The Mercies ~ Kiran Millwood Hargrave

The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave is set on a remote island in Norway during the seventeenth century. One Christmas Eve, a storm takes the lives of all the working-age men on the island. The women have then got to figure out how to survive. Some believe they should take the jobs of the men, others believe this is against their religion. Rifts begin to form. Eighteen months after the storm, a man arrives from Scotland to be their commissioner. The rifts between the women get worse. The novel follows Maren, one of the islanders and Ursa, the commissioner’s wife. 

Kiran Millwood Hargrave has a wonderful way of describing things that makes it almost seem like fantasy, despite describing real-life events and locations. The imagery is beautiful and it makes me want to visit Norway and see the fjords and stand on the cliffs after collecting white heather. 

Historical fiction is not normally my cup of tea. Neither are books that are character-driven rather than plot-driven. I really enjoyed this. It might have helped that it was an area of the world and its history that I knew nothing about, paired with witch-hunting, something I’ve always been a little fascinated with. 

I loved both the main characters and how their views on the world and themselves changed once they met each other and became friends. The budding romance between the two of them was sweet even if the outcome was inevitable. 

I read The Mercies in (pretty much) one sitting as I was determined to finish it before 2021 ended. I don’t think this is the way to read this book as I would’ve liked to allow myself more time to take in what was happening and the slow, festering way that suspicion spread. 

Overall, I enjoyed this book and give it four stars, despite it not being my usual choice of read. 

C🌙