What a difference a decade makes.
In Mercy Come Morning, 37-year-old Krista Mueller is forced to face the relationship she’s been avoiding with her mother, who is physically dying of congestive heart failure but who has been mentally dying of Alzheimer’s for more than 10 years. Her imminent death brings Krista back to her hometown and to a past she’s been trying to forget.
Interestingly, Lisa Tawn Bergren first released this book in 2002 with a different title. Had I read this book 10 years ago, I’m not sure I would have liked it. But as a 30-something woman now, end-of-life issues for loved ones are closer than I’m ready for them to be. I kind of freak out when I see people in their 50s (my parents’ ages) in the obituaries, and health — mine and other family members’ — has become an ordinary topic of conversation.
That said, I truly enjoyed the book and would list it as a recommended read. Grab a couple of tissues, though. It’s a potential tear-jerker.
FAVORITES: I most enjoyed Bergren’s descriptions of New Mexico scenery. Her words sent me on a cross-country trip in my mind, and I wanted to make the trip a reality. I even Googled a picture of a church she described. I love reading about places I’ve never visited, and Bergren certainly made Taos, New Mexico come to life.
FAULTS: Predictible at times, but if you read enough of certain genres of fiction, you tend to know how things are going to end. It’s the getting there that’s the most fun.
IN A WORD: Enlightening. I learned a few things about Alzheimer’s from this book. Bergren, in her reader’s notes, reveals that she had family members who were afflicted with the disease, so that gives her credibility in my eyes.
Click here for a sneek peak at the first chapter.
——————————————————————————————–
In exchange for this review, I received a free digital copy of Mercy Come Morning from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group through the Blogging for Books program.
Click the link below to rate this review — 1 to 5 stars — and become eligible to win a copy of the book.
http://waterbrookmultnomah.com/bloggingforbooks/reviews/ranking/15270