The Mercy of the Sky - by Holly Bailey (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

"A gripping, heartbreaking and heartwarming account of the monster tornado that ravaged Moore, Oklahoma in 2013. It will leave you emotionally drained but glad you journeyed into the heart of this extraordinary storm with Bailey as your guide." --Daniel James Brown, #1 NY Times bestselling author of The Boys in the Boat

Winner of the Oklahoma Book Award// Winner of the American Meteorological Society's Louis J. Battan Award

An acclaimed reporter returns to her hometown after the worst twister on record and emerges with a suspenseful story of human courage in the face of natural disaster.

On May 20, 2013, the worst tornado on record landed a direct hit on the town of Moore, on the outskirts of Oklahoma City, levelling neighborhoods, sending farm animals flying, and destroying a school while the children cowered inside. Holly Bailey went back both as a journalist and a hometown girl, speaking to the teachers who put their lives at risk as they struggled to comfort their students; to the mayor and first responders who waded through the debris while the storm still raged; to the scientists and meteorologists who have dedicated their lives to understanding tornadoes but still can't determine when one will land with any degree of certainty and are haunted by every death they might have prevented; to the storm chasers who pursue level 5 twisters with a combination of gadgetry, courage and adrenaline; and to the shell shocked residents of Moore, who rose to the occasion that day with countless acts of selfless courage. An intense and inspiring account of what happened on that fateful day, The Mercy of the Sky Bailey does for the Oklahoma flatlands what Sebastian Junger did for Gloucester, Massachusetts, in The Perfect Storm, telling the dramatic story of a town that must survive the elements--or die.

"The book is excellent - well researched, well told, with a strong narrative that reads like a disaster novel... It's difficult to imagine that anyone other than an Okie could tell the story so confidently and so well." - The Oklahoman

"This gripping book tells the story of one resilient Oklahoma town and the immense killer tornado that ripped through it. Holly Bailey brings together riveting science, human drama, courage, tragedy, and redemption to create a quintessential American story. Powerful and moving." - Douglas Presenton, #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of The Monster of Florence

"Bailey is a brilliant storyteller. She brings you to the center of the storm - and it's terrifying. She makes you feel a community's loss - and it's devastating. And she brings you inside people's lives as they heal - and it's inspiring." - David Greene, host of NPR's Morning Edition

Review Quotes

"Bailey ramps up the tension with a skilled hand, following the tornado's path through town until residents emerge from the wreckage to a landscape they 'no longer recognized.' Her artistry will leave more than a few readers gasping for breath."
--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Nail-biting chronology drives the plot. . . . Bailey's prose vividly evokes the tornado's power and menace. Storm chasers will find thrills in this tale of nature's wrath."
--Kirkus Reviews

"The book is excellent--well-researched, well-told, with a strong narrative that reads like a disaster novel . . . It's difficult to imagine that anyone other than an Okie could tell the story so confidently and so well." -The Oklahoman

"Holly Bailey's The Mercy of the Sky is a gripping, heartbreaking, and heartwarming account of the monster tornado that ravaged Moore, Oklahoma, in 2013. It will leave you emotionally drained but glad you journeyed into the heart of this extraordinary storm with Bailey as your guide."
--Daniel James Brown, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Boys in the Boat

"I read The Mercy of the Sky with absolute fascination. This gripping book tells the story of one resilient Oklahoma town and the immense killer tornadoes that ripped through it. Holly Bailey brings together riveting science, human drama, courage, tragedy, and redemption to create a quintessential American story. Powerful and moving."
--Douglas Preston, #1 New York Times bestselling co-author of The Monster of Florence

"Holly Bailey's riveting writing brings you to the center of the storm--and it's terrifying. She makes you feel a community's loss--and it's devastating. And she brings you inside people's lives as they heal--and it is inspiring. Bailey is a brilliant storyteller who is no outsider to Moore. She's a hometown girl with a keen sense for Oklahoma's character and resilience. You feel that on every page."
--David Greene, host of NPR's Morning Edition, author of Midnight in Siberia

"Holly Bailey makes you feel the wrath of a killer tornado. She makes you taste it, smell it, and hear it. No one who reads The Mercy of the Sky will ever be able to unfeelingly brush past headlines about funnel clouds reaching from the sky to spread destruction again."
--Tom Shroder, author of Fire on the Horizon: The Untold Story of the Gulf Oil Disaster

About the Author