The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner

The Shape of Mercy came most recommended by my book group for books about witch trials. While it was decent, it was also outside my realm of books as it has a heavy Christian influence. It was a quick read, though, and it kept my interest.

(Source: Kelsey Darling)

Lauren Durough is from a wealthy family and has a lot of expectations thrust upon her. So instead of going to Stanford, like everyone else in her family, she chooses a state school. And although she does not a job, she gets one anyway. Enter Abigail Boyles. Abigail is an elderly woman who is also privileged. She has hired Lauren to transcribe a diary from the seventeenth century that belonged to a distant relative; a relative that was convicted of witchcraft-Mercy Hayworth. The further into the diary Lauren gets, the more enveloped she becomes in Mercy's tale, even though she knows how it ends. Abigail, for as much as she wants the diary transcribed, seems to keep the whole project at arms length and gives away very little about herself. But when Abigail finds herself in trouble, Lauren must make some critical decisions about Abigail, and herself, if she wants to save her. And she uses the lessons learned from Mercy's diary to help.

One thing I liked in the book was the strength of Mercy. She is probably the only redeemable character in the book. She has this beautiful relationship with her father, who has taught her to read and write; and he lets her be who she really is. She does everything to help him through his sickness, and when he passes away, it is a death that she was not ready for, no matter how sick he had been. She continues to try and live on her own until her cousin Samuel can come, even though it is highly frowned upon by her community. And even in prison, she continues to write in her diary, knowing that it could only hurt her. She gave her life for the man she loved so that he could be spared.

(Source: Giphy)

That being said, that was about all that was going for the novel. I found Lauren unbearable. She was so concerned with coming off as too privileged, and if someone knew that she was privileged, she would judge them because she assumed they were judging her. She also does not want to date a guy because she assumes that he is from the same privileged background as she, and dating him would be too acceptable for her parents. She cares so much about how people perceive her and does not realize how she can use her status to help others. Abigail felt very unrealistic. I liked her a lot until the end. The entire novel, she is this strong sturdy woman whose appearance commands respect. But then, after an argument with Lauren, she runs away to her beach house, does not eat, does not drink, and is ready to just wither away. It all goes back to a mistake she made in her twenties that she has not forgiven herself for, but still, her reaction is not believable.

(Source: Giphy)

Also, I have done some searching, and I cannot find any record of Mercy Hayworth existing, or at least not one that was involved with the Salem Witch Trials. I looked through multiple records of people convicted, hanged, killed by other means, died in prison, escaped capture, and pardoned. My first source was Wikipedia for the Salem Witch Trials and then a general list of people executed for witchcraft. But I know that that information is not always accurate as anyone can update it, so I searched further. That brought me to The History of Massachusetts. This site includes everyone involved and the history of the trials and any other questions you have. Nothing. I searched through other sites and came up with the same results. I found one Mercy, who was the daughter of Sarah Good; she was born and died in prison during the time of Goody Good's imprisonment. While I know that many of the characters mentioned in the diary were real people, it has me questioning the validity of the entire book. Maybe that is being harsh, but learning that makes me not like the book as much.

Lastly, the underlying Christianity theme did not deter me from the book, and it did not detract from any of the other themes, but it also does not add to it. It seemed a more important detail in the beginning. Abigail questions Lauren's faith on her first day.

"Abigail's first question when I returned to her sad house surprised me. We settled at a sturdy wooden table in her suffocating library, and instead of asking if I wanted a cup of tea-I could see she had one-she asking if I talked to God.

'You mean, do I pray?' I said. I might have stuttered.

'What is prayer but talking to God?' She lifted a withered hand and flicked her wrist, as if to wave away a cartload of my naiveté.

This wrinkled dismissal annoyed me. I may not have the Durough drive, but I don't lack the household dignity. We've always been quick to defend our intellect. A second or two ticked by as I debated how to answer her. How does the brand-new employee answer the employer's arguably inappropriate question? I'd never been an employee before. I do talk to God, but I didn't see how or why that should matter to her...

'Yes. I talk to God.' I said it with such self-assurance. There is a jolt of satisfaction people my age get from answering an elderly know-it-all with confidence." (p. 20)

This conversation carries on a little bit longer; but aside from two other mentions and a prayer before meals, God plays a very little role and makes me question why the conversations happen at all. It felt like pointless add ins that are forgotten by the end of the novel.

(Source: Giphy)

Rating: 4/10

Author: Susan Meissner

Genres: Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction, Contemporary

Dates Read: May 28-29, 2018