifully, while others feel rushed or underdeveloped. The writing is thoughtful and striking, but shifts in tone and structure sometimes create distance, which can make immersion harder. Still, the novel’s ambition and emotional insight shine, particularly in its exploration of generational trauma and complicated mother‑daughter bonds.
It’s not perfect, but it's atmospheric, intelligent, and quietly haunting.
[Mercy Hill]
🔥 Release Date: [May 05 2026] 🔥
Thank you to Doubleday Books, Hannah Thurman, and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!
★★★½☆
Mercy Hill is ultimately about inheritance — not money, but emotional weight. It explores how children internalize their parents’ obsessions, how institutions shape identity, and how siblings can experience the same childhood in wildly different ways. The book blends coming‑of‑age with institutional decay, creating a tone that’s tender, unsettling, and quietly sad. The early sections are especially vivid, with the hospital itself feeling like a living, bureaucratic character. The sisters’ relationships are textured, full of loyalty, resentment, and unspoken understanding.
For a debut novel, Hannah Thurman does an excellent job crafting an atmosphere that feels both intimate and expansive. Her control over tone, character dynamics, and emotional nuance is impressive, especially in the first half of the book.
That being said, the pacing falters in the second half, which feels weaker and less engaging. Some emotional beats land beautifully, while others feel rushed or underdeveloped. The writing is thoughtful and striking, but shifts in tone and structure sometimes create distance, which can make immersion harder. Still, the novel’s ambition and emotional insight shine, particularly in its exploration of generational trauma and complicated mother‑daughter bonds.
It’s not perfect, but it's atmospheric, intelligent, and quietly haunting.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Mercy Hill by Hannah Thurman. Thanks to DoubleDay #DoubleDayBooksPartner for the gifted ARC ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The four Cross sisters live on the campus of Mercy Hill, a North Carolina mental hospital run by their mother. Throughout the late 90’s and early 2000’s, their mother is often occupied fighting for Mercy Hill’s survival. The girls have their own pressures of their isolated environment and it shapes them all in different ways.
I love coming of age stories but I especially love coming of age stories in unusual situations or settings. Also for some reason I love coming of age stories narrated by the youngest sibling. There’s something special about the innocent perspective, but also the special curiosity and slow knowledge as they watch their older siblings go through developmental milestones they don’t fully understand. I loved each of the four sisters and how different they were. There’s really a lot to this one, not just in how they were raised but their interactions with each other and the world around them. This is definitely an interesting story that feels genuine and like it really could be a memoir. It’s true to heart, realistic, but also full of some serious developments and tragedies. This was a gem that I was not expecting.
“We are all moving away from each other, it seemed, inch by inch like the after math of some star explosion, each body drifting farther into the increasing cold and increasing dark.”
Read this if you like:
-Stories about sisters
-Coming of age stories
-Mental health tropes
-Mother and daughters tropes
Mercy Hill comes out 5/5.
The four Cross sisters live on the campus of Mercy Hill, a North Carolina mental hospital run by their mother. Throughout the late 90’s and early 2000’s, their mother is often occupied fighting for Mercy Hill’s survival. The girls have their own pressures of their isolated environment and it shapes them all in different ways.
I love coming of age stories but I especially love coming of age stories in unusual situations or settings. Also for some reason I love coming of age stories narrated by the youngest sibling. There’s something special about the innocent perspective, but also the special curiosity and slow knowledge as they watch their older siblings go through developmental milestones they don’t fully understand. I loved each of the four sisters and how different they were. There’s really a lot to this one, not just in how they were raised but their interactions with each other and the world around them. This is definitely an interesting story that feels genuine and like it really could be a memoir. It’s true to heart, realistic, but also full of some serious developments and tragedies. This was a gem that I was not expecting.
“We are all moving away from each other, it seemed, inch by inch like the after math of some star explosion, each body drifting farther into the increasing cold and increasing dark.”
Read this if you like:
-Stories about sisters
-Coming of age stories
-Mental health tropes
-Mother and daughters tropes
Mercy Hill comes out 5/5.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
When I saw this book it immediately intrigued me.
The novel follows four Cross sisters raised in a cottage on the grounds of a mental hospital in Raleigh, NC, run by their formidable mother, a psychiatrist determined to prevent government officials from shutting it down. While I initially expected the story to focus more on the patients, the narrative instead centers on the children themselves. Raised in near isolation by a mother who places excessive pressure on their intellectual success, and a father often at odds with her, the sisters grow up in a psychologically unstable environment. As a result, each child struggles to fit in at school and to find a clear path forward in life. Pushed ahead academically by their intelligence and their mother’s ambition, they skip grades but remain emotionally unprepared for the complex social worlds they are forced to enter.
