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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 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 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.
333 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 5, 2026
About the author
Hannah Thurman
1 book70 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 270 reviews
May 29, 2026
Four sisters, one impossible mother, and mental health in America.
4.5 stars rounded up.
For any reader with a permanent soft spot for stories about sisters - especially the messy, emotionally layered kind found in Little Women or the more recent Blue Sisters - Mercy Hill, Hannah Thurman's debut novel, will likely feel immensely satisfying.
Told through the eyes of Denise Cross, the youngest of four sisters - nine years old at the outset of the novel in 1999 - this remarkable debut follows a family raised on the grounds of Mercy Hill, a struggling state psychiatric hospital in North Carolina reminiscent of the now-defunct Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh, where the author herself grew up and where her mother my worked briefly as a speech therapist. Run by the sisters' brilliant, domineering mother, Lisa Cross, the hospital is more than her workplace; it is her mission, her identity, and the axis around which the entire family is expected to revolve.
Growing up in the shadow of both Mercy Hill and their mother leaves deep marks on each of the sisters, though each responds differently. One rebels. One disappears into religion. One struggles under the weight of her own mental health. And Denise, desperate for approval and connection, tries her hardest to become the daughter her mother wants her to be. What Thurman captures so beautifully is that none of these responses feel exaggerated or simplistic. Every sister feels fully realized and is treated with enormous compassion.
The novel is as much about family as it is about the state of mental healthcare in America, particularly during the late 1990s and early 2000s, when institutions like Mercy Hill were increasingly underfunded, scrutinized, and abandoned. But despite those larger systemic themes, the book never loses sight of the emotional core at its center: four sisters trying to survive the same childhood in very different ways.
What impressed me most was how the novel handles difficult subject matter, especially complicated family dynamics. There is pain here, but also humor, tenderness, loyalty, and moments of genuine grace. Combined with a resilient protagonist you cannot help but root for and beautiful, lyrical writing, it all adds up to a book that became impossible to put down.
Beautifully written and rich with emotional insight, Mercy Hill is a moving, character-driven portrait of sisterhood, sacrifice, ambition, and the complicated ways we inherit both trauma and love. Both thoughtful and thought-provoking, this compassionate coming-of-age story is an enormously impressive debut full of heart. Hannah Thurman is absolutely an author to watch.
Many thanks to Doubleday Books | Doubleday for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
"Mercy Hill" was published on May 5, 2026, and is available now.
4.5 stars rounded up.
For any reader with a permanent soft spot for stories about sisters - especially the messy, emotionally layered kind found in Little Women or the more recent Blue Sisters - Mercy Hill, Hannah Thurman's debut novel, will likely feel immensely satisfying.
Told through the eyes of Denise Cross, the youngest of four sisters - nine years old at the outset of the novel in 1999 - this remarkable debut follows a family raised on the grounds of Mercy Hill, a struggling state psychiatric hospital in North Carolina reminiscent of the now-defunct Dorothea Dix Hospital in Raleigh, where the author herself grew up and where her mother my worked briefly as a speech therapist. Run by the sisters' brilliant, domineering mother, Lisa Cross, the hospital is more than her workplace; it is her mission, her identity, and the axis around which the entire family is expected to revolve.
Growing up in the shadow of both Mercy Hill and their mother leaves deep marks on each of the sisters, though each responds differently. One rebels. One disappears into religion. One struggles under the weight of her own mental health. And Denise, desperate for approval and connection, tries her hardest to become the daughter her mother wants her to be. What Thurman captures so beautifully is that none of these responses feel exaggerated or simplistic. Every sister feels fully realized and is treated with enormous compassion.
The novel is as much about family as it is about the state of mental healthcare in America, particularly during the late 1990s and early 2000s, when institutions like Mercy Hill were increasingly underfunded, scrutinized, and abandoned. But despite those larger systemic themes, the book never loses sight of the emotional core at its center: four sisters trying to survive the same childhood in very different ways.
