Sweet Mercy

Had I known what was waiting for me in Mercy, Ohio, I might not have been so eager to leave Minnesota.

Book: Sweet Mercy by Ann Tatlock, Bethany House Publishers, 2013

Genre: Historical Fiction

Target Audience: Girls 17+

Subjects: Crime, Prohibition, Judging others

Summary: She may not have known what awaited her in Ohio but she knew what she was leaving behind. Crime, violence, a man being shot and killed right in front of her, poverty. She had not problem leaving all that behind to go to her uncle’s home where he would provide a job for her dad and a safe, stable environment for the family. Or so she thought anyway. A frantic phone call from a friend late one night and the accidental discovery of some moonshine hidden in a peach crate changed everything though. Suddenly she’s not only doubting her safety, she’s doubting her very belief system!

Notes: This is a “coming of age” story of a seventeen year old girl, who while used to seeing crime, has never had to personally face what drives people to make the choices they do. She considers herself very righteous and practically sinless until she is faced with a very hard choice herself. The story does a good job showing her heart changes throughout the process of the story. The verse quoted often is 1 Peter 4:8 – Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. The theme really is choosing love over legalism.

Spiritual Content Recommendation Scale: 4/5

Reviewer: J:-)mi

Matthew 7:1-2 – “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

Thank you to Bethany House for providing a free review copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This review is part of a blog tour. And as such, the author has included extra content. Here is a trivia question from her research:

15 – Launch!

16 – I Am a Reader, Not a Writer -  What was Prohibition?

17 – JoJo’s Corner – Review

18 – Letters to the Cosmos – Review

19 – The Broke Book Bank – Guest Post Meet the Lawmen

21 – The Wonderings of One Person –  Molls and other Dolls

 - Books Mystify – Review

22 – Tressa’s Wishful Endings –  Review, The Setting behind the Setting

-  Momma Bear’s Book Blog –  Review, Meet the Cast

23 – CTF Devourer – Review

 - Christy’s Cozy Corner – Fun Facts About 1931   

24 – ADD Librarian - Review

25 – Worthy 2 Read – Review

26 – Green Mountain Couple – Just a Taste (to wet your whistle)

28 – Backing Books – Review

29 – Celtic Lady’s Reviews –  Four Famous Gangsters

30 – A Year of Jubilee Reviews – Review

1 – The Jack’s Junk Drawer – Review

2 – Living a Goddess Life – Review, Recipe

3 – Grand Finale