Mercy House

This wonderful story encapsulates what goodness from complete strangers looks like. 

We meet a group of nuns who run Mercy House, a battered women’s shelter. Sister Evelyn, Sister Maria, and Sister Josephine help the women who show up at their door in ways the Catholic Church might not approve.  The Sister’s we meet are strong, modern and intelligent. Not your stereotypical Nuns, there are no habits; instead they were jeans and cardigans, they smoke, curse, and they practice Reiki on the women as a form of therapy.  The nuns who run Mercy House love their mission and believe strongly they are doing God’s work, even if the work they do is unconventional.

When Sister Evelyn stands in front of a congregation and reveals her truth about being repeatedly raped by a Priest the reader feels her betrayal, her grief, and her disappointment in the Church that was supposed to protect her.  Because of this, she and the other nuns feel they need to protect the women who enter the Mercy House Shelter.  Sister Evelyn understands better than anybody about abuse and she shows empathy and compassion each time a battered woman arrives at their doorstep.

When the nuns hear that Mercy House is under investigation, they begin to panic.  Should they destroy records that could reveal some of their secrets? Should they be worried that they might be excommunicated if people start digging and finding out the truth? Is there a possibility that Mercy House could be shut down?

Mercy House is an entertaining book- funny at times, thought provoking, and disturbing.  Your book club members will delight in the playfulness of the characters and will want to explore the topic of abuse in the Catholic Church. The battered and abused women in this novel show great strength and tenacity as they rebuild their lives.  I am suggesting this title for our January book club meeting, 2022.  It will be well received. 😊