What impressed me most was how the novel handles difficult subject matter, especially complicated family dynamics. There is pain here, but also humor, tenderness, loyalty, and moments of genuine grace. Combined with a resilient protagonist you cannot help but root for and beautiful, lyrical writing, it all adds up to a book that became impossible to put down.
Beautifully written and rich with emotional insight, Mercy Hill is a moving, character-driven portrait of sisterhood, sacrifice, ambition, and the complicated ways we inherit both trauma and love. Both thoughtful and thought-provoking, this compassionate coming-of-age story is an enormously impressive debut full of heart. Hannah Thurman is absolutely an author to watch.
Many thanks to Doubleday Books | Doubleday for providing me with an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
"Mercy Hill" was published on May 5, 2026, and is available now.
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.
June 21, 2026
It was much easier to sink into Mercy Hill and its characters than I was anticipating! Perhaps the cover art, which is muted and has (if I'm being frank) a bit of a stuffy fine art vibe, led me to expect a reserved narrative and slow pace. Instead, I was pulled in by the Cross family almost immediately and was thankful to experience some quirky characters with depth.
Fundamentally, this is a character-driven debut about family dynamics. Lisa Cross, head of psychiatry at the asylum, is a formidable presence who pushes her own ambitions onto her four daughters. Told in hindsight through the eyes of the youngest daughter, Denise, the traces how growing up under her mother's expectations shaped the sisters development, each in their unique way. Part of why I was attracted to the book synopsis was the mention of growing up on the asylum, which felt like a unique premise that could really have been fleshed out. The girls were largely sheltered from the inner workings of the asylum, though, which left me wanting more. The asylum ends up taking a backseat to the family drama rather than being as central as I'd hoped. All in all, this was a very strong debut and I look forward to seeing where Hannah Thurman goes next with her writing.
Read this if you like:
* character-driven literary fiction
* complicated mother-daughter dynamics
* sibling stories
Thank you to Doubleday Books, NetGalley, and Hannah Thurman for an advance copy for honest review.
Fundamentally, this is a character-driven debut about family dynamics. Lisa Cross, head of psychiatry at the asylum, is a formidable presence who pushes her own ambitions onto her four daughters. Told in hindsight through the eyes of the youngest daughter, Denise, the traces how growing up under her mother's expectations shaped the sisters development, each in their unique way. Part of why I was attracted to the book synopsis was the mention of growing up on the asylum, which felt like a unique premise that could really have been fleshed out. The girls were largely sheltered from the inner workings of the asylum, though, which left me wanting more. The asylum ends up taking a backseat to the family drama rather than being as central as I'd hoped. All in all, this was a very strong debut and I look forward to seeing where Hannah Thurman goes next with her writing.
Read this if you like:
* character-driven literary fiction
* complicated mother-daughter dynamics
* sibling stories
Thank you to Doubleday Books, NetGalley, and Hannah Thurman for an advance copy for honest review.
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.
July 29, 2026
"Mercy Hill" is the name of a campus of three mental hospitals that house people with severe illness. It is residential and most of the patients are there for life. Mercy Hill's director, herself a psychiatrist, is the formidable Lisa Cross. Fiercely dedicated, she has made running Mercy Hill her life's mission. She and her husband live in a small staff cottage on the campus and are raising their four daughters there.
Intrigued? I definitely was. This is what led me to read the book. It is set in Raleigh, North Carolina and begins in 1999 ending in 2004. It covers the years of the U.S.' closing many residential psychiatric facilities in favor of serving patients through outpatient community agencies. In the novel, Lisa Cross is involved in a battle to help Mercy Hill survive.
The story is told by 9 year old Denise Cross, the youngest daughter. It is her point of view that we readers hear. We get to know the travails of the family, along with their personalities.
*****************************************
My Impressions:
I found the story to be interesting and original, although full of misery. At times, Lisa Cross seemed like Nurse Ratched in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'. As her daughter said, "It is her way or the highway."
Lisa pushed her daughters into skipping several grades at school. Academically, they could handle it, but this subjected them to being ostracized and bullied by the other students. To give you an idea, Denise graduated high school when she was just 14.
There is an interesting thread regarding Caro, one of the daughters, who found solace in joining an evangelical church. This was very much against her mother's dictates, as Lisa was an atheist.
