the mercies kiran millwood hargrave review

His fanaticism is chiefly directed at the Sami people, such as Maren’s sister-in-law Diinna, but it doesn’t take much persuading for some members of the community to turn on any of those who are different or whose ways they don’t understand.Īfter the drama of the opening chapters, I found the pace of the book lagged a little as the focus moves to charting the gradual development of the relationship between Maren and Ursa from dependence, to trust, to friendship and affection. In particular, Ursa’s husband, Absalom Cornet, is cruel, brutal and unfeeling, convinced he is doing God’s work by rooting out witches. If you’re looking for male characters with any admirable qualities you’re going to be disappointed, the exception perhaps being the captain of the ship that brings Ursa to Vardø. Following the loss of the men of the village, Vardø becomes a community of women forced to fend for themselves in ways some consider ‘ungodly’. The daily tasks carried out by the women of the community are described in detail: butchering reindeer meat, baking bread, foraging for herbs or birds’ eggs, preparing and sowing skins into garments.

The author really conveys the hardships of living in such an inhospitable environment.

There’s no doubt that The Mercies has real atmosphere with its dramatic opening scenes and the sense of folklore and traditions handed down through generations that runs through it. Links provided for convenience only, not as part of an affiliate programme Publication date: 11th February 2020 Genre: Historical Fictionĭisclosure: If you buy a book via the above link, I may earn a commission from , whose fees support independent bookshops Inspired by the real events of the Vardø storm and the 1620 witch trials, The Mercies is a feminist story of love, evil, and obsession, set at the edge of civilization.įormat: Hardcover (352 pages) Publisher: Pan Macmillan But Absalom sees only a place untouched by God and flooded with a mighty evil.Īs Maren and Ursa are pushed together and 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.

In Vardø, and in Maren, Ursa sees something she has never seen before: independent women. He brings with him his young Norwegian wife, Ursa, who is both heady with her husband’s authority and terrified by it. Absalom Cornet comes from Scotland, where he burned witches in the northern isles. Three years later, a sinister figure arrives. With the menfolk wiped out, the women of the tiny Northern town of Vardø must fend for themselves. Forty fishermen, including her brother and father, are drowned and left broken on the rocks below. Twenty-year-old Maren Bergensdatter stands on the craggy coast, watching the sea break into a sudden and reckless storm.

The mercies kiran millwood hargrave review