"Shades of Mercy" is a coming of age tale centered on Mercy, a fifteen year old girl, growing up on a farm in the Northwoods of Maine in the 1950's. In the Northwoods, there is a tribe of Maliseet people who are relegated to shacks near the town's dump. Mercy is in love with Mick, a Maliseet teenager. Racial tensions escalate when one of the town girls elopes with a Maliseet young man. As tempers flare and tension increase, Mercy and Mick find themselves in the middle of the escalating situation.
The characters are engaging and you get a glimpse into that time period in rural Maine along with some of the local customs and traditions. It is a good lesson about how prejudice and assumptions not based on fact can lead to tragedy. It was eye opening for me to learn about Native Americans being displaced in the state of Maine and the ongoing struggles that they still face today.
This is an enjoyable read and a fascinating look into that period of history in Maine and the tensions that existed.
I received this book from Moody Publishers for this review
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