A powerful tragedy distilled into a small masterpiece by the Nobel Prize--winning author of Beloved and, almost like a prelude to that story, set two centuries earlier. Jacob is an Anglo-Dutch trader in 1680s United States, when the slave trade is still in its infancy. Reluctantly he takes a small slave girl in part payment from a plantation owner for a bad debt. Feeling rejected by her slave mother, 14-year-old Florens can read and write and might be useful on his farm. Florens looks for love, first from Lina, an older ...
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A powerful tragedy distilled into a small masterpiece by the Nobel Prize--winning author of Beloved and, almost like a prelude to that story, set two centuries earlier. Jacob is an Anglo-Dutch trader in 1680s United States, when the slave trade is still in its infancy. Reluctantly he takes a small slave girl in part payment from a plantation owner for a bad debt. Feeling rejected by her slave mother, 14-year-old Florens can read and write and might be useful on his farm. Florens looks for love, first from Lina, an older servant woman at her new master's house, but later from the handsome blacksmith, an African, never enslaved, who comes riding into their lives . . . At the novel's heart, like Beloved, it is the ambivalent, disturbing story of a mother and a daughter - a mother who casts off her daughter in order to save her, and a daughter who may never exorcise that abandonment.
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Add this copy of A Mercy to cart. $3.24, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Atlanta rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Brownstown, MI, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Knopf Canada.
Add this copy of A Mercy to cart. $3.24, like new condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Knopf Canada.
Add this copy of A Mercy to cart. $3.24, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Reno rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Reno, NV, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Knopf Canada.
Add this copy of A Mercy to cart. $3.24, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Dallas rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Knopf Canada.
Add this copy of A Mercy to cart. $3.24, good condition, Sold by ThriftBooks-Baltimore rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Halethorpe, MD, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Knopf Canada.
Add this copy of A Mercy to cart. $3.25, fair condition, Sold by Pilkington & Sons rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Windber, PA, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Knopf Canada.
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Fair. Hardcover. Worn cover and edges. No dust jacket. -Disclaimer: May have a different cover image than stock photos shows, as well as being a different edition/printing, unless otherwise stated. Please contact us if you're looking for one of these specifically. Your order will ship with FREE Delivery Confirmation (Tracking). We are a family business, and your satisfaction is our goal!
Add this copy of A Mercy to cart. $4.00, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Emerald rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Knopf Canada.
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Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of A Mercy to cart. $6.15, good condition, Sold by Archives Books, inc. rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Edmond, OK, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Knopf Canada.
Add this copy of A Mercy to cart. $6.39, very good condition, Sold by HPB-Movies rated 5.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Knopf Canada.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
Add this copy of A Mercy to cart. $6.39, very good condition, Sold by HPB Inc. rated 4.0 out of 5 stars, ships from Dallas, TX, UNITED STATES, published 2008 by Knopf Canada.
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Seller's Description:
Very good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority!
A Mercy is not given enough attention. An important book and important part of Morrison's body of work.
Maggie1
Dec 29, 2009
a one day read
If you love Morrison, you know it usually takes a while to get through her complex books, but A Mercy is short enough- and simple enough- for an adult with a few hours of free time to read in one day. Morrison captures different characters by using different points of view skillfully and beautifully. A careful reader easily hears each person. If you're a mom, this book will resonate, as several of the women deal with child-related tragedy. I've read Beloved 6 times and loved it more each time, and A Mercy might not be "as good as" Beloved, but it is haunting, harsh, and gorgeous all at the same time.
bev47
Jan 30, 2009
Excellent Book- Very thought provoking yet easy to follow the different storylines. I LOVED the way to weaves in the significance of the title- You really feel the act as truly, A MERCY-
