Staff Pick
A gritty and unflinching look at South Boston during a time of racial unrest in the 1970s — a mother stops at nothing to find her missing daughter, tearing an Irish mob-run city apart with her fists and her teeth. Written with beautiful prose and insightful, layered characters, this breathtaking, unforgettable read is one bloody-knuckled knockout of a book that will leave you walloped and bruised. I sit here licking my wounds and recommending this one to anyone who will listen. Recommended By Heather A., Powells.com
Synopses & Reviews
"Small Mercies is thought provoking, engaging, enraging, and can't-put-it-down entertainment." — Stephen King
The acclaimed New York Times bestselling writer returns with a masterpiece to rival Mystic River — an all-consuming tale of revenge, family love, festering hate, and insidious power, set against one of the most tumultuous episodes in Boston's history.
In the summer of 1974 a heatwave blankets Boston and Mary Pat Fennessey is trying to stay one step ahead of the bill collectors. Mary Pat has lived her entire life in the housing projects of "Southie," the Irish American enclave that stubbornly adheres to old tradition and stands proudly apart.
One night Mary Pat's teenage daughter Jules stays out late and doesn't come home. That same evening, a young Black man is found dead, struck by a subway train under mysterious circumstances.
The two events seem unconnected. But Mary Pat, propelled by a desperate search for her missing daughter, begins turning over stones best left untouched — asking questions that bother Marty Butler, chieftain of the Irish mob, and the men who work for him, men who don't take kindly to any threat to their business.
Set against the hot, tumultuous months when the city's desegregation of its public schools exploded in violence, Small Mercies is a superb thriller, a brutal depiction of criminality and power, and an unflinching portrait of the dark heart of American racism. It is a mesmerizing and wrenching work that only Dennis Lehane could write.
Review
"Powerful, unforgettable...[a] remarkable novel about racism, violence, and parental vengeance." — Library Journal (Starred Review)
Review
"This taut, gripping mystery is also a novel of soul-searching, for the author and reader alike." — Kirkus Reviews (Starred Review)
Review
"This superior crime drama from bestseller Lehane explores deep-rooted racism in South Boston." — Publishers Weekly
About the Author
Dennis Lehane is the author of thirteen novels — including the New York Times bestsellers Live by Night; Moonlight Mile; Gone, Baby, Gone; Mystic River; Shutter Island; and The Given Day — as well as Coronado, a collection of short stories and a play. He grew up in Boston, MA and now lives in California with his family.