An Unexpected Heroine Fights a Town Banning Books
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Midwest Book Awards Finalist
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“If you are a book lover, you will love this book!” — Faith Sullivan, author of The Cape Ann and Good Night Mr. Wodehouse
Dyslexic Antigone Brown has trouble reading road signs, keeps a stone in her pocket to help her remember right from left, and despairs of ever being a good mother to her unborn child. She runs a deer farm and vegetarian café in Mercy, North Carolina, where Irene Crump and the Mercy Study Club have started removing “undesirable” books from the school’s collection.
This is a fight Antigone doesn’t want to get involved in, battling for the very things that have made her life a misery—books. When Antigone starts her own library to help the town’s children, she sets in motion a series of events destined to change Mercy—and her—forever.
Ever wish you could do something everyone else takes for granted? Something that seems simple for others, but is devastatingly difficult for you? Such is the life of Antigone Brown in this this funny novel about a serious issue (censorship). This book—and the topic of book banning—will get your book club talking.
“It’s going to make you think. And laugh. And get angry. And maybe even cry a little. . . . As funny as parts of the book are (my personal favorite scene involves a dreadful waste of a banana cream pie), it did send a shiver down my spine on more than one occasion at the thought of some of the best books I’ve ever read not being easily available. . . . The beauty of this book is that, although Roberts is tackling such a serious subject, she does so subtly.” — ForBooksSake.com
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More Reviews
“The book takes more than a cursory look at book banning and presents compelling characters with arguments on both sides of the issue. . . . The issues surrounding censorship have been around for decades, and the glimpse into the individual motivations and group dynamics of people we can all identify with brings a richness to the story. The characters in Mercy are lively and fun to follow.” — BookPleasures.com
“Book of Mercy is a truly beautiful, heart-warming novel on book censorship, the nature of love, motherhood and friendship. I loved this book from the first page to the end, which had me in tears of joy . . . The ending is perfect and the writing exquisite.”—Tahlia Newland, author
Antigone Brown is “a quirky, smart, loveable everywoman that readers can’t help rooting for.” — BlogCritics.com
“This book has fun characters, a good plot line and it moves at a pretty snappy pace. Overall, it was an incredibly enjoyable read . . . had me enthralled until the very last page. It was a great escape into a good story which is ultimately what reading should be all about.” — Insert Suitably Snappy Title Here
“There was nothing about this book that I did not enjoy. . . . Overall, I’d highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys books that tackle serious issues while still being lighthearted and an easy read.” — Reading Is My Cheap Addiction
“Warning: once you start you will not be able to put it down until you have read the very last word. It’s a book that will stay with you long after you have finished it. It’s a very heart-warming, beautiful, touch your heart novel. It is about censorship, power and control, but also love, friendship and motherhood.” — Purple Jelly Bean Chair Reviews
“There’s nothing funny about censorship, but Roberts weaves a touching/humorous tale about Antigone Brown, a likable protagonist who takes on a group of powerful women—the Mercy Study Club— who want to ban books from the school library. . . . Although this isn’t being marketed as a young-adult book, teens would enjoy it.” — Pioneer Press, St. Paul, MN
“Everyone who cares about books should read Book of Mercy. And especially, read it if you like your books to be engaging, fun, and of literary merit. Sherry Roberts makes you care deeply about a wide range of characters, while reinforcing an important literary message. From a tiny town in the south, to the dark alley where trouble lurks, to the mean streets of New York City, the characters and personalities in Book of Mercy run the gamut of human experience. I was sorry to see the book end. I loved every minute of it!” — Lois West Duffy, author of Zillah’s Gift
“It’s a serious topic—book banning—but handled in a responsible, fun way with quirky characters, and so-real dialogue. Author Sherry Roberts manages to fit marriage, pregnancy, binge driving, hubcap sculpture, homelessness, vegetarianism, and ESP into this homespun tale with characters that keep coming to mind long after the last page has been read. Librarians will cheer for the plucky heroine, Antigone Brown who stands up to the town bullies with the help of her oddly talented friends. Well-researched, well-written, a delightful read!” — A Virginia librarian
“Sherry Roberts weaves an interesting story that immerses readers in the lives of the characters. . . Book of Mercy manages to entertain and delight the reader.” — FictionAddict
