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Mercy's Birds
Learning to accept help can be the hardest lesson of all.
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.
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.
- GenresYoung AdultChildrens
208 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1998
About the author
Linda Holeman
30 books243 followersLinda Holeman is the author of fourteen books of fiction. Her work includes two adult collections of literary short stories, Flying to Yellow and Devil’s Darning Needle, as well as the historic novels The Linnet Bird, The Moonlit Cage, In a Far Country, The Saffron Gate, The Lost Souls of Angelkov, and The Devil on Her Tongue. Her young adult body of work consists of a collection of short stories, Saying Good-Bye, which was re-released as Toxic Love, and four novels: Promise Song, Mercy’s Birds, Raspberry House Blues, and Search of the Moon King’s Daughter. She has also written a first-chapter book, Frankie on the Run, illustrated by Heather Collins. To date, Linda’s work has been translated into French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Greek, Polish, Russian, Serbian, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, and Hungarian, soon to be published in Croatian, Italian, Czech and Slovakian.
As well as being published in many journals and periodicals, her work has been widely anthologized in Canada – most noticeably in The Journey Prize Anthology – and abroad. Linda has also acted as guest editor for a young adult issue of Prairie Fire Magazine, for which was she awarded the Vicky Metcalf Short Story Editor Award. She has been the recipient of many honours and awards for her young adult work.
Linda has been a member of the Manitoba Artists in the Schools Program and CANSCAIP, toured with the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, acted as a mentor in the Manitoba Writers’ Guild Mentor Program, taught creative writing through the University of Winnipeg’s Continuing Education, served on many juries, including the Governor-General’s Award for Children’s Literature, and created and facilitated numerous writing workshops on many aspects of the writing process to both students and adults nationally and internationally. She held a nine-month term as Writer-in-Residence at the Millennium Library in Winnipeg, and served on the editorial advisory board for Turnstone Press and on the board of the Manitoba Writers Guild. She is a member of The Writers Union of Canada.
Linda holds a BA in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Winnipeg, a BEd in Early Childhood Education and MEd in Educational Psychology from the University of Manitoba.
She currently lives in Toronto, Ontario.
Source: http://www.lindaholeman.com/
As well as being published in many journals and periodicals, her work has been widely anthologized in Canada – most noticeably in The Journey Prize Anthology – and abroad. Linda has also acted as guest editor for a young adult issue of Prairie Fire Magazine, for which was she awarded the Vicky Metcalf Short Story Editor Award. She has been the recipient of many honours and awards for her young adult work.
Linda has been a member of the Manitoba Artists in the Schools Program and CANSCAIP, toured with the Canadian Children’s Book Centre, acted as a mentor in the Manitoba Writers’ Guild Mentor Program, taught creative writing through the University of Winnipeg’s Continuing Education, served on many juries, including the Governor-General’s Award for Children’s Literature, and created and facilitated numerous writing workshops on many aspects of the writing process to both students and adults nationally and internationally. She held a nine-month term as Writer-in-Residence at the Millennium Library in Winnipeg, and served on the editorial advisory board for Turnstone Press and on the board of the Manitoba Writers Guild. She is a member of The Writers Union of Canada.
Linda holds a BA in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Winnipeg, a BEd in Early Childhood Education and MEd in Educational Psychology from the University of Manitoba.
She currently lives in Toronto, Ontario.
Source: http://www.lindaholeman.com/
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
August 7, 2011
Mercy lives with her mother and her aunt in a small dilapidated house. Her father had abandoned the family when her mother was pregnant with her and her aunt’s boyfriend has left for eight months to take a job up north. Because of her aunt’s boyfriend’s unwanted advances Mercy has cut and died her hair and dresses as plainly as possible, but this makes her a target at school. She is also unable to mention this harassment to her mother or her aunt, and becomes increasingly isolated. Mercy needs to learn to accept the friendship that is offered and explore the opportunities to assert herself.
January 16, 2015
Mercy's Birds was a sweet and easy read I guess. Something I would happily pass on to my daughter without feeling like I needed to give her any word of warning (my husband refuses to let her read Twilight....I don't agree with this but think she should be made aware that the dynamic between Edward and Bella is fucked up rather than banning her from reading it altogether) but this story is kind of serious but harmless. It's kind of strange that way actually. Harmless though it deals with rather serious matters. A bit of an odd one. Just a book. Not brilliant but not dreadful. A fine way to pass time but easy to put down if you need to.
July 11, 2017
I bought this book at a used bookstore for $2 and it was a deal because it was a good book. Now it's only 200 pages and that's one of the reasons I started to read it, because I could get through it really quickly. So it couldn't really go too deep into anything, but a lot of short books I read are cheesy romance and this was definitely not like that. It was dark and kind of raw in story and character. I read it straight through and it was enjoyable but it wasn't the most jaw dropping story. The plot was unique I guess but if you're looking for an amazing book, maybe not this one. If you are looking for a good book to hold your attention, that is weird and dark, but quick to get through, then I do recommend it. I did like it but I won't be thinking about it for years to come.
August 13, 2017
3,5 stars
April 22, 2011
Although the subjects dealt with in this book are heavy and intense, the story and characters aren't lost to them and the reader isn't overwhelmed by them and the book manages (somehow) to remain surprisingly light and upbeat. Holeman has managed to bring together Depression, alcohol abuse and sexual and psychological abuse into Mercy's world and guided both her and the reader through them all in a realistic fashion without being pedantic, patronising or overly pessimistic or optimistic.
Holeman's characters a brilliantly written and, more importantly, are believable and have little traits that you will recognise (to varying degrees) in your own loved ones. Mercy, although mature for her age, is as you would expect of a teenager who has had to deal and continues to deal with a Depressed mother and alcoholic aunt, all the while trying to keep up with school and earning enough money to keep them going. Yes she has her bitter and selfish moments but that is what makes her all the more real. The same goes for both her mother and aunt, yes they have their flaws but they also have their positives and when it is needed they stand up to their responsibilities.
Despite the subject matters (or even maybe because of them) this is an uplifting read that shows that even the most dire situations have a solution, you just have to keep an eye open for it as best you can.
Holeman's characters a brilliantly written and, more importantly, are believable and have little traits that you will recognise (to varying degrees) in your own loved ones. Mercy, although mature for her age, is as you would expect of a teenager who has had to deal and continues to deal with a Depressed mother and alcoholic aunt, all the while trying to keep up with school and earning enough money to keep them going. Yes she has her bitter and selfish moments but that is what makes her all the more real. The same goes for both her mother and aunt, yes they have their flaws but they also have their positives and when it is needed they stand up to their responsibilities.
Despite the subject matters (or even maybe because of them) this is an uplifting read that shows that even the most dire situations have a solution, you just have to keep an eye open for it as best you can.
December 6, 2010
Good one.. Sad.. Some stuff were little bit inspiring.. A good read.
July 18, 2016
A good look at a youth's perception of depression - of the trials of a teen - and the welcome knowledge that someone - actually lots of someone's REALLY CARE! Well done. .
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews