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Under the Mercy Trees
Newton delivers a stirring debut novel told from the perspectives of four central characters embroiled in a family drama that spans generations and is riddled with defensive secrecy and emotional penury in equal measure.
After the disappearance of Leon Owenby, his younger brother and central narrator, Martin, returns to the family’s Willoby County, N.C., mountain town from his life as a destitute writer in New York City to aid in the search for Leon and support his other siblings. The year is 1986; Martin leaves behind his ex-lover, Dennis, and their many friends sick and dying from AIDS. Back home, he must face his painful past, his extended family to whom he is closeted, and his high school girlfriend (who still carries a torch for him). Many months of searching reveal more about the searchers than about Leon; the secrets and resentments in the Owenby family run deep and bubble to the surface unexpectedly.
It’s problematic that with so many family issues coming to light, Martin’s sexuality is ignored and remains a secret, but Newton’s use of multiple viewpoints and distinct voices is adept and lively, and helps to fill in the thin premise of Leon’s disappearance. With many novels of this construction, a reader tends to favor one voice over the rest. Not so here; Newton delivers across the board with these characters, who run the gamut from perky to depressive, desperate to schizophrenic.
After the disappearance of Leon Owenby, his younger brother and central narrator, Martin, returns to the family’s Willoby County, N.C., mountain town from his life as a destitute writer in New York City to aid in the search for Leon and support his other siblings. The year is 1986; Martin leaves behind his ex-lover, Dennis, and their many friends sick and dying from AIDS. Back home, he must face his painful past, his extended family to whom he is closeted, and his high school girlfriend (who still carries a torch for him). Many months of searching reveal more about the searchers than about Leon; the secrets and resentments in the Owenby family run deep and bubble to the surface unexpectedly.
It’s problematic that with so many family issues coming to light, Martin’s sexuality is ignored and remains a secret, but Newton’s use of multiple viewpoints and distinct voices is adept and lively, and helps to fill in the thin premise of Leon’s disappearance. With many novels of this construction, a reader tends to favor one voice over the rest. Not so here; Newton delivers across the board with these characters, who run the gamut from perky to depressive, desperate to schizophrenic.
352 pages, Paperback
First published December 29, 2010
66 people are currently reading
854 people want to read
About the author
Heather Newton
11 books33 followersHeather Newton’s novel Under The Mercy Trees (HarperCollins 2011) won the Thomas Wolfe Memorial Literary Award, was chosen by the Women’s National Book Association as a Great Group Reads Selection and named an “Okra Pick” by the Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance. Her short story collection McMullen Circle (Regal House 2022) was the finalist for the W.S. Porter prize. Her novel The Puppeteer’s Daughters (Turner Publishing 2022) has been optioned for television. A practicing attorney, she teaches creative writing for UNC-Asheville’s Great Smokies Writing Program and is co-founder of the Flatiron Writers Room in Asheville.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews
September 28, 2020
3.5***
From the book jacket Thirty years ago, Martin Owenby came to New York City with dreams of becoming a writer. Now his existence revolves around cheap Scotch and weekend flings with equally damaged men. When he learns that his older brother, Leon, has gone missing, he must return to the Owenby farm in Solace Fork, North Carolina, to assist in the search. But that means facing a past filled with regrets, the family that never understood him, the girl whose heart he broke, and the best friend who has faithfully kept the home fires burning.
My reactions:
Oh, what a tangled web we weave… I’m not sure what I was thinking, even from reading the book jacket, but this was quite a bit darker than I expected. There are so many things going on, so many “secrets” (most of which are known to family and even the rest of the residents of this small town), so many betrayals. We have people consumed by alcohol (and/or drugs), mean-spirited control freaks, unfaithful spouses, guilty consciences, mental (and physical) illness and abject loneliness that comes with keeping all that bottled up. I’m exhausted by the effort required by these characters to hide so much and still co-exist in such tight quarters.
Martin is such a broken man, whose early promise has never been realized. I cannot help but think of the analogy of a basket of crabs … you don’t need a cover because if any one of the crabs tries to crawl out, the others will just drag it back into the basket. In this case it is Martin’s family situation, his loyalty to his mother, his guilt for leaving her, his shame for being who he is, a gay man in a time and place that will not tolerate such “aberration and sin.” He is so broken that he cannot even accept the love of his two loyal friends from high school – Liza and Hodge – who still love him for who he is despite his efforts to run from them.