I strongly disliked that
I thought the author's writing style was good. It kept me turning the pages.
3.8 stars - The rating would have been higher, but I dislike reading about so much misery.
Triggers: Bullying, Suicide, and Teen Pedophilia
Intrigued? I definitely was. This is what led me to read the book. It is set in Raleigh, North Carolina and begins in 1999 ending in 2004. It covers the years of the U.S.' closing many residential psychiatric facilities in favor of serving patients through outpatient community agencies. In the novel, Lisa Cross is involved in a battle to help Mercy Hill survive.
The story is told by 9 year old Denise Cross, the youngest daughter. It is her point of view that we readers hear. We get to know the travails of the family, along with their personalities.
*****************************************
My Impressions:
I found the story to be interesting and original, although full of misery. At times, Lisa Cross seemed like Nurse Ratched in 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest'. As her daughter said, "It is her way or the highway."
Lisa pushed her daughters into skipping several grades at school. Academically, they could handle it, but this subjected them to being ostracized and bullied by the other students. To give you an idea, Denise graduated high school when she was just 14.
There is an interesting thread regarding Caro, one of the daughters, who found solace in joining an evangelical church. This was very much against her mother's dictates, as Lisa was an atheist.
I strongly disliked that
I thought the author's writing style was good. It kept me turning the pages.
3.8 stars - The rating would have been higher, but I dislike reading about so much misery.
Triggers: Bullying, Suicide, and Teen Pedophilia
May 15, 2026
this book kinda just … ended? with no real ending? i kept waiting for something to happen and it didn’t
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.
October 18, 2025
For me, this missed the mark. I think there was an opportunity here to further explore the deinstitutionalization of mental health, but it only partially addressed that. It also tried to be a sweeping family drama, but all the characters just seemed like that--characterizations. No character really had any depth. I probably would have DNR'd it, but since it was an ARC I felt I needed to finish it. It was pretty underwhelming, not very compelling, and generally the writing was sup-par. I'm giving it two stars for trying, but I wouldn't recommend it.
May 14, 2026
Well what started out to be a promising story, it sure did end up being one of the most anticlimactic books I’ve ever read. Womp womp.
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.
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.
May 25, 2026
FINAL REVIEW:
I loved this so much. This is a character driven book! It’s about a family of four young sisters, their mom and father who live on psychiatric hospital grounds. This was common back then. This took place in the 1990s to early 2000s when deinstitutionalization was common. This really touched at my core because I have been a psychiatric RN for many years. This subject is very close to my heart and I have strong opinions on it.
The four young girls JJ, Caro, Mimi and Denise have a very believable & interesting relationship with each other and their parents. She writes very believable characters. Each with a very distinct personality. I also saw great changes with all of them both good
And bad. Their mother is the head psychiatrist at the hospital and a very intelligent strong woman. This is tough for the girls as she’s constantly pushing them to do more and better. My mother was this way I get that.
The hospital itself was a character and was very real to me. At times I found the book to be humorous.
It is told from a first person perspective of Denise, the youngest child. This really works and made it all very interesting. Seeing some of the family dysfunction through her eyes made it so raw.
It’s hard to believe this is her debut novel. It was truly wonderful and I cannot wait to read her next book!!
Initial review:
Yes: A book I borrowed from the library to try before I buy (tired buying hundreds books and hating half)
I read first ch or more -first 10-100 pages skim around at times. I read many of my GR friend’s reviews. This is what I did and didn’t like:
Love this cover. I work at a psy hospital. So I love this subject!!!
I started reading it and it sounds fascinating!
Amazon $29 ouch
Oh Richard Russo & Claire Lombardo love this!!
I loved this so much. This is a character driven book! It’s about a family of four young sisters, their mom and father who live on psychiatric hospital grounds. This was common back then. This took place in the 1990s to early 2000s when deinstitutionalization was common. This really touched at my core because I have been a psychiatric RN for many years. This subject is very close to my heart and I have strong opinions on it.
