Toni Morrison’s A Mercy – A Book Review

Toni Morrison’s “A Mercy” could be classed as a novella as it is around forty thousand words. This is a book by Ms Morrison; that has been hailed as one of her very best works, according to reviewers and critics. “A Mercy” is an exceptionally, crafted work of fiction that depict an epic story in only one hundred and sixty-seven pages.

Set in the seventeenth century; a Dutch orphan and very determined man named Jacob Vaark is in the process of putting together a complex home in the New World. His wife Rebekka is a mail-order bride from England, who was the daughter of very cruel parents who exiled her. Jacob and Rebekka have no children, so they rely on the help of three other women. A Native American called Lina, Sorrow a survivor from a ship wreck and Florens who is a young black girl who Vaark takes on as part of an agreement concerning a bad debt. Lina, Sorrow and Florens join Vaark’s household as companions for the couple.

Rebekka finds herself becoming a close companion to Lina, the Native American and she finds it easier to relate to Lina, than her other church going female acquaintances that live nearby. Ms Morrison offers a view into how life may have worked back in this era and how these people coexisted and lived in peace with each other. Vaark sees himself as a man who rescues people and abhors the people who traffic in slaves. Ms Morrison describes her character as ordinary people who were like the migrants of today, who came here without help, struggling to survive in the wilderness. The story is told from the perspective of the women who have come here from their own tragic lives.

For each member of Vaark’s household the circumstances that they live in now represent an improvement over what their lives were before joining Vaark and Rebekka. Vaark is an ambitious man who has visions of creating an impressive family manor, which will stand as a monument to the heirs that did not survive.

Florens, the young black girl who is desperate for love becomes infatuated with the new blacksmith who has come to work for Vaark. Her obvious fascination and attraction to this man will end in tragic circumstances. The blacksmith’s arrival sets off a chain of events that will accelerate the destruction of Vaark’s family manor. Vaark passes away as a result of small pox before he is even able to move into his new home. The blacksmith has skills as a healer, however his remedies tend to affect the person’s psychological state as well as their physical well-being

The narrative of this book centers around the characters and whilst Ms Morrison is excellent in giving the reader many details about her characters and their stories, she is even more skilled at holding certain pieces of information at bay in order to keep the reader turning the pages. She does this many times throughout the story and especially in the last few pages of the story she is able to tie up all the loose ends effectively. Ms Morrison ends this book with a satisfying resolution that connects the opening story with the end.

A Mercy is an absolutely stunning book from an amazing author that tells the reader a very interesting story about how people lived together back in time that is unimaginable for some generations. It is a great American story, one that is thoughtful and provoking.

For more information about Toni Morrison, you can visit her website.

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Copyright© 2013 Janelle Coulton