And Martin’s sister, Ivy, is a marvelous character. Gifted (or cursed) with an ability to see and communicate with ghosts, she’s discounted by the townspeople and her family as insane and/or stupid. She is virtually invisible, mostly because no one wants to see her. As a result she’s a great observer and keeper of secrets.
As for the mystery of Martin’s missing older brother … Newton surprised me with several of the plot twists.
This is her only novel. I wish there were more for me to read.
From the book jacket Thirty years ago, Martin Owenby came to New York City with dreams of becoming a writer. Now his existence revolves around cheap Scotch and weekend flings with equally damaged men. When he learns that his older brother, Leon, has gone missing, he must return to the Owenby farm in Solace Fork, North Carolina, to assist in the search. But that means facing a past filled with regrets, the family that never understood him, the girl whose heart he broke, and the best friend who has faithfully kept the home fires burning.
My reactions:
Oh, what a tangled web we weave… I’m not sure what I was thinking, even from reading the book jacket, but this was quite a bit darker than I expected. There are so many things going on, so many “secrets” (most of which are known to family and even the rest of the residents of this small town), so many betrayals. We have people consumed by alcohol (and/or drugs), mean-spirited control freaks, unfaithful spouses, guilty consciences, mental (and physical) illness and abject loneliness that comes with keeping all that bottled up. I’m exhausted by the effort required by these characters to hide so much and still co-exist in such tight quarters.
Martin is such a broken man, whose early promise has never been realized. I cannot help but think of the analogy of a basket of crabs … you don’t need a cover because if any one of the crabs tries to crawl out, the others will just drag it back into the basket. In this case it is Martin’s family situation, his loyalty to his mother, his guilt for leaving her, his shame for being who he is, a gay man in a time and place that will not tolerate such “aberration and sin.” He is so broken that he cannot even accept the love of his two loyal friends from high school – Liza and Hodge – who still love him for who he is despite his efforts to run from them.
And Martin’s sister, Ivy, is a marvelous character. Gifted (or cursed) with an ability to see and communicate with ghosts, she’s discounted by the townspeople and her family as insane and/or stupid. She is virtually invisible, mostly because no one wants to see her. As a result she’s a great observer and keeper of secrets.
As for the mystery of Martin’s missing older brother … Newton surprised me with several of the plot twists.
This is her only novel. I wish there were more for me to read.
September 29, 2011
Under the Mercy Trees by Heather Newton is not easy to characterize. I think Southern Literary Fiction would be the best description, but if that was on a book shelf I would have never picked it up! Which would be a tragedy. Newton has created a full world filled with fascinating and distinct characters. While it's a fluid read issues of mental health, abuse, homophobia, love and family are dealt with head on. You aren't spared the painful details of the character's inner demons.
At first I thought the book was about Martin, and as you read the description and even other reviews, perhaps it is. But to me the book was about Ivy. Each chapter is written from a different point of view (clearly marked and stylistically in character at all times, really great writing there). However the entire book is written in third person except for Ivy's. Perhaps this is because of her particular brand of crazy. She sees and hears ghosts so vividly, at times she forgets who is alive and who is dead. This is easier to relate to via the first person because you are so deeply within her personal experiences. However as the story goes on and generations linger long after they die, it seems Ivy's story of regret is the underlining truth.
Under the Mercy Trees: A Novel
is set primarily in 1986. Back stories and personal histories go back fifty years easily, but the primary plot is set in the late 80s. With the main character being gay in a time of deep closeting and AIDS it is easy for authors to slip into stereotypes and outlines of characters instead of real people. Newton has expertly navigated the truth behind some of those stereotypes, allowing people to be as they truly are, while maintaining their individuality.
There are a few brilliant lines I'd love to quote for you, but was so engaged in reading I didn't bother to jot them down. So you'll have to trust me that the language is both authentically cultural for the south and striking in it's beauty. Under the Mercy Trees: A Novel
made me want to be a better writer.