The four young girls JJ, Caro, Mimi and Denise have a very believable & interesting relationship with each other and their parents. She writes very believable characters. Each with a very distinct personality. I also saw great changes with all of them both good
And bad. Their mother is the head psychiatrist at the hospital and a very intelligent strong woman. This is tough for the girls as she’s constantly pushing them to do more and better. My mother was this way I get that.
The hospital itself was a character and was very real to me. At times I found the book to be humorous.
It is told from a first person perspective of Denise, the youngest child. This really works and made it all very interesting. Seeing some of the family dysfunction through her eyes made it so raw.
It’s hard to believe this is her debut novel. It was truly wonderful and I cannot wait to read her next book!!
Initial review:
Yes: A book I borrowed from the library to try before I buy (tired buying hundreds books and hating half)
I read first ch or more -first 10-100 pages skim around at times. I read many of my GR friend’s reviews. This is what I did and didn’t like:
Love this cover. I work at a psy hospital. So I love this subject!!!
I started reading it and it sounds fascinating!
Amazon $29 ouch
Oh Richard Russo & Claire Lombardo love this!!
July 4, 2026
Anything about mental illness—fiction, memoir, non-fiction—grabs my attention. The moment I heard about MERCY HILL, it went on my TBR list.
We meet the four Cross sisters in 1999 when Denise, the youngest and the story’s narrator, is nine. The sisters are split between the quiets and the louds but appear to be close, even when allegiances shift. They play in outside forts they’ve constructed and share one bedroom in a small cottage on the sweeping grounds of Mercy Hill, an understaffed, underfunded state psychiatric hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Their powerhouse of a mother, Lisa, is head of psychiatry, and their father is a stay-at-home dad. The family revolves around Lisa’s mission to keep Mercy Hill operating and everyone is supportive.
But the physical appearance of the campus reflects the changing approach to mental health treatment in America. Once majestic limestone buildings, opened to patients in 1856, are crumbling, and the future of the hospital and that of the family become intricately linked.
As Denise points out, there are four wards housed in four buildings, with “the shape of the grounds the same shape as our family.”
The sisters, while academically gifted, are isolated from their peers. Classmates torment them for living at Mercy Hill, and their oblivious mother treats them as adults. She insists they skip grades, volunteer at the hospital, and attend state budget meetings. The volunteer work provides escape from loneliness and bullying, until an incident bars the girls from entering the wards and puts the hospital under intense scrutiny.
Lisa pushes harder and harder, and the family begins to rupture. Each girl struggles in her own way and all of them rebel—except for Denise. She shares her mother’s vision and plans for a future working alongside Lisa at Mercy Hill. But leaving for college at 14, can Denise really know what she wants from life?
MERCY HILL is a harrowing and beautiful—sometimes humorous—coming-of-age story. It’s about sisters, sacrifice, trauma, forgiveness, and how children must follow their own paths, not chase their parents’ dreams.
A stunning debut.
We meet the four Cross sisters in 1999 when Denise, the youngest and the story’s narrator, is nine. The sisters are split between the quiets and the louds but appear to be close, even when allegiances shift. They play in outside forts they’ve constructed and share one bedroom in a small cottage on the sweeping grounds of Mercy Hill, an understaffed, underfunded state psychiatric hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Their powerhouse of a mother, Lisa, is head of psychiatry, and their father is a stay-at-home dad. The family revolves around Lisa’s mission to keep Mercy Hill operating and everyone is supportive.
But the physical appearance of the campus reflects the changing approach to mental health treatment in America. Once majestic limestone buildings, opened to patients in 1856, are crumbling, and the future of the hospital and that of the family become intricately linked.
As Denise points out, there are four wards housed in four buildings, with “the shape of the grounds the same shape as our family.”
The sisters, while academically gifted, are isolated from their peers. Classmates torment them for living at Mercy Hill, and their oblivious mother treats them as adults. She insists they skip grades, volunteer at the hospital, and attend state budget meetings. The volunteer work provides escape from loneliness and bullying, until an incident bars the girls from entering the wards and puts the hospital under intense scrutiny.
