Customer Reviews

The Shape of Mercy: A Novel

5 star:		(71)
4 star:		(26)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Susan Meissner captivates from page one. She takes a handful of people in quiet crisis of the soul and pulls them together into a story, weaving threads of mercy, love, grace and tragedy from present day to 1692.

The point of view and focus changes from ancient, fragile diary pages to modern here and now issues like relationships keeps the horror of the happenings during the Salem Witch Trials from becoming too much and too hard.

I know a book or a movie is pure gold if I walk away but can't leave the characters or the situations. I know a novel has gotten under my skin if I feel a sadness that colors how I think or absorb things for a few days. The Shape of Mercy is a golden sliver.

Some will not like it. Readers who don't care for deep literary styles or a glimpse into sorrow or evil be warned - heavy subjects are covered -- life, death, regret, love. Others might not want to read it if they expect all Christian fiction to have a gospel message clearly presented, there is only a light touch within these pages. However, there is a depth that will cause a reader to look within and ponder life and death.

Susan Meissner has yet to disappoint me. I hope her work continues to receives wider notice. Talent with all aspects of writing put her solidly in the category of must read.

I won't summarize Shape of Mercy since there are adequate ones elsewhere. I felt the author created something unusual for the Christian market--a book where faith is woven in tight, small, and strong. You can't pull the faith element without losing the story. And yet, it's not overpowering or overbearing. It is certainly a book that keeps you reading. I did not like it when I had to put it down. I cared about the three women very much. I liked that Lauren was flawed. Although I hated how she behaved at certain times, I still wanted to walk through this story with her. I always enjoy historical fiction (because I hated history textbooks and learned little), so the historical thread captured me as well. It made me want to read more on the subject.

Lauren is a rich girl who has chosen to be on her own, away from her wealthy family. She is a college student trying to fend for herself. She manages to get a job transcribing the diary of an ancestor of a former librarian. Lauren begins to get lost in the world of Mercy, a young woman living during the Salem Witch Trials. She finds herself being drawn into a tale that she knows will end tragically but she finds she cannot stop herself from reading. As she continues with her work, Lauren begins to see how a girl who lived centuries ago shares the same feelings and angst that she herself feels today.

Wow when I finished this book, I nearly broke down and cried. This book was so moving and heartbreaking. Just like Lauren, it was difficult for me to keep reading Mercy's entries in the diary. Yet I too kept being drawn towards it. Even though I am one who tends to want to know the ending first, this time I didn't want the story to continue. I wanted Mercy to be able to enjoy her life as long as she could. I didn't want to read about the wrongful accusations and the hardships she was forced to suffer. And just like Lauren, I was not eager to read about her death. The Salem Witch Trials was a time in our nation's history that is very dark and one period that would like to be forgotten. I think what made the event more tragic was that it was supposedly all done in the name of Christianity. This unfortunately NOT Christ intended for his followers to act like. I understand their intentions but I really felt that the Puritans of that time didn't really understand God's love and grace. Lauren's story is equally as enthralling. I think the reason why I enjoyed it as much as I did was because she's around the same age as I am. I personally didn't see anything wrong with her way of thinking as opposed to her roommate, who actually got on my nerves at times. But I liked her character very much, and her job of transcribing the diary sounds like a dream job for a history major like myself. Abigail too held an interesting story, and it was hers that made me want to cry. A lifetime of regret due to being afraid to love. Susan Meissner has created another masterpiece. Every one of her books has made my top 10 list of the year and this one definitely will be added to it. VERY HIGHLY recommended.

Moving, haunting, compelling. Three words that describe this wonderful book, which is now a keeper on my bookshelf. Susan Meissner did her job a little too well, if that's even possible. The horror and heartbreak of the Salem Witch Trials was brought to life for me in a way I've never before experienced. Oh, I knew the history - but in a detached, factual way. After reading The Shape of Mercy, I was able to see how it would truly have felt to be a part of that history: terrified for myself, afraid to lose a member of my family, afraid to leave my home, wondering what kind of madness this was, wondering where God was hiding Himself. That last evokes a lot of emotion - the experience would have tested my faith in a huge and new way. I just can't believe that all of that really happened, that people could be imprisoned and hanged based on accusations in a fear-driven society.

The main theme of this story is love, and choices. Not a love-at-first-sight kind of love, but a sacrificial, unselfish, true love. Lauren and Abigail are each affected in different ways by the love demonstrated in Mercy's diary, which was heartbreaking and bittersweet. It was too real - sometimes I forgot I was reading fiction, though of course it was not far from what a young girl like Mercy would have felt and thought at that time. I was also able to relate to Lauren's struggles. I felt for her as she searched her mind and heart and Mercy's diary, trying to find herself and figure out what life is really about.