At first I thought the book was about Martin, and as you read the description and even other reviews, perhaps it is. But to me the book was about Ivy. Each chapter is written from a different point of view (clearly marked and stylistically in character at all times, really great writing there). However the entire book is written in third person except for Ivy's. Perhaps this is because of her particular brand of crazy. She sees and hears ghosts so vividly, at times she forgets who is alive and who is dead. This is easier to relate to via the first person because you are so deeply within her personal experiences. However as the story goes on and generations linger long after they die, it seems Ivy's story of regret is the underlining truth.
Under the Mercy Trees: A Novel
is set primarily in 1986. Back stories and personal histories go back fifty years easily, but the primary plot is set in the late 80s. With the main character being gay in a time of deep closeting and AIDS it is easy for authors to slip into stereotypes and outlines of characters instead of real people. Newton has expertly navigated the truth behind some of those stereotypes, allowing people to be as they truly are, while maintaining their individuality.There are a few brilliant lines I'd love to quote for you, but was so engaged in reading I didn't bother to jot them down. So you'll have to trust me that the language is both authentically cultural for the south and striking in it's beauty. Under the Mercy Trees: A Novel
made me want to be a better writer.
February 19, 2021
A very dark read. Heather Newton's writing is captivating and interesting, and focuses mainly on all the wrongs done to Martin & others in his family and immediate community. With a title like "Under the Mercy Trees", I was hoping for more focus on mercy and forgiveness, instead of all the desperately sad wrongs in everyone's lives.
TO me, I've come away with the deeper understanding that "hurt people hurt people" and a renewed desire to treat everyone with care and compassion. Especially family, because they're the only ones that we'll be forever connected to.
TO me, I've come away with the deeper understanding that "hurt people hurt people" and a renewed desire to treat everyone with care and compassion. Especially family, because they're the only ones that we'll be forever connected to.
December 3, 2010
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No spoilers ever!
In the rural (fictional) town of Solace Forks, North Carolina, death and birth are the only events that can draw the Owensby family to share the same space. In Heather Newton’s lovely debut novel, her deeply flawed characters are not loveable or pitiable. But they are undeniably poignant. This is not a novel of young love and happy endings. The majority of her characters are eligible for the senior discount at the local Bojangles and share one thing in common. They are deeply dissatisfied but resigned to their lives. The disappearance of Leon Owensby provides a backdrop to the joining and breaking of bonds between the members of his family.
While the word “mystery” is used in early synopses of this book, the connotations associated with this word choice conjure unjust expectations. This is no paperback thriller with a neat conclusion. This is not a mystery novel. If anything, the characters are laid bare, whether past, present, missing or dead. They are raw and rough, tangled hopelessly in their family roots. Although Ms. Newton is from Raleigh, it is clear through her vivid perception that she is more than familiar with the small mountain towns in her home state. She peoples her story with salt-of-the-earth folk who might appear simple to someone more refined. However, they are anything but.
Martin Owensby has escaped the small town that threatened to suck him into an endlessly simple life of farming and family discord. Through seamlessly transitioned flashbacks, Newton shows the stunning contrast between the young and idealistic and the older selves who have lost their illusions about life. Martin left Solace Forks with aspirations to be a playwright. Decades later, his career petered out before it began. When his brother, Leon, is reported as missing, he reluctantly journeys home to the people and places he spent his life avoiding. Having hidden his homosexuality from his conservative family and friends, he dreads facing those he sought to forget.
In Solace Forks, we meet a cast of characters whose dreams have long dissipated. Throughout the novel, Newton reveals their losses and heartbreak with elegant metaphors and imagery. Liza, Martin’s high school sweetheart, has never learned to stop loving him despite the futility. His brother James and wife Bertie have resigned themselves to a marriage lacking in intimacy. Martin’s sister Ivy, who sees ghosts, is more haunted by the loss of years with her three children, who were taken into foster care. Although two of her children are devoted to her in adulthood, she can never forget the third, who was irreparably damaged.
