Thursday, August 21, 2014

Book Review: Sweet Mercy

Sweet Mercy. Ann Tatlock. 2013. Bethany House. 400 pages. [Source: Gift]

Sweet Mercy is historical fiction set in 1931 in Mercy, Ohio. It is partly a coming-of-age story, and partly a romance. Sweet Mercy is very much about Prohibition. Is it a good law? a bad law? a foolish law? a wise law?

The heroine is seventeen year old Eve Marryat. Her family has recently moved to town to stay with her Uncle Cy who owns and runs Marryat Island Ballroom and Lodge. Her family will be contributing by working whatever jobs are needed for her Uncle on any given day. Eve will have some time to herself, but, she'll also spend plenty of time working. She'll meet some people her own age. She'll have her first romance, for better or worse.

Eve has a lot to learn about life in the summer of 1931. It is a life-changing summer in many ways. She has much to consider, much to decide, much to realize. Can a person be both good and bad? Can a good person do bad things? Can a bad person do good things? How can you tell a good person from a bad person if they both are capable of doing good and bad?

I loved many things about Sweet Mercy. I loved Eve and her family. I loved Eve's friendship with her step-cousin, Jones. I appreciated the character of Jones. I felt for him, I really did. And I loved to see Eve reach out to him as she did. I also liked Eve's developing relationship with her future husband. I liked the framework of the story: the framework being her telling the story of that summer to her grandson.

© Becky Laney of Operation Actually Read Bible

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