The Mercies
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The Mercies
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Narrated by:
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Jessie Buckley
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Written by:
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Kiran Millwood Hargrave
About this listen
After the men in an Arctic Norwegian town are wiped out, the women must survive a sinister threat in this "perfectly told" 1600s parable of "a world gone mad" (Adriana Trigiani).
Finnmark, Norway, 1617. Twenty-year-old Maren Magnusdatter stands on the craggy coast, watching the sea break into a sudden and reckless storm. Forty fishermen, including her brother and father, are drowned and left broken on the rocks below. With the menfolk wiped out, the women of the tiny Arctic town of Vardø must fend for themselves.
Three years later, a stranger arrives on their shore. Absalom Cornet comes from Scotland, where he burned witches in the northern isles. He brings with him his young Norwegian wife, Ursa, who is both heady with her husband's authority and terrified by it. In Vardø, and in Maren, Ursa sees something she has never seen before: independent women. But Absalom sees only a place untouched by God, and flooded with a mighty evil.
As Maren and Ursa are drawn to one another in ways that surprise them both, the island begins to close in on them, with Absalom's iron rule threatening Vardø's very existence. Inspired by the real events of the Vardø storm and the 1621 witch trials, The Mercies is a story of love, evil, and obsession, set at the edge of civilization.
One of the Best Books of the Year - USA Today, Good Housekeeping
©2020 Kiran Millwood Hargrave (P)2020 Little, Brown & CompanyWhat the critics say
"The Mercies is an exceptional work of historical fiction with a dramatic setting and perceptive insight into the rippling effects of extremism, as seen through the eyes of a carefully crafted cast of characters." (Bookpage)
"Kiran Millwood Hargrave's wonderful The Mercies is a mesmerizing, heart-wrenching novel which had me desperate for the women of Vardo to win through. A perfect book club choice." (AJ Pearce, author of Dear Mrs. Bird)
"The Mercies is both harrowing and beautiful. This is a book to be savored and read time and again." (Jenny Quintana, author of The Missing Girl)
What listeners say about The Mercies
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Chelsea Patterson
- 2022-11-03
Brilliant!
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
Is spookily timely.
We are thrown into a story that illustrates how men in the 1600s changed and shaped the lives of Maren and Ursa. Maren’s life because they have all died in their small town, from an ungodly storm. And Ursa’s as she is wedded off by her father to a man who is looking for love and admiration Ursa cannot provide.
The presence and lack of men leads to suspicion, religious fever, tails of witchcraft, family striff, love and new destinies. It is a wonderfully written book, full of emotions and inner thoughts. However, I found it difficult to read at certain parts because of some character’s misogyny. Truly the misogyny of the time is upsetting, eg. women who are starving decided to fish, having no men that can do this work for them, therefore they must be witches.
You know what will happen, we know the history of witch trials. But perhaps not the witch trials of Norway, and Scotland’s involvement. It’s rather interesting. What makes the story more compelling is as the author put it, the novel is about how they lived, not how they died or were subsequently known for. As such it’s very suspenseful. Is this scene what kicks off the witch hunt, the next, when will it happen? Who will it be? A very compelling read.
This novel is for anyone who enjoys historical fiction, feminist fiction, LGBQ2A+. It is heavy on grief, and marital rape - although not graphic.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Mia Enns
- 2022-03-31
Wonderfully written and masterfully narrated
This book is brought to life by the masterful narration of Jessie Buckley. Transported through time to northern Finmark as rumours of witchcraft run rampant, the story will enthral you, leave you anxious with suspense, and build you up with dread as it reaches its final climax. The Narration brought the characters and the setting to life, and was hooked from beginning to end.
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- PurpleyPumpkin
- 2022-02-19
Thought provoking
This was an excellent book! It was dark and foreboding, but how could it not be given the subject matter. I'm always surprised with how cruel humanity can be when people don't understand something. Fear is a great motivator, unfortunately. This story kept me thinking. Even when I wasn't reading it, my mind would wander back to it. I feel sure that I'll read this again someday. The narrator, Jessie Buckley, did a wonderful job evoking a tense atmosphere and bringing the characters to life.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Tyne
- 2022-01-11
Major Bummer
So, no spoilers, but this is not a happy book. I can't avoid saying it's beautiful and really good with a storyline which sets it apart from others; it's a great book. But it made me so sad.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Cecil Bee
- 2020-12-15
Excellent narrator
Gorgeous story, slow to build but worth it in the end. The narration was perfect.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Lacy
- 2023-06-28
So good!
A beautifully written novel and the audio performance made it come to life! This book won’t disappoint.
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Johannah
- 2020-12-03
I wanted more...
I really feel as though thw author could have spent more time developing the characters and exploring their motivations beyond jealousy and hysteria. I would have liked characters that were more complex. It felt a bit simplistic.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall3 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story2 out of 5 stars
- MH
- 2020-09-17
Depressing and sad
Was hoping for more empowerment before the ultimately depressing ending. Instead the whole book was joyless and sad. None of the characters were interesting or likeable, and some of them were downright despicable. The true story is very sad. This book is sad. Read it if you want to be sad.
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4 people found this helpful