Review: The Shape of Mercy by Susan Meissner

The Shape of Mercy: A Novel

About the book:

“We understand what we want to understand.”

Leaving a life of privilege to strike out on her own, Lauren Durough breaks with convention and her family’s expectations by choosing a state college over Stanford and earning her own income over accepting her ample monthly allowance. She takes a part-time job from 83-year-old librarian Abigail Boyles, who asks Lauren to transcribe the journal entries of her ancestor Mercy Hayworth, a victim of the Salem witch trials.

Almost immediately, Lauren finds herself drawn to this girl who lived and died four centuries ago. As the fervor around the witch accusations increases, Mercy becomes trapped in the worldview of the day, unable to fight the overwhelming influence of snap judgments and superstition, and Lauren realizes that the secrets of Mercy’s story extend beyond the pages of her diary, living on in the mysterious, embittered Abigail.

The strength of her affinity with Mercy forces Lauren to take a startling new look at her own life, including her relationships with Abigail, her college roommate, and a young man named Raul. But on the way to the truth, will Lauren find herself playing the helpless defendant or the misguided judge? Can she break free from her own perceptions and see who she really is?


My thoughts:

Ah, the Salem witch trials. Not a period of history I ever enjoyed learning about in school. It must have been a terrible place and time to live. I have to say that Meissner did an incredible job of getting me to read about it and enjoy it even!  We start out in present day with Lauren, and as she gets the diary and starts transcribing, we read along with her. Mercy's story sucks you in. I had no idea what would happen to her, and I so wanted a happy ending! (I confess that I love happy endings! I can handle semi-happy ones, and even sad ones, but not miserable ones.)  Lauren uncovers each happiness and each heartache that Mercy deals with.  Mercy's life is certainly not an easy one! I was glad Meissner spread the diary entries out, interspersed with Lauren's present day story. It helped keep me from getting too bogged down in the miseries and fear of witch hunts that Mercy was experiencing.  Lauren on the other hand, has a relative life of ease. But she's not happy. She has moments of happiness, yes.  But she's not really happy. Abigail Boyles, unknowingly, gives her a chance to change that. And through their interactions, they set each other on the path they each need to follow.  Lauren's quiet, yet sweet romance with Raul is cute and funny.  She can't quite figure him out, but she's intrigued enough to want to try.

This is one of my favorite books! I have re-read and re-read it countless times. I think I must somewhat connect with Lauren in her confusion and insecurity.  She has such a great life, yet she feels like she doesn't measure up.  Especially to her father's standards.  I love their father-daughter relationship!  They love each other, but opening up and being honest is difficult. It takes some testing to get it through their heads. I can totally understand that.  It seems so often in my own life, that I have to go through a difficult time to be reminded of how blessed I am. And to then get up and live life, not just hang about in this rut I'm enjoying at the moment.  Mercy and compassion are prevalent in the story, and they are traits that most every one of us could use more of in our lives. So, well done, Ms. Meissner!  This one is on my shelf and not going anywhere anytime soon!

A favorite passage:

Two rooms in my parents' home are largely ignored by the rest of the household. One is the little library.

It's called a library because it contains books--mostly out-of-print first editions valuable because of their age, not the wisdom contained in them--and it is little because its smaller than the main library on the first floor, which is also my father's home office.  Mom and dad both keep back issues of their favorite magazines in the little library, as well as banker's boxes of files and papers and records. Otherwise, to them, it is a forgotten room.

 For me, it was a kind of prayer room, although I never actually prayed in it. It's where I went when I was especially mad or afraid or sad. It was hard to pray actual thoughts during those times. I don't know very many people who can piece together eloquent prayers when their souls are wounded.  Words don't come at those times, but tears do. I have always thought of my tears as prayers.

Good Night Dear Void

www.sxc.hu

"Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life - well, valuable, but small - and sometimes I wonder, do I do it because I like it, or because I haven't been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book, when shouldn't it be the other way around? I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So good night, dear void."~Kathleen Kelly (You've Got Mail)

 A friend of mine reminded me of this quote recently. It kind of reflects my life right now. Fear is so very real. Being brave is scary stuff let me tell you! We talk about stepping out in faith and trusting. But talking about it and actually doing it are truly two different things! I have decided that I'm pretty wimpy and weak when it comes to stepping out into the great unknown "armed with..........nothing." (Kudos if anyone actually knows that reference! I may have seen that movie a few too many times.)

