Sweet Mercy
Stunning coming-of-age drama set during the Great Depression and Prohibition
When Eve Marryat's father is laid off from the Ford Motor Company in 1931, he is forced to support his family by leaving St. Paul, Minnesota, and moving back to his Ohio roots. Eve's uncle Cyrus has invited the family to live and work at his Marryat Island Ballroom and Lodge.
Eve can't wait to leave St. Paul, a notorious haven for gangsters. At seventeen, she considers her family to be "good people," not lawbreakers like so many in her neighborhood. Thrilled to be moving to a "safe haven," Eve soon forms an unlikely friendship with a strange young man named Link, blissfully unaware that her uncle's lodge is anything but what it seems.
When the reality of her situation finally becomes clear, Eve is faced with a dilemma. Does she dare risk everything by exposing the man whose love and generosity is keeping her family from ruin? And when things turn dangerous, can she trust Link in spite of appearances?
Ann Tatlock
Ann Tatlock is the author of the Christy-Award winning novel Promises to Keep. She has also won the Midwest Independent Publishers Association "Book of the Year" in fiction for both All the Way Home and I'll Watch the Moon. Her novel Things We Once Held Dear received a starred review from Library Journal and Publishers Weekly calls her "one of Christian fiction's better wordsmiths, and her lovely prose reminds readers why it is a joy to savor her stories." Ann lives with her husband and daughter in Asheville, North Carolina.
My Review:
Eve Marryat grew up quick living in St. Paul, MN during Prohibition. The place was filled with corruption, guns firing, and she witnessed a murder. From that she had nightmares, and when her Dad lost his job, the family decided to move to Ohio, Eve was thrilled. Her Uncle Cy owns Marryat Lodge in Mercy OH. It is rather a resort, and now she is moving to what looks like Paradise, from gun fire to peaceful boat rides on the river. Things are not all what they appear, and neither are the people. If you are not familiar with Prohibition, this book brings a lot of it to light. We also meet a Cousin, well, a Step-Cousin Jones, who is an Albino. Again not to many are familiar with this affliction. We find a lot of tough decisions here, to follow the law? Or to protect a friend or family.
I also wondered for awhile who Eve was going to end up with, and there is a bit of a surprise here. I also loved that the family had a strong faith in God, and had learned to lean in Him. This is a fairly fast and interesting read, it didn't take me long to get through it. We do see in the beginning of the book and the Epilogue that Eve has a Grandson...she must have married. This is a read that you can share with teens and adults. Enjoy!
I received this book through I Am A Reader, Not A Writer Blog Tour, and was not required to give a positive review.
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