Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Little Mercies

Little Mercies
by Heather Gudenkauf

Genre; Fiction

Synopsis: Veteran social worker Ellen Moore has seen the worst side of humanity-the vilest acts one person can commit against another.  She is a fiercely dedicated children's advocate and a devoted mother and wife.  But one blistering summer day, a simple moment of distraction will have repercussions that Ellen could never have imagined, threatening to shatter everything she holds dear and trapping her between the gears of the system she works for.

Meanwhile, ten-year-old Jenny Briard has been living with her well-meaning but irresponsible father since her mother left them, sleeping on friends' couches and moving in and out of cheap motels.  When Jenny suddenly finds herself on her own, she is forced to survive with nothing but a few dollars and her street smarts.  The last thing she wants is a social worker, but when Ellen's and Jenny's lives collide, little do they know just how much they can help one another.

A powerful and emotionally charged tale about motherhood and justice, Little Mercies is a searing portrait of the tenuous grasp we have on the things we love the most and of the ties that unexpectedly bring us together.

Review:  Heather Gudenkauf is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors to read.  I know that I will enjoy her books and that they will be quick reads that are hard to put down.  I literally read this book in just over a day and that included me going to work and sleeping at night!  I started reading this book and I just couldn't stop so I stayed up too late.  I knew what tragic event was going to happen to Ellen and I almost couldn't keep reading because I didn't know if my emotions could handle it.   But I kept going and I felt heartache for Ellen and her family.  There were times that I teared up while reading her story.  I felt a connection to Ellen as a mother and as an advocate for children.  I liked Jenny's storyline and how she fit into Ellen's story but I did think that there were some unrealistic aspects of Jenny's story.  I didn't feel the emotional connection with Jenny's story.  I read through her chapters so that I could get back to Ellen's story.  There were a couple secondary characters who lacked depth and their actions just seemed thrown into the story, Ellen's daughter Leah being one of them.  Overall I really loved reading this book and I would definitely recommend it!

Rating: 4.5 stars

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