What I took from this novel is the question- What is the definition of success? What do we sometimes risk when we pursue “success?” It also puts forth the question of how we can best serve people struggling with mental illness in the least restrictive environment. It is a dilemma that we are currently facing and needs to be addressed better.
Overall, this was a thought-provoking and enjoyable read. Thank you @netgalley and @doubledaybooks for the e-ARC and #gifted physical copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
#NetGalley #MercyHill
The novel follows four Cross sisters raised in a cottage on the grounds of a mental hospital in Raleigh, NC, run by their formidable mother, a psychiatrist determined to prevent government officials from shutting it down. While I initially expected the story to focus more on the patients, the narrative instead centers on the children themselves. Raised in near isolation by a mother who places excessive pressure on their intellectual success, and a father often at odds with her, the sisters grow up in a psychologically unstable environment. As a result, each child struggles to fit in at school and to find a clear path forward in life. Pushed ahead academically by their intelligence and their mother’s ambition, they skip grades but remain emotionally unprepared for the complex social worlds they are forced to enter.
What I took from this novel is the question- What is the definition of success? What do we sometimes risk when we pursue “success?” It also puts forth the question of how we can best serve people struggling with mental illness in the least restrictive environment. It is a dilemma that we are currently facing and needs to be addressed better.
Overall, this was a thought-provoking and enjoyable read. Thank you @netgalley and @doubledaybooks for the e-ARC and #gifted physical copy of this book. All opinions expressed are my own.
#NetGalley #MercyHill
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5 ⭐
I was immediately intrigued by the synopsis of Mercy Hill because it checks many of my favorite boxes. In the end, I enjoyed it, though I did have mixed feelings.
𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝:
I'm a huge fan of coming-of-age stories and family sagas, and the unique setting Mercy Hill adds even more intrigue. The Cross sisters grow up on the grounds of a mental health facility where their mother Lisa - the formidable director of psychiatry - expects each daughter to follow in her footsteps. Their father is loving but passive, which adds another layer to the family dynamic.
I really enjoyed watching the four sisters grow up in such unconventional surroundings, especially through the lens of the youngest sibling. I also appreciated the glimpse into the sad state of mental healthcare during this time period.
𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝗪𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐞:
I found myself struggling to connect at times, and I think some of that came down to believability. Four young sisters - each a prodigy - volunteering unsupervised at a mental health facility didn’t quite ring true for me and pulled me out of the narrative.
And while there was a lot of build-up to a certain pivotal event, it ended up feeling rather rushed and anticlimactic when it happened.
Overall, I appreciated the unique setting and layered family dynamics that made this a memorable read. It's a solid debut, and I can see it resonating with many readers.
I was immediately intrigued by the synopsis of Mercy Hill because it checks many of my favorite boxes. In the end, I enjoyed it, though I did have mixed feelings.
𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈 𝐋𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝:
I'm a huge fan of coming-of-age stories and family sagas, and the unique setting Mercy Hill adds even more intrigue. The Cross sisters grow up on the grounds of a mental health facility where their mother Lisa - the formidable director of psychiatry - expects each daughter to follow in her footsteps. Their father is loving but passive, which adds another layer to the family dynamic.
I really enjoyed watching the four sisters grow up in such unconventional surroundings, especially through the lens of the youngest sibling. I also appreciated the glimpse into the sad state of mental healthcare during this time period.
𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝗪𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐌𝐞:
I found myself struggling to connect at times, and I think some of that came down to believability. Four young sisters - each a prodigy - volunteering unsupervised at a mental health facility didn’t quite ring true for me and pulled me out of the narrative.
And while there was a lot of build-up to a certain pivotal event, it ended up feeling rather rushed and anticlimactic when it happened.
Overall, I appreciated the unique setting and layered family dynamics that made this a memorable read. It's a solid debut, and I can see it resonating with many readers.
October 19, 2025
I found both this book's setting and its characters to be fascinating.
Taking place in the late 1990s, the book tackles several topics - mental illness in the US, family dynamics, isolation, parenting styles, and adolescent pressures to name a few. The book focuses on the mental institution of Mercy Hill and the Palmer-Cross family. Dr. Cross, formidable mother and dominant parent, is the head psychiatric nurse at the institution. Father is caretaker of the house (which is on the grounds of Mercy Hill) and sympathetic listener to their four daughters.
The book is told through the eyes of Denise, youngest of the four Cross siblings. The book begins when Denise is around eight. The plot involves the mother's quest to keep Mercy Hill open at the hands of multiple state and federal funding cuts for institutions of its kind. She has instilled in each of her daughters (or tried to instill) that this should be a big part of their quest and livelihood, too; and, in fact, would like nothing more than each of them to follow her in the medical field and work beside her. Each of the daughter's lives each has its own unique spin. I felt it was a very enlightening POV to tell the story through the eyes of the youngest one.