Locked together by blood and marriage, the large Owensby clan fights, unable to let go of the what-ifs that stain their lives. Martin’s journey is the centerpiece as he learns to accept his family and connect who he his to who he thought he would be. Newton lightly weaves the issues of alcoholism, adultery, child abuse and homophobia throughout the book. The apt name of the town, Solace Fork, speaks not only of sorrow and choices but also of healing. The title embodies the inhabitants’ search for a seemingly irretrievable peace and forgiveness – whether from a lost loved one, a spouse or God.
Heather Newton does not take the easy formulaic path of Character A + Character B + Forgotten Love = Happily Ever After. The deep issues in the novel are not so easily resolved. Her writing and descriptions are authentic and touching. While you don’t always like her characters, you feel their dilemmas and wish along with them for second chances. Overall, the book was well written, captivating and worthy of praise. If it is not buried in an avalanche of new releases, Under the Mercy Trees has the chance be a true standout work of literature when it hits shelves on January 18th, 2011.
No spoilers ever!
In the rural (fictional) town of Solace Forks, North Carolina, death and birth are the only events that can draw the Owensby family to share the same space. In Heather Newton’s lovely debut novel, her deeply flawed characters are not loveable or pitiable. But they are undeniably poignant. This is not a novel of young love and happy endings. The majority of her characters are eligible for the senior discount at the local Bojangles and share one thing in common. They are deeply dissatisfied but resigned to their lives. The disappearance of Leon Owensby provides a backdrop to the joining and breaking of bonds between the members of his family.
While the word “mystery” is used in early synopses of this book, the connotations associated with this word choice conjure unjust expectations. This is no paperback thriller with a neat conclusion. This is not a mystery novel. If anything, the characters are laid bare, whether past, present, missing or dead. They are raw and rough, tangled hopelessly in their family roots. Although Ms. Newton is from Raleigh, it is clear through her vivid perception that she is more than familiar with the small mountain towns in her home state. She peoples her story with salt-of-the-earth folk who might appear simple to someone more refined. However, they are anything but.
Martin Owensby has escaped the small town that threatened to suck him into an endlessly simple life of farming and family discord. Through seamlessly transitioned flashbacks, Newton shows the stunning contrast between the young and idealistic and the older selves who have lost their illusions about life. Martin left Solace Forks with aspirations to be a playwright. Decades later, his career petered out before it began. When his brother, Leon, is reported as missing, he reluctantly journeys home to the people and places he spent his life avoiding. Having hidden his homosexuality from his conservative family and friends, he dreads facing those he sought to forget.
In Solace Forks, we meet a cast of characters whose dreams have long dissipated. Throughout the novel, Newton reveals their losses and heartbreak with elegant metaphors and imagery. Liza, Martin’s high school sweetheart, has never learned to stop loving him despite the futility. His brother James and wife Bertie have resigned themselves to a marriage lacking in intimacy. Martin’s sister Ivy, who sees ghosts, is more haunted by the loss of years with her three children, who were taken into foster care. Although two of her children are devoted to her in adulthood, she can never forget the third, who was irreparably damaged.
Locked together by blood and marriage, the large Owensby clan fights, unable to let go of the what-ifs that stain their lives. Martin’s journey is the centerpiece as he learns to accept his family and connect who he his to who he thought he would be. Newton lightly weaves the issues of alcoholism, adultery, child abuse and homophobia throughout the book. The apt name of the town, Solace Fork, speaks not only of sorrow and choices but also of healing. The title embodies the inhabitants’ search for a seemingly irretrievable peace and forgiveness – whether from a lost loved one, a spouse or God.
Heather Newton does not take the easy formulaic path of Character A + Character B + Forgotten Love = Happily Ever After. The deep issues in the novel are not so easily resolved. Her writing and descriptions are authentic and touching. While you don’t always like her characters, you feel their dilemmas and wish along with them for second chances. Overall, the book was well written, captivating and worthy of praise. If it is not buried in an avalanche of new releases, Under the Mercy Trees has the chance be a true standout work of literature when it hits shelves on January 18th, 2011.