Lisa pushes harder and harder, and the family begins to rupture. Each girl struggles in her own way and all of them rebel—except for Denise. She shares her mother’s vision and plans for a future working alongside Lisa at Mercy Hill. But leaving for college at 14, can Denise really know what she wants from life?
MERCY HILL is a harrowing and beautiful—sometimes humorous—coming-of-age story. It’s about sisters, sacrifice, trauma, forgiveness, and how children must follow their own paths, not chase their parents’ dreams.
A stunning debut.
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.
May 13, 2026
I could hardly put this one down but was wholly underwhelmed by it. Still love a debut novel but confused about this one
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!
May 18, 2026
Emma said it best—I couldn’t put it down, yet it was surprisingly underwhelming.
May 20, 2026
Love character driven novels about family dynamics. This one was especially different since the family lives on the grounds of Mercy Hill. The 4 Sisters all volunteer many hours throughout their childhood by their Intelligent, Driven, but also hard charging mother who really expects her daughters to follow in her footsteps and become psychiatric dr’s. It’s more the mother’s dream and how each sister reacts to these expectations plays out in different ways. The story is narrated by Denise, the youngest sister. So, although she explains the story of the other sisters it is through her eyes. Was captivating though, as their childhood was so different than most kids, it alienates them from making friends at school, yet at times they are close and others pull in different directions. It is larger based on the experiences, one in particular, that each had to go through dealing with seriously mentally ill patients, as well as there domineering mother letting them know she expects help from them all. Also, behind the family, is their goal, to keep Mercy Hill open at a time when large psychiatric facilities are being defunded. There were large problems warehousing mentally ill patients without proper staffing and funds, yet the fantasy that so many patients would find smaller and nicer group homes was unlikely to happen. So, where do they go then? For 4 young girls, mostly in their teen years, it’s a heavy load to be placed on them. Does Mom really care about Mercy Hill and it’s patients or does she just want to be on Top making all the Decisions. I think it was a mix of both and her daughters felt treated the same way.
Well Written Book. Excellent Debut Novel by Hannah Thurman. The author spent her childhood in Raleigh, NC and there was the Dorothy Dix Facility. Her mom worked there for a few years. I know this area, and it did feel authentic and well researched. It was timely then and is still an important issue now. I felt the book came together well.
Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday for a copy of this book. I always leave reviews of books I read.
Well Written Book. Excellent Debut Novel by Hannah Thurman. The author spent her childhood in Raleigh, NC and there was the Dorothy Dix Facility. Her mom worked there for a few years. I know this area, and it did feel authentic and well researched. It was timely then and is still an important issue now. I felt the book came together well.
Thank you NetGalley and Doubleday for a copy of this book. I always leave reviews of books I read.
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 17, 2026
I picked this book up because I was very interested in how the author was going to navigate the good and bad of psychiatric health facilities from the perspective of a child. That didn’t get explored as much as I was hoping for, and I think it could’ve benefitted from more of those complexities. This was definitely more of a family drama, based in a narrative of fractured sisterhood and parental pressure.
That being said, I enjoyed it! This book has very strong characterization, exploring several different outcomes of childhood trauma. Each family member was so different, and shared so many similarities underneath. Denise as a narrator was frustrating, sympathetic, unreliable, and vulnerable all at the same time. The relationship dynamics between the sisters were the most interesting, although I wish we got to see more of them one on one.
The ending was a little abrupt, and disrupted some previous characterization without giving enough time for it to settle or be understood before jumping into the 20 year time skip epilogue. Overall though, I was satisfied with everyone’s arcs and endings. They felt imperfectly realistic.
That being said, I enjoyed it! This book has very strong characterization, exploring several different outcomes of childhood trauma. Each family member was so different, and shared so many similarities underneath. Denise as a narrator was frustrating, sympathetic, unreliable, and vulnerable all at the same time. The relationship dynamics between the sisters were the most interesting, although I wish we got to see more of them one on one.
The ending was a little abrupt, and disrupted some previous characterization without giving enough time for it to settle or be understood before jumping into the 20 year time skip epilogue. Overall though, I was satisfied with everyone’s arcs and endings. They felt imperfectly realistic.
