Mercy Town - by Nancy Chadwick (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

For fans of Ann Patchett and Louise Erdrich, a contemporary women's fiction novel set in northern Wisconsin about one grief-stricken family's journey toward redemption and forgiveness in a rural town divided by the past.

After years away, Margaret Payne returns to her rural northern Wisconsin hometown on a work assignment, only to find it still haunted by the tragic accidental shooting of her younger brother, Bean. Amidst the lingering pain, Margaret uncovers plans for a development on Dell Landing, a hill home to generations of Indigenous people--including Mr. Kipp, the reclusive man responsible for Bean's death.

With her mother trapped in denial, her father consumed by anger, and a town bitterly divided, Margaret must confront both the past and the present, rising tensions. Facing Mr. Kipp will test everything she believes, but before it's over, Margaret will discover the freeing power of unconditional forgiveness--even for her brother's killer.

A poignant, redemptive tale, Mercy Town reminds us how forgiveness, even in the deepest sorrow, heals wounds, binds us as human beings, and remains truly unconditional.

Review Quotes

"The impressive blend of pacing, contemporary issues, and drama transforms Mercy Town into a thought-provoking novel that will appeal to fans of realistic fiction."--Readers' Favorite, 5-star review

"Chadwick sets her poignant ode to grief and healing in a small town in north Wisconsin, so richly detailed you can almost taste the diner's coffee and smell the forest's piney floor."--Diane Botnick, author of Becoming Sarah

"Chadwick's writing is patient. Her prose breathes, settling deep into the emotional grain of things without ever rushing. . . . I'd recommend Mercy Town to readers who enjoy quiet, character-driven novels with emotional depth. If you've ever carried the weight of unfinished grief or struggled to forgive someone (including yourself), this book will feel like a gentle, persistent tug at your heart."--Literary Titan, 5-star review

"This heartwarming, tender story of letting go and forgiveness is beautifully told. In its poetic descriptions of nature, and of small-town life in the midst of change, Mercy Town comes fully alive. Chadwick digs deep into the emotional core of her characters, and of the character of small towns, with impressive empathy and insight."--Céline Keating, The Stark Beauty of Last Things

"With the language of a poet and the precision of a journalist, Chadwick artfully unfolds an unforgettable tale of family, unspeakable grief, and the glory of the human capacity for forgiveness. Great storytelling is what she does and we are the beneficiaries."--David W. Berner, author of the award-winning novella The Islander

"Layered and immersive, Mercy Town is an emotionally resonant tale of resilience, forgiveness, and change. Margaret 'Ret' Payne has left her hometown to build a career in journalism. When she's returns to write a feature, Ret is compelled to confront the past and acknowledge how it has damaged her, her parents, and the community. What follows isn't only personal reconnection, but also communal growth and resilience through forgiveness and understanding. Chadwick takes us deep into the hearts those whose lives are upended by others' mistakes and shows what mercy can mean to all."--Penny Haw, author of The Wilderness Between Us and The Invincible Miss Cust

"Can a person ever really move past tragedy? Forgive and forge ahead? In Mercy Town, the Payne family has struggled to do that after losing their young son in an accidental shooting. Squelching their pain and grief can only work for so long. The accident divided the small town... a town already at odds with property development on land occupied for generations by Native Americans. The Payne family must heal their hearts before they can help heal the town. Mercy Town explores the depth of grief, the courage to forgive, and the refuge one finds amongst family and friends when the struggle to continue becomes too much on one's own."--Jill Hannah Anderson, author of Closer to Home and A Life Unraveled

"Mercy Town reminds us that life and death in nature and in our human stories are powerfully interwoven, and we lose a bit of ourselves when we neglect this connection. Readers will look forward to narrator Ret Payne's invitations to pause and take notice, to receive the natural world and the healing it offers when we and our places need it most."--Maryann Lesert, author of Land Marks and Base Ten

About the Author

Nancy Chadwick is an essayist, memoirist, and fiction writer. After a decade in advertising another decade in corporate banking, she quit and began to write full time. She is the author of Under the Birch Tree: A Memoir of Discovering Connections and Finding Home and The Wisdom of the Willow, and her essays have appeared in The Magic of Memoir: Inspiration for the Writing Journey, Adelaide Literary Magazine, Meaningful Conflicts - The Art of Friction, Writer's Digest, and other outlets. Nancy and her husband reside in Glenview, Illinois.