My book group chose The Mercies for our February read – and it proved an excellent choice. A compelling novel with lots of feminist themes for us to get our teeth into.
I realised during our book group discussion that I am used to hearing about the witch trials that took place in the UK and North America, but I wasn’t familiar with the stories of them happening elsewhere – but of course they must have done. Kiran Millwood Hargrave has based her novel around the Vardø witch trials which took place in Finnmark, Norway in 1621.
In 1617 around the remote Norwegian island of Vardø a terrible storm arrives with appalling suddenness taking with it most of the men of Vardø who were out fishing. One young woman, Maren stands watching helplessly as the sea takes her father, brother, and fiancé.
The small community is now a place of women – a couple of elders, a weak young pastor, and a few young boys the only males left. The women must learn to fend for themselves – going against everything they have ever been taught, and believe to be decent. They are in the middle of a hard winter, and if they don’t do something to help themselves the community will starve. One bold, forward thinking woman, Kirsten suggests to the community that they, the women left behind, take out the boats, as their men did before them, and fish the waters around Vardø. For many this is a quite shocking suggestion, but some brave women step forward to try, including Maren. The boats go out again, and fish is brought in and shared around the community, the women of Vardø have saved themselves.
“God provides,” says Toril, though the ache in Maren’s arms tells her it was not God but they who brought this catch home.”
Vardø is a place of cold winters and strong traditions, everything revolves around the kirke and fishing – the women keep house and care for children. Maren lives with her mother, a woman bitter and broken by the loss of her son and husband – next door lives Diinna – Maren’s sister-in-law, her brother’s widow, and her baby son. Diinna is from the Sami people – her traditions and beliefs are different, and it sets her apart from the other women in the community, many of whom whisper darkly about her behind her back. Kirsten remains a strong voice of reason, and a good friend to Maren.
“I remember once when runes gave you comfort, when sailors came to my father to cast bones and tell them of their time to come. They are a language, Maren. Just because you do not speak it doesn’t make it devilry.”
In Bergen – a place which feels like a million miles from Vardø, a young woman, Ursa who is devoted to her father and severely disabled sister marries a stranger from Scotland. Ursa is the daughter of a ship builder – and she and her new husband, a pious, clergyman will be sailing in one of her father’s ships to Vardø. Ursa’s husband is Absalom Cornet and he has been summoned to sort out the unruly community of Vardø women, whose very independence is an anathema to some. Eighteen months after the vicious storm, Absalom and Ursa arrive in Vardø. Ursa is still struggling to get used to this stranger she has married, she arrives ill dressed and ill prepared for her new home, and is forced to borrow a coat from Maren so that her dress doesn’t blow up around her head as she steps from the boat. It’s an awkward start.
Ursa has no idea how to look after a home, they had a servant in Bergan, and the home she and Absalom are given is very primitive. It is Maren who again steps in to help – she offers to help Ursa in the house, teach her the domestic tasks she will need to be competent at. The two women find themselves drawn to one another, finding a happiness in friendship they had never expected.
The arrival of Absalom Cornet is a huge event on Vardø, not even his young wife understands his real agenda or the scale of his own ambition. Cornet is a large, handsome man, he projects a power and authority that hasn’t been seen in some time, and there are those in the community who are quick to curry favour.
“But now she knows she was foolish to believe that evil existed only out there. It was here, among them, walking on two legs, passing judgement with a human tongue.”
Small jealousies and petty dislikes that already existed begin to be exploited and soon deep divisions are exposed and the women of Vardø start to turn on one another. These are dark and dangerous times, and there are some things, which once said can’t be unsaid – and will have the most terrible, terrifying consequences.
This novel reminds us – should we need reminding – that we have never really moved on at all. Still, we point the finger accuse, repeat poisonous gossip, any kind of difference remains fair game. It is all depressingly familiar – and Millwood Hargrave portrays those divisions brilliantly.
heavenali 
I’ve seen this author reviewed a few times and been seriously tempted by her works, she tackles some interesting terrain.
This one definitely tackled a subject that I find fascinating and heartbreaking. I hadn’t come across the author before.
As I was reading your review I remembered that a similar theme runs through Hannah Kent’s Devotion, set two centuries later. Your final paragraph rings all too true in this age of social media certain sections of which love nothing more than a witch hunt.
Ah, yes I remember seeing Devotion on your blog and thought it sounded excellent. And yes, all these centuries later we are still hunting witches, in out own way.
I enjoyed this too and can see why it would make a good book group choice. I loved the Norwegian island setting and like you, I didn’t know much about witch trials outside of Britain and America so I found that aspect of the book interesting.
I loved the Norwegian setting and that this was based on fact was both fascinating and haunting. A great book group read.
This novel has been very popular with readers at the bookshop, so I’m glad to see that you’ve rated it highly too. It seems particularly suited for book groups – some powerful themes, strong characters and a great sense of time and place. Good historical fiction can be so hard to do, but this author seems to have managed it brilliantly. (Her children’s books are very respected too!)
I can see why this one has been so popular. It’s themes make it perfect for book group discussions. There is a strong sense of place in this one which I enjoyed. I hadn’t realised she wrote children’s books too.
This sounds like a tense – but engaging – story!
It is very tense. Dark and dangerous times captured so well. Very compelling.
Excellent review, thanks! I’ve been tempted by this one, which sounds like an excellent historical novel on a fascinating topic (like many, I’m unfamiliar with the witch trial phenomena outside the U.S. & U.K.). I’ve resisted, however, because I thought the plot developments could be too depressing these days, when I see so many forces essentially trying to do the same thing to women.
I do know what you mean, it is depressing when these historical events still resonate today. The human race has never really learned.
This was a book I started to read in 2020 then put down because the timing just wasn’t right. It’s one I’ll be going back to though, what I read I was very impressed by, so it’s lovely to have your thoughts on it.
I hope you do pick it up again, it’s definitely worth reading, though it’s a dark story.
This sounds really powerful and so evocative. As you say, depressingly relevant too, we never seem to learn. I can see it would be a marvellous book club choice!
It is powerful, and it is depressing how much resonates still from those dark days in history.
Gosh, it sounds fascinating, Ali. As you say, the US witch trials and the like are so well known, but other communities obviously suffered as well. And with our modern intolerance of anything that doesn’t fit in, the book obviously resonates with our current world. As you say, we really don’t learn from the past, do we??
Absolutely fascinating, I knew nothing about Norwegian witch trials. So many parallels to people’s behaviour today too.
This does sound like an excellent book group read with plenty of meaty themes.
There was definitely plenty for us to discuss.
This does sound good for a book group discussion, although mine does not like historical fiction as much as I do (and they prefer 19th century to 17th). Your description reminds me of a book I read recently called When Jays Fly to Barbmo, also set on a remote Norwegian island but during WWII. That book made me feel as cold as the characters doubtless did.
Yes great for book groups. A shame yours won’t read historical but I know it’s not for everyone. Thanks for that recommendation, I’ll look it up.