June 29, 2026
I'm not sure what the point of this was
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!
May 16, 2026
Should have DNF'D
May 7, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for the ebook copy of Mercy Hill by Hannah Thurman.
📝 Short Summary
Growing up on the grounds of the struggling Mercy Hill state mental hospital, the Cross sisters are raised under the intense expectations of their brilliant and demanding mother, who is determined to save the hospital at any cost. As the sisters move into adulthood, the pressure of family loyalty, mental health realities, and life inside Mercy Hill begins shaping each of them in very different ways.
💭 Review
I honestly ended up enjoying this book a lot more than I expected to.
What immediately stood out to me was the setting because growing up on the grounds of a state mental hospital already creates such a unique atmosphere for a family story. Mercy Hill itself feels almost like another family member throughout the book. It’s falling apart, underfunded, emotionally heavy, and filled with tension, but it also becomes home for these sisters in a way that deeply shapes who they become.
This book is definitely more character driven and emotional than plot heavy, but that really worked for me here because the relationships between the sisters and their mother carried so much weight. The story slowly unfolds through Denise’s perspective, and I loved how reflective and personal the narration felt. There’s this lingering sadness underneath everything because you can feel how much these girls grew up carrying responsibilities and emotional pressure that should never have belonged to children.
The mother, Lisa Cross, was honestly one of the most fascinating parts of the story for me because she’s so complicated. She’s passionate, intelligent, determined, controlling, exhausting, and deeply flawed all at once. You can tell she genuinely believes in her mission to save Mercy Hill and protect mental healthcare, but at the same time, her obsession with that mission affects her daughters in ways that become increasingly painful as they get older.
And honestly, that was one of the strongest parts of the book for me overall: watching how growing up in that environment shaped each sister differently. Some cling tightly to the family mission, some try to escape it completely, and others get emotionally trapped somewhere in the middle. The story captures that feeling of siblings surviving the same childhood but carrying entirely different emotional scars from it.
I also thought the book handled mental healthcare and institutional decline in America in a really interesting way. Mercy Hill is constantly under threat, constantly lacking resources, constantly fighting to survive, and you can feel the frustration, hopelessness, and pressure surrounding everyone connected to it. The hospital becomes symbolic of so many things throughout the story: duty, sacrifice, identity, generational pressure, and even emotional entrapment.
At the same time, this never felt overly heavy or emotionally unbearable because there’s also warmth, humor, sisterhood, and genuine love running through the story too. The relationships between the sisters felt believable to me because they’re messy, protective, resentful, loyal, and deeply connected in ways only sisters can really understand.
I also loved the late 90s and early 2000s atmosphere woven throughout the story because it grounded everything in this very specific emotional era without making it feel gimmicky. It added another layer of nostalgia and realism to the family dynamics.
This is definitely one of those quieter literary family dramas where the emotional unraveling matters more than huge shocking twists, but I found myself really invested in the characters and the emotional tension inside the family. By the end, I genuinely cared about these sisters and what Mercy Hill represented to all of them.
For me, this ended up being such a thoughtful, emotional story about family loyalty, identity, sisterhood, mental healthcare, and the complicated ways parents shape their children without always realizing the damage they leave behind.
✅ Would I Recommend It?
Absolutely if you enjoy literary family dramas, sister stories, emotionally layered character driven books, complicated mother daughter relationships, and stories exploring mental healthcare, identity, and family pressure.
Thank you to Doubleday and NetGalley for the ebook copy of Mercy Hill by Hannah Thurman.
📝 Short Summary
Growing up on the grounds of the struggling Mercy Hill state mental hospital, the Cross sisters are raised under the intense expectations of their brilliant and demanding mother, who is determined to save the hospital at any cost. As the sisters move into adulthood, the pressure of family loyalty, mental health realities, and life inside Mercy Hill begins shaping each of them in very different ways.
💭 Review
I honestly ended up enjoying this book a lot more than I expected to.
