A MercyA Mercy
Score Modern
What it's about
In the 1680s, in the early days of the American colonies, an enslaved mother offers her young daughter Florens to Jacob Vaark, a trader, to settle her owner's debt. Florens grows up on Jacob's farm in the North among a household of women, his wife, a Native woman and a strange girl named Sorrow, and falls in love with a free African blacksmith.
Why it's worth reading
The New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It's a short, haunting novel from Toni Morrison about the roots of slavery in America.
You'll love it if you liked
Beloved
The Known World
The Book of Night WomenGood to know
It's short but challenging, told in several voices. The mother's reason for her choice is revealed at the end.
By the numbers
- Readers8 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics59 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller44 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #248 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #1150 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #2128 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Toni Morrison
If you like this, read next
My Brilliant Friend
War and Peace
Such a Long Journey
Ragtime
The Cider House Rules
The Power and the GloryExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is A Mercy worth reading?
Yes. The New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It ranks #2,128 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 62.6 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is A Mercy about?
In the 1680s, in the early days of the American colonies, an enslaved mother offers her young daughter Florens to Jacob Vaark, a trader, to settle her owner's debt. Florens grows up on Jacob's farm in the North among a household of women, his wife, a Native woman and a strange girl named Sorrow, and falls in love with a free African blacksmith.
How long does it take to read A Mercy?
About 5 hours (196 pages), or about 10 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after A Mercy?
If you liked it, try Beloved by Toni Morrison, The Known World by Edward P. Jones or The Book of Night Women by Marlon James.