Mercy Among the Children is a lesson in hardship, humility, spiritualism,
love, hate and
faith which can only be
learned through staggering
poverty. A
family of four, living in the east coast of Canada, is challenged by discrimination, prejudice, hunger, and disease and relies on education of the soul—learned through literature even more than the church—to rise above the petty realities of a materialist,
capitalist and corrupt society. The
novel examines a range of cruelties: a father who was the victim of his father’s abuse and reputation. A mother raised as an orphan, while her father watched and ignored. A son stricken with guilt and responsibility for his family, assuaged only through alcohol and self-mutilation. An albino daughter, sick from birth because of poisoned water, with a passion for intelligence and a heartbreakingly pure faith in humanity. An innocent and loving boy whose death allowed for another’s life to continue. Right never quite triumphs over wrong and small gains are overshadowed by huge losses. Honour is pitted against capitalist greed; love against suspicion, contempt and hatred. It is not simply a story about good and evil, but is more an honest publication of the inhumanity rife within society. It is a novel which shows the best in humankind, and yet reveals an environment unwilling to accept it. The bestseller won the Giller Prize and was nominated for the Governor General’s Award. Though it is undoubtedly one of the most depressing novels to grace the shelves of 21st century bookstores, it receives a hearty 5 star rating.
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