Putting yourself out there on a blog is pretty scary stuff too! I'm still not sure if by doing this, I'm being brave or being crazy. Probably both, definitely the latter! But isn't that what this life is so full of? Craziness and chaos and lots of adventure? If nothing else, it builds character, right?

(Every time I use that phrase, I'm reminded of Calvin and Hobbes. From the comics?  Every single time Calvin's dad heard him complain about some miserable camping trip, or having to rake the leaves, or something equally horrible, he would use that phrase. "It builds character!" Calvin never believed him. I'm not sure I do either. But it sure is fun to say!)

"Character-building, as usual, being code for experiences that suck so much while you're going through them that the most effective solace available is the firm belief in future noble and virtuous personal benefits." ~Lisa McKay

I'm not so sure about noble and virtuous benefits, but it sounds good, right? Sure it does. But in reality, life is messy and we just have to get up each day and keep on putting one foot in front of another. What really counts, I think, is how we respond to the day to day messiness.  I know I rarely don't always make the right decisions. But hallelujah, we serve a God who forgives and loves us anyway! I'd like to think that the next quote is a little closer to reality.

"...She flailed bravely into adventure not because she wished to figure as a hero, but because she was determined to battle for right, even if she struggled from day to day to define just what "right" might be." ~Sherwood Smith

 So, I have no words of wisdom to end with. Just the clear thought in my mind to keep....on....going!

As Kathleen said,"I don't really want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So, goodnight dear void."

 
PS: To anyone who made it this far and is interested. I hope to do some book reviews soon. I just have to get this blogging thing down first. There's so much to learn! But the reviews will be forthcoming.

I'm a bibliophile!

 "Of course anyone who truly loves books buys more of them than he or she can hope to read in one fleeting lifetime. A good book, resting unopened in its slot on a shelf, full of majestic potentiality, is the most comforting sort of intellectual wallpaper." ~ David Quaimen

I love books!

There. I said it. And I'm not sorry either!  I've recently realized exactly how true the above quote is about me. I love to read, yes. But more than that, I just love books. Whenever I have a bad day, where do you think I want to go to cheer myself up? Some people use retail therapy, I use books. I just need to be around them.  I don't even have to buy one and take it home. It's even better if I do find one though (of course, duh).  Just there, surrounded by books, all those words and pages and letters. Someones thoughts written down in ink. Granted, some of those thoughts aren't ones I want to read or even ones that I want to peek at, but still.  There's just something about a book.

(For reference, here's my bookshelf. And those shelves are double-stacked, thank you very much!)

I looked over my bookshelf the other day and realized that I have several books that I haven't read yet. I used to think that wasn't possible for me. If I bought a book, of course I would read it immediately soon. But alas, I cannot tell a lie. There are plenty of books there, that have not been read by me. Imagine!

I recently picked up a book, recommended by this gal,  and it's all lovely and glorious and sitting on my shelf unread right now. It certainly looks great there! But who knows when I'll get around to reading it. I seem to go in spells of what I want to read. So, I know I want to read that one some day, and some day I'm sure I will. Hopefully sooner rather than later. But we'll see.

Anyway, I digress a little. Basically, that quote seemed to fit me precisely and I decided to share it with the world. The small world that consists of exactly zero people who are actually reading this. But that's okay! I just wanted to get my thoughts out there.

Books are awesome! The end.

PS: I thought I'd share a pic of just a few of my favorite reads. Mind you, this is just a minuscule portion of my stack of favorites. If I did a pic of all of them, I'd have pages and pages!

Hello World!

Hello world! This is my first post.

It's so nice to meet you, I'll be your host.

I hope you'll have patience as I learn what to do,

It may take some time but I hope it's fun for you!

I may write a poem or review a book I've read

Or just talk about life and what so and so said.

I love my Savior so I will mention His name,

And I'll try not to write anything too lame.

I've been a reader of blogs for quite a while now,

And decided to start my own somehow.

Thank you for reading these thoughts from my head,

I hope they're not confusing, and make sense instead.

I think my new venture will be exciting and fun,

So cheers to the future, this poem's now done!