Mercy lives in modern-day Pietermaritzburg, South Africa with her eccentric foster aunts―two elderly sisters so poor, they can only afford one lightbulb. A nasty housing developer is eying their house. And that same house suddenly starts falling apart―just as Aunt Flora starts falling apart. She’s forgetting words, names, and even how to behave in public. Mercy tries to keep her head down at school so nobody notices her. But when a classmate frames her for stealing the school’s raffle money, Mercy’s teachers decide to take a closer look at her home life.
Small Mercies has been discussed in My Take/Your Take for December 2020.
- ISBN: 9781946395160
- Published: 2020 , catalyst press
- Themes: Foster Homes, Orphans, Social and family issues
- Descriptors: Africa, IBBY's Outstanding Books for Young People with Disabilities, Intermediate (ages 9-14), Realistic Fiction, South Africa
- No. of pages: 162