What immediately stood out to me was the setting because growing up on the grounds of a state mental hospital already creates such a unique atmosphere for a family story. Mercy Hill itself feels almost like another family member throughout the book. It’s falling apart, underfunded, emotionally heavy, and filled with tension, but it also becomes home for these sisters in a way that deeply shapes who they become.
This book is definitely more character driven and emotional than plot heavy, but that really worked for me here because the relationships between the sisters and their mother carried so much weight. The story slowly unfolds through Denise’s perspective, and I loved how reflective and personal the narration felt. There’s this lingering sadness underneath everything because you can feel how much these girls grew up carrying responsibilities and emotional pressure that should never have belonged to children.
The mother, Lisa Cross, was honestly one of the most fascinating parts of the story for me because she’s so complicated. She’s passionate, intelligent, determined, controlling, exhausting, and deeply flawed all at once. You can tell she genuinely believes in her mission to save Mercy Hill and protect mental healthcare, but at the same time, her obsession with that mission affects her daughters in ways that become increasingly painful as they get older.
And honestly, that was one of the strongest parts of the book for me overall: watching how growing up in that environment shaped each sister differently. Some cling tightly to the family mission, some try to escape it completely, and others get emotionally trapped somewhere in the middle. The story captures that feeling of siblings surviving the same childhood but carrying entirely different emotional scars from it.
I also thought the book handled mental healthcare and institutional decline in America in a really interesting way. Mercy Hill is constantly under threat, constantly lacking resources, constantly fighting to survive, and you can feel the frustration, hopelessness, and pressure surrounding everyone connected to it. The hospital becomes symbolic of so many things throughout the story: duty, sacrifice, identity, generational pressure, and even emotional entrapment.
At the same time, this never felt overly heavy or emotionally unbearable because there’s also warmth, humor, sisterhood, and genuine love running through the story too. The relationships between the sisters felt believable to me because they’re messy, protective, resentful, loyal, and deeply connected in ways only sisters can really understand.
I also loved the late 90s and early 2000s atmosphere woven throughout the story because it grounded everything in this very specific emotional era without making it feel gimmicky. It added another layer of nostalgia and realism to the family dynamics.
This is definitely one of those quieter literary family dramas where the emotional unraveling matters more than huge shocking twists, but I found myself really invested in the characters and the emotional tension inside the family. By the end, I genuinely cared about these sisters and what Mercy Hill represented to all of them.
For me, this ended up being such a thoughtful, emotional story about family loyalty, identity, sisterhood, mental healthcare, and the complicated ways parents shape their children without always realizing the damage they leave behind.
✅ Would I Recommend It?
Absolutely if you enjoy literary family dramas, sister stories, emotionally layered character driven books, complicated mother daughter relationships, and stories exploring mental healthcare, identity, and family pressure.
July 18, 2026
The main character for Mercy Hill is Denise—the youngest of four daughters to the Head of Psychiatry at a state mental hospital. She and her family live on the campus of the facility during a time when institutions were being emptied by legislatures in favor of community outpatient treatment.
Growing up there wasn’t easy, especially with their mother’s one-track-mind advocacy overriding the needs of her own family. While the adults focused their attention elsewhere, each of the four Cross sisters quietly experienced the traumas that can shatter an adolescence left with or without proper guidance and parental support. The parallels drawn between hospital politics and family politics (strict structure vs. very long tethers) and how those styles impact both patients and children never feel heavy-handed, providing rich food for thought. It is a fantastic debut, and I am highly looking forward to reading more from Hannah Thurman. 4 Stars
**A note on the audiobook: Christine Lakin is not just a narrator; she is a true voice talent. Her dialogue is realistic, her distinct take on individual characters is amazing, and she is easily my current voice actor crush.**
Growing up there wasn’t easy, especially with their mother’s one-track-mind advocacy overriding the needs of her own family. While the adults focused their attention elsewhere, each of the four Cross sisters quietly experienced the traumas that can shatter an adolescence left with or without proper guidance and parental support. The parallels drawn between hospital politics and family politics (strict structure vs. very long tethers) and how those styles impact both patients and children never feel heavy-handed, providing rich food for thought. It is a fantastic debut, and I am highly looking forward to reading more from Hannah Thurman. 4 Stars
**A note on the audiobook: Christine Lakin is not just a narrator; she is a true voice talent. Her dialogue is realistic, her distinct take on individual characters is amazing, and she is easily my current voice actor crush.**
June 30, 2026
Mercy Hill is the story of a family with four daughters told through the point of view of the youngest, Denise. Outside of Raleigh, NC, Lisa Cross, head of psychiatry, runs Mercy Hill mental hospital and lives on the grounds in a cottage with her husband and daughters.