It's certainly not a happy story with a bed of roses picturesque family, but it is such an engrossing one. The character development is excellent and the setting (and its description) is so raw and realistic. Thank you, NetGalley and Doubleday, for this digital ARC.
Taking place in the late 1990s, the book tackles several topics - mental illness in the US, family dynamics, isolation, parenting styles, and adolescent pressures to name a few. The book focuses on the mental institution of Mercy Hill and the Palmer-Cross family. Dr. Cross, formidable mother and dominant parent, is the head psychiatric nurse at the institution. Father is caretaker of the house (which is on the grounds of Mercy Hill) and sympathetic listener to their four daughters.
The book is told through the eyes of Denise, youngest of the four Cross siblings. The book begins when Denise is around eight. The plot involves the mother's quest to keep Mercy Hill open at the hands of multiple state and federal funding cuts for institutions of its kind. She has instilled in each of her daughters (or tried to instill) that this should be a big part of their quest and livelihood, too; and, in fact, would like nothing more than each of them to follow her in the medical field and work beside her. Each of the daughter's lives each has its own unique spin. I felt it was a very enlightening POV to tell the story through the eyes of the youngest one.
It's certainly not a happy story with a bed of roses picturesque family, but it is such an engrossing one. The character development is excellent and the setting (and its description) is so raw and realistic. Thank you, NetGalley and Doubleday, for this digital ARC.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Compelling and thought-provoking, Mercy Hill (thank you #gifted @doubleday ) is an amazing debut about the bonds between sisters, mothers, and daughters.
Growing up in one of the last mental hospitals in the state, the four Cross sisters are taught to be ambitious over-achievers by their mother, who runs the hospital. On a mission to have each of her daughters become a psychiatrist and join her in her fight to keep this institution open, she pushes and pushes them, leading to paths she never could have imagined.
Told from the point of view of Denise, the youngest sister, starting when she's still a young girl, we see them come of age. Some rebel against their mother, some internalize her dream so much they skip grades but are socially isolated.
There's so much that's questionable. From volunteering unsupervised in the wards to extremely problematic relationships, we see their lives implode in many ways. As the hospital gradually loses funding, with the changing emphasis to deinstitutionalization and community health, their lives also separate and become increasingly erratic.
But there's also self-discovery, the love of your family, forgiveness, second chances. It's deep but never too heavy. And Thurman's writing is stunning, as Denise wrestles with the obligations she feels towards her mother versus her own desire to connect and be loved. 4.5 stars
Growing up in one of the last mental hospitals in the state, the four Cross sisters are taught to be ambitious over-achievers by their mother, who runs the hospital. On a mission to have each of her daughters become a psychiatrist and join her in her fight to keep this institution open, she pushes and pushes them, leading to paths she never could have imagined.
Told from the point of view of Denise, the youngest sister, starting when she's still a young girl, we see them come of age. Some rebel against their mother, some internalize her dream so much they skip grades but are socially isolated.
There's so much that's questionable. From volunteering unsupervised in the wards to extremely problematic relationships, we see their lives implode in many ways. As the hospital gradually loses funding, with the changing emphasis to deinstitutionalization and community health, their lives also separate and become increasingly erratic.
But there's also self-discovery, the love of your family, forgiveness, second chances. It's deep but never too heavy. And Thurman's writing is stunning, as Denise wrestles with the obligations she feels towards her mother versus her own desire to connect and be loved. 4.5 stars
March 22, 2026
Listen: I like reading family sagas. I like reading about sisters. And I LOVE reading about mental health. So when the publisher reached out to me with the synopsis for this one, I was very, very intrigued.
Mercy Hill is about four sisters who grow up living on the grounds of a mental hospital during the late 90s and early 2000s. Their mom is the head psychiatrist for the facility, and she is constantly fighting to keep the hospital from being shut down. From the time they were little, she has been training her daughters to grow up and become doctors themselves, so that they can help keep her mission alive. It's for that reason that the four sisters skip entire grades at school and go to college when they are only 15 or 16. Yet, despite their mother's mission, most of the sisters wind up rebelling in their own unique ways. And their mother's dream slowly seems less and less achievable.
This was a super impressive debut. The characters were really good, the writing was excellent, and the overall story was good too. However, I found myself a bit disappointed by the ending. The story had a lot of momentum, much of it motivated by the youngest sister (the main narrator) constantly alluding to events that would happen in the future, and it gave me the sense that something big was going to happen in the end. But nothing really did. And I came away from the story sort of asking myself what the author had been trying to tell me. What was I supposed to take away from it all?