I did not want The Shape of Mercy to end.* It. Was. Amazing. Without a doubt my best read this year, at least when it comes to most memorable and cared-for characters. The settings, both present-day and historical Salem, were rich and vivid. I loved the description of Abigail's library, and when I read that Lauren was reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn I knew I would have to read it, too. There are so many layers to this book, it's one that you'll want to pick up and read again and again. I can assure you I will be reading this again, and finding author Susan Meissner's other books as soon as possible!

*Hey, wait! It doesn't have to end! Awesome author Susan Meissner has created a blog that continues the story with posts by characters Abigail, Lauren, Clarissa (Lauren's roommate), Esperanza (Abigail's housekeeper), and even newly discovered writings by Mercy! I was so thrilled when I discovered this! Go check it out once you've read The Shape of Mercy!

Lauren Durough, a college student born into privalege, takes a job which she does not truly need transcribing the diary of a young girl, Mercy Hayworth, accused of witchcraft during the Salem Witch Trials. The wealthy elderly woman who hires Lauren, Abigail, is an indirect descendent of Mercy. As the story within the diary is revealed, the lives of Lauren and Abigail seem to reflect and be influenced by the events within the diary.

The story within the diary, beautifully revealed against the context of the present-day storyline, is heart-wrenching and bittersweet. It brought to life the fragility of existence in the 1600's as well as its beauty.

As Lauren becomes captivated by Mercy's life and learns more and more of Abigail's, she begins to understand love, loss, and how to truly live. She helps Abigail, consumed by personal losses, come to acceptance and forgiveness.

The author brought Mercy to life. The other characters, however seemed shallow and undeveloped and I could not feel much empathy toward them. Their lives and loves seemed a pale shadow to the vast and unselfish love of Mercy.

Side note: I was surprised to find a couple of minor errors within the book that a good editor should have detected. Also the kindle edition had a number of spelling and punctuation mistakes that were distracting.

Meissner had me on page one, and the weekend flew by. Her expert weaving of two stories ties together, and an intriguing event in America's history linked with a modern day woman took me away into both worlds. One of the best I've read in years. Well done, Susan.

I loved Shape of Mercy because it mixed history with the contemporary and really made me think. Susan Meissner writes beautifully, and I loved her unique word pictures (eg. "I leaned into that warm place between a man's neck and chest where a turned head fits like a glove.")
Definitely a book to absorb slowly and enjoy over time.

I just read this book in a day. Not something I normally do, but I couldn't put it down. This is the story of two young women, one 18 year old girl living in a Puritan village near Salem town in the 17th century and a 20 year old college student who is transcribing a 300 year old diary. Each girl is dealing with the issue of how society perceives people, whether good or evil, or rich or poor. Both girls love to write.

Mercy is a young woman who is a believer living through a difficult time in American history, the Salem witch trials. She has already lost half her family and her father is ill. She loves to write stories that are constantly flying through her head, but the puritan society frowns upon this. Mercy does not quite fit in the the Puritan society, but there is a young man who cannot keep his eyes off her.

Lauren is a college student from a privileged family who wants to make her own way in life. She answers an add as a literary assistant and is hired to transcribe Mercy's diary. She has no idea how much Mercy's life will affect her own and challenge her own views of how she herself views people.

Susan's writing is just magical. Even though you know from the beginning that Mercy will die in the witch trials, it is still filled with suspense and things turned out in a very surprising way.

I loved this book! There are three main characters. The first is a modern-day college student. She is from a wealthy upper class family and has chosen to live differently from what she believes is expected of her. She attends a state university rather than Sanford and lives in the dorm rather than in a condo. She decides to get a job to earn her own spending money and is hired to transcribe a diary owned by the second main character--a retired librarian who was born into a wealthy family. The third character is the author of the diary--a young woman accused of witchcraft in Salem in the 1600's. Through the process of transcribing the diary, the two modern-day characters learn about themselves.

I guess the book is marketed as Christian fiction, and it mentions going to church or praying a couple of times, but while much Christian fiction is obviously written for a certain market and would likley turn off non-Christians, this book isn't like that. As a matter of fact, if you are looking for a book that explictly teaches about Christ or urges you to accept Him, this isn't it.

I found the ending morally interesting -- that's all I'll say.

A present-day novel about the Salem Witch Trials? Sign me up! I think this book is fantastic. The story is compelling and well-formed, and the historical topic is refreshingly relevant to today without being overwrought. The writing itself is sometimes a little hackneyed, like the author tries too hard to make the protagonist into something deeper than maybe she really is. But most of the time the writing didn't get in the way of the really good story. I am so glad to have read this book - it's interesting without being overbearing, the plot moves quickly but not too fast, and the protagonist is introspective without being too focused on her own navel (most of the time). If you're looking for a satisfying, compelling, and easily read historical fiction, I would recommend this novel.