Monday's Pick: Mercy Among the Children

Mercy Among the Children
David Adams Richards
A Giller Prize winner and a Canada Reads 2009 title! Richards’ tightly-written novel is set in a rural, improvised community in New Brunswick‘s Miramichi Valley. It pulsates with everything from arson, murder and rape to alcoholism, avarice, adultery and abuse. Oddly enough, Richards might stun you into reserving judgment and even into feeling compassion or a glimmer of understanding for the basest of his characters. When pre-teen Sydney Henderson, no stranger to violence and abuse, pushes Connie off a roof, he vows never to hurt anyone if Connie survives. He holds firm to his life-long vow of non-violence. Escalating false charges, including manslaughter, make no dent to his Buddha-like compassion and non-reactive gentleness. An unforgiving community shuns the Hendersons. His raging son, Lyle explores a starkly opposed path of personal power, fear and violence in defense of his family. He must now bear the burden of his choices. A challenging but brilliant must-read!