Mercy’s Birds

Mercy doesn’t have your average family, but it’s the only one she’s ever known. She, her mother Pearl and her aunt Moo move from one falling-down rental house to another. Somehow they’ve always managed to get by, but lately things seem to be spinning out of control.

Why is Pearl growing smaller, saying less and less as she retreats to the security of her bedroom? Why is her aunt growing larger and noisier as she reads fortunes in teacups and tarot cards and palms? And while Mercy tries to keep up at school and with her job, she lives in fear of the day Barry, Moo’s boyfriend, comes back to live with them all.

The Inspiration Behind the Prose

There is a sense of aloneness in being a young adult – that feeling of being on the outside even when in the midst of people. I wanted to write about a young adult who imagines she is more alone than anyone – and that she must become the “adult” in her home. So I created Mercy, who lives in a house where questions go unanswered.

Mercy imagines that if she could only join her mother and her aunt into one, and then split them down the middle, she could find a whole, perfect person – and have a chance at a normal family. But even as she dreams of a normal family, in her heart she knows that normal means different things to different people.

In this contemporary novel I deal with major issues such as alcoholism, depression, poverty and sexual abuse. It was a challenge to keep the character – Mercy – from being overwhelmed by the things she was forced to deal with on a daily basis, and to find a way for her to understand that feeling alone doesn’t mean you can’t ask for help. And that there are people who are willing to help, and to offer support in unexpected ways.

Interestingly, I’ve had more letters and e-mail from young women across North America about this book than any other. It appears that many of them saw aspects of Mercy within themselves and are dealing with lives similar to hers.
– Linda Holeman

Reviews

Winnipeg author Linda Holeman’s Mercy’s Birds is a heartwarming narrative about friendship and trust.”
– McLeans

“Mercy…with her love of words and tentative desire for friendship, is depicted with sympathy and honesty…The strength and success of the story lie in feelings and incidents any reader can share.”
– Toronto Star

“This is an emotional tour de force, a wonderfully perceptive insight into teenage turmoil and the complexities of human nature…A warm, moving and “human” story. Warmly recommended for any young adult’s bookshelf.”
– The Glasgow Herald