March 12, 2014
Heather Newton has written a remarkable novel that plunges deep into the hearts and souls of a family as they struggle to deal with the disappearance of one of their own. Leon Owensby lived alone in the dilapidated home-place, a hard, taciturn man, like his father before him, with no apparent ambition other than to be left alone. But it hadn't always been so. Leon had once burned with a secret desire that had almost torn the family apart. And the ghost of that desire threatens the family once again now that Leon is missing and presumed dead. Like all great Southern stories, real or imagined, this one is filled with longing, regret, and the stifling pressure of a culture that prevents its victims from being their true selves.
I was struck by the authenticity of the characters Newton portrays; if you grew up in the South, especially in the southern Appalachians, you will recognize these people, trapped in a shared reality of poverty and ignorance that few escape. Even those that do manage to leave the fold, like Martin Owensby, Leon's younger brother who went away to college, can never truly recover from the scars of his raising.
Newton does a masterful job of drawing you into the family, slowly revealing the secrets of the story in alternating chapters from each character's point of view. Each of the characters is a fully-realized human being, and the relationships between them are both discordant and unbreakable. Read this book for the people that fill it, accompany them on their journey as they struggle to find a new equilibrium after the disappearance of one of their own. I highly recommend Under the Mercy Trees to anyone who enjoys compelling, character-based fiction.
I was struck by the authenticity of the characters Newton portrays; if you grew up in the South, especially in the southern Appalachians, you will recognize these people, trapped in a shared reality of poverty and ignorance that few escape. Even those that do manage to leave the fold, like Martin Owensby, Leon's younger brother who went away to college, can never truly recover from the scars of his raising.
Newton does a masterful job of drawing you into the family, slowly revealing the secrets of the story in alternating chapters from each character's point of view. Each of the characters is a fully-realized human being, and the relationships between them are both discordant and unbreakable. Read this book for the people that fill it, accompany them on their journey as they struggle to find a new equilibrium after the disappearance of one of their own. I highly recommend Under the Mercy Trees to anyone who enjoys compelling, character-based fiction.
December 30, 2010
I love a good drama, and this one was surely that. The eloquent writing style of this author makes it hard to believe this is her debut book. The imagery and wonderfully descriptive style of this story made it a true delight to read.
As the story progressed, somewhat slowly at times, I found myself becoming very attached to the Owenby family. Each family member was flawed in some way and you couldn't help as a reader, to become invested in their lives. While the entire lot of characters were dysfunctional, as a whole they seemed to mesh and they all played an integral part in each other's lives and in the story itself. What I especially admired was that by the end of the story they were, for the most part, able to come to terms with their own lives and achieve some sort of peace of mind.
While the overall tone of the story was sad and depressing, it didn't take away from my reading enjoyment. Let's face it, not everything works out all the time, and it was refreshing to read a story that allowed for this bit of reality.
As the story progressed, somewhat slowly at times, I found myself becoming very attached to the Owenby family. Each family member was flawed in some way and you couldn't help as a reader, to become invested in their lives. While the entire lot of characters were dysfunctional, as a whole they seemed to mesh and they all played an integral part in each other's lives and in the story itself. What I especially admired was that by the end of the story they were, for the most part, able to come to terms with their own lives and achieve some sort of peace of mind.
While the overall tone of the story was sad and depressing, it didn't take away from my reading enjoyment. Let's face it, not everything works out all the time, and it was refreshing to read a story that allowed for this bit of reality.
June 10, 2011
"I am not sure how to really go into this review. I both liked it and disliked it. I disliked it because it was such a long story that was drug out too much, at times. I liked it, however, because this first time author really shows talent and created a complex, dramatic story that is life like and filled with characters who have flaws. Not fake-y stuff. Simple, normal, and even dysfunctional flaws. That's what brings out the complexity of the novel." I actually stole this review from someone else because it matched my feeling exactly. I could not fall in love with any of the characters, yet I found myself enjoying one or two of them from time to time. I would read more from this author... the era and storytelling kept me interested even when the characters turned me off.
December 13, 2016
I was surprised by how good this book was. I got it because a local bookstore was moving the next day and was selling the few volumes it had left for $2-$5. This "$2 book" was in the N.C. writers section. I had never heard of the author and it was her first book (though she was published in some NC magazines). I was surprised and delighted by an excellent story with magnificent characters told in beautiful prose. I can't imagine anyone not liking this book.