This book is a character driven, coming of age story that examines the state of mental health institutions in the United States, as Dr. Cross tries to save Mercy Hill from limited budgets and impending shutdown. She basically forces her entire family to take on her mission as their own, and the book depicts each family member’s experience with Dr. Cross as the years move on.
While there were parts of this book that were interesting, I struggled to connect with the story. It seemed to focus more on mundane day to day occurrences in the life of the four daughters than to dive head first into the mental health aspects that I thought I would get while reading Mercy Hill.
May 17, 2026
3.75 ⭐️
From the setting to the sibling dynamics, this book felt layered in such a natural and believable way. This felt less like a dramatic historical fiction novel and more like quietly stepping into a family’s life and growing up alongside them. The setting at Mercy Hill gave the story such a unique atmosphere, and I ended up really invested in the sisters and all the complicated family dynamics. I liked how grounded and realistic the story felt, especially the family dynamics, and I thought the mental health aspects were handled with a lot of care.
The pacing felt steady and reflective in a way that matched the story really well, and the writing had such a warmth to it that made the characters easy to connect with. I also liked that it focused just as much on identity and family pressure as it did on the historical backdrop. I kept wanting to return to the story because the characters felt so authentic.
I’m really glad I listened to this one because Christine Lakin’s narration fit the tone of the story perfectly. For a debut novel, Hannah Thurman really impressed me, and I’m eager to read whatever she writes next. (Audio)
From the setting to the sibling dynamics, this book felt layered in such a natural and believable way. This felt less like a dramatic historical fiction novel and more like quietly stepping into a family’s life and growing up alongside them. The setting at Mercy Hill gave the story such a unique atmosphere, and I ended up really invested in the sisters and all the complicated family dynamics. I liked how grounded and realistic the story felt, especially the family dynamics, and I thought the mental health aspects were handled with a lot of care.
The pacing felt steady and reflective in a way that matched the story really well, and the writing had such a warmth to it that made the characters easy to connect with. I also liked that it focused just as much on identity and family pressure as it did on the historical backdrop. I kept wanting to return to the story because the characters felt so authentic.
I’m really glad I listened to this one because Christine Lakin’s narration fit the tone of the story perfectly. For a debut novel, Hannah Thurman really impressed me, and I’m eager to read whatever she writes next. (Audio)
June 2, 2026
A family drama which takes place on the grounds of a state psychiatric hospital in Raleigh, North Carolina. Timeframe is 1990s and early 2000s. The four Cross sisters are raised in a cottage there, and their mother, Dr Lisa Cross, is head of psychiatry. Their father, Tucker, is passive and not a clinical person. The story explores the costs of a mission-driven life. Lisa fights to keep the hospital open despite a traumatic incident that occurred, and each sister is affected negatively by their mother’s almost fanatical devotion to her “purpose.” This was not an easy read.
Three stars! If you read it, prepare to devote some time to the narrative.
I received a copy of the digital ARC via the publisher, the author, and NetGalley. My review is voluntary.
Three stars! If you read it, prepare to devote some time to the narrative.
I received a copy of the digital ARC via the publisher, the author, and NetGalley. My review is voluntary.
June 11, 2026
Absolutely brilliant. A deep, enriching, analytic portrait of a family through the lens of an entire childhood. Thurman deftly wields metaphor and history; these characters feel agonizingly real.
July 2, 2026
Four sisters grow up on the campus of a mental hospital under the heavy expectations of a domineering mother. I was definitely captivated, but I think we are missing the last third of the book—it just ended!
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