Regardless, this is still very much a four star read, and I will look forward to this author's other works in the future. And thank you to the publisher for the ARC!
Mercy Hill is about four sisters who grow up living on the grounds of a mental hospital during the late 90s and early 2000s. Their mom is the head psychiatrist for the facility, and she is constantly fighting to keep the hospital from being shut down. From the time they were little, she has been training her daughters to grow up and become doctors themselves, so that they can help keep her mission alive. It's for that reason that the four sisters skip entire grades at school and go to college when they are only 15 or 16. Yet, despite their mother's mission, most of the sisters wind up rebelling in their own unique ways. And their mother's dream slowly seems less and less achievable.
This was a super impressive debut. The characters were really good, the writing was excellent, and the overall story was good too. However, I found myself a bit disappointed by the ending. The story had a lot of momentum, much of it motivated by the youngest sister (the main narrator) constantly alluding to events that would happen in the future, and it gave me the sense that something big was going to happen in the end. But nothing really did. And I came away from the story sort of asking myself what the author had been trying to tell me. What was I supposed to take away from it all?
Regardless, this is still very much a four star read, and I will look forward to this author's other works in the future. And thank you to the publisher for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Mercy Hill is a mental health institution for those who need short term care as well as those placed by the justice system. It is under the direction Dr. Cross, a driven psychiatrist who rules both Mercy Hill and her four daughters with single minded goals for each. In the novel, the sisters are in their pre-teen and into teenage years. The girls are all academically gifted and have all skipped grades in school at the request of their mother. The story revolves around the family relationships, the emotional and perhaps psychological harm inflicted on the girls, their struggles through their teen years, and, in a more indirect way, the practice of institutionalization of people for mental health help.
The choices made by the 4 girls as they finished school were somewhat predictable. Despite the mother’s one goal to have all of the girls attend a “quality” school and become doctors, each finally finds her own way. The dynamic between the sisters was interesting, especially in how it changed as they got older. Their father really had a background role but was actually responsible for the good mental health that each of his daughters matured into. This an interesting story and one that’ll cause some days of reflection.
Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the ARC to read and review.
The choices made by the 4 girls as they finished school were somewhat predictable. Despite the mother’s one goal to have all of the girls attend a “quality” school and become doctors, each finally finds her own way. The dynamic between the sisters was interesting, especially in how it changed as they got older. Their father really had a background role but was actually responsible for the good mental health that each of his daughters matured into. This an interesting story and one that’ll cause some days of reflection.
Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday Books for the ARC to read and review.
November 28, 2025
The ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review - books comes out May 5, 2026.
This is a coming of age story about the four Cross sisters, in the voice of the youngest one (Denise), set in the late 90s-early 2000s. The girls live with their parents in staff housing on the grounds of the fictional Mercy Hill, a mental health institution in Raleigh, NC. Their mother is the head psychiatrist on staff and the campus was the girls’ playground. Mercy Hill is constantly facing funding cuts and threats of closure. The girls are exceptionally bright, and their mother keeps skipping them grades in school which, along with where they live, isolates them at school and draws them closer to each other.
This book felt so real to me - I kept having to remind myself that it was fiction. This is a brilliant debut by author Hannah Thurman. I can’t stop thinking about this family - and found that there was a real place in Raleigh named for Dorothea Dix commonly called Dix Hill that closed in 2012. I can’t wait for this to get closer to publication so there will be interviews with the author about her inspiration for this book. She also did a brilliant job writing the sister relationship. I loved this book. 5⭐️ - tons to discuss - great for a book club
This is a coming of age story about the four Cross sisters, in the voice of the youngest one (Denise), set in the late 90s-early 2000s. The girls live with their parents in staff housing on the grounds of the fictional Mercy Hill, a mental health institution in Raleigh, NC. Their mother is the head psychiatrist on staff and the campus was the girls’ playground. Mercy Hill is constantly facing funding cuts and threats of closure. The girls are exceptionally bright, and their mother keeps skipping them grades in school which, along with where they live, isolates them at school and draws them closer to each other.
This book felt so real to me - I kept having to remind myself that it was fiction. This is a brilliant debut by author Hannah Thurman. I can’t stop thinking about this family - and found that there was a real place in Raleigh named for Dorothea Dix commonly called Dix Hill that closed in 2012. I can’t wait for this to get closer to publication so there will be interviews with the author about her inspiration for this book. She also did a brilliant job writing the sister relationship. I loved this book. 5⭐️ - tons to discuss - great for a book club
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