June 23, 2012
Good. Read it for the book club. Looking forward to the discussion and hearing other opinions.
July 25, 2013
Could not finish. I got bored with the family stories. I wanted something more. This book failed to keep my attention.
July 27, 2020
Being homosexual was not nearly as acceptable in the 1980s as it is today, especially in a small North Carolina mountain town. The deceptions and depression this caused for gay men and women and the non-gay people who loved them should not be underestimated. In the main character's family of many brothers, it was not surprising that at least one of them was gay. His secret would have caused deep disgust in his community, although several of his straight brothers were the truly despicable members of his family. The author does an excellent job of developing her complex characters and their many odd entanglements with each other. Reminded me of the writing of Richard Russo.
May 25, 2019
Beautifully Crafted
I do stars easily, but I don't often write reviews. I, however, feel compelled to remark upon this intricately woven and unfolding story. Each character is carefully crafted, weaving back and forth through time. This allows us to partake of the stories that creates the choices forming the basis of what we become; as individuals, as friends, as members of family and community. Written with authority and compassion, this wonderful book held my attention and has inspired in me a hope that there is much more out there by this author.
I do stars easily, but I don't often write reviews. I, however, feel compelled to remark upon this intricately woven and unfolding story. Each character is carefully crafted, weaving back and forth through time. This allows us to partake of the stories that creates the choices forming the basis of what we become; as individuals, as friends, as members of family and community. Written with authority and compassion, this wonderful book held my attention and has inspired in me a hope that there is much more out there by this author.
October 22, 2024
There was something about this author's eloquent use of words that drew me into.this story and made me stay. Each character was intricately woven into a unique but deeply flawed human who.then meshed perfectly (or imperfectly.as it may be) with each of the other characters. The story flowed and even the.jumping back and forth.between both time and characters did not district. It rolled along like a southern stream. There was an overwhleming sadness.that permeated.this entire novel, but it's ok. Some lives are never happy.
April 23, 2018
A stunning voice, capturing the tone and turmoil of a family in southern Appalachia with perfect precision. The characters resonate, and the writing is beautiful. Ron Rash has nothing on Heather Newton. Can't wait for her next book.
June 25, 2019
Under the Mercy Trees
I enjoyed this book, but it was too detailed with unnecessary sentences. The ending left you asking more questions of “what happened with”. The story line itself was great and you could say these characters are just like some individuals you know!
I enjoyed this book, but it was too detailed with unnecessary sentences. The ending left you asking more questions of “what happened with”. The story line itself was great and you could say these characters are just like some individuals you know!
January 16, 2022
I heard an interview by this author on NPR, and decided to check her out. I was not disappointed. I love regional authors anyway, and she is near me--in Asheville, NC.
I will probably check on some of her other books.
I will probably check on some of her other books.
February 5, 2017
Beautiful atmospheric writing, folksy dialogue, people coming to terms with their ghosts, and the complicated webs woven by family. Somewhat predictable at times, but an enjoyable read nonetheless.
July 25, 2017
Excellent
April 25, 2018
Thoughtful, deep "study" of family members dealing with trauma.
July 25, 2018
Exceptional.
June 7, 2019
Very evocative writing.
A favorite style of mine. What I call Southern imaginings.
It says "that's exactly what it looks like".
Will look for more from this author.
A favorite style of mine. What I call Southern imaginings.
It says "that's exactly what it looks like".
Will look for more from this author.
June 8, 2019
This is a fantastic family drama. I highly recommend!
June 11, 2019
Interesting novel about family secrets and the damage it can do to the family. Hated the ending though.
June 25, 2019
Was a very good read. Mix of charters. Family of troubled people.
October 19, 2019
It I loved the different points of view. A great read with lots of interesting characters.
July 19, 2020
A compelling story that had me totally involved with the characters.
February 20, 2021
Very well crafted book but the storyline was really NOT my thing.
November 5, 2021
The author shows a command of detail woven within a story line that captivates the reader.
February 19, 2022
I felt I knew these characters. The family dynamics are real. This story feels like it was told from the soul. I highly recommend this book.
September 6, 2024
It just didn’t seem to have a point to me
Displaying 1 - 30 of 143 reviews