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Customer Reviews for WaterBrook Press The Miracle of Mercy Land
WaterBrook Press The Miracle of Mercy Land
In 1938, nothing exciting is happening in sleepy Bay City---until newspaper editor Doc Philips and his go-to girl Mercy Land stumble across a book that reveals a person's past and how his choices affect his future. But can they overcome the evil that threatens to steal the mysterious volume---erasing Bay City in the process? 352 pages, softcover from Waterbrook.
Average Customer Rating:
(21 Reviews) 21
Rating Snapshot (21 reviews)
5 stars
5
4 stars
6
3 stars
5
2 stars
4
1 star
1
15 out of 2171%customers would recommend this product to a friend.
Customer Reviews for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Review 1 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
good fiction reading
Date:May 16, 2013
nickname
Location:Georgia
Quality:
3
out of
5
Value:
3
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
1
out of
5
Only disappointment was that, even though book is fiction, I expected there to be some message about God overcoming the evil. Since it is being sold by CBD and all other fiction books I've purchased through CBD did have some reference to God in them.
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Review 2 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
Great book!
Date:May 2, 2013
none
Location:Hamlin, TX
Age:Over 65
Gender:female
It was a riveting story. The ending was unexpected. Altogether I enjoyed it very much.
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Review 3 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
Mystery, romance and a strange book
Date:November 1, 2011
Joyjoy
Location:St. Petersburg, FL
Age:45-54
Gender:female
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
3
out of
5
The Miracle of Mercy Land is a very engaging story about a young girl who is entrusted with a very mysterious and strange book.
You will fall in love the main character, Mercy Land, who is trustworthy and practical. She is entrusted with a book that allows the reader to see into the lives, past and present, of strangers, friends and loved ones. Mercy now posses the power to change the future based on past decisions. She is later thrown off balance when a charming and handsome young man enters her life. She soon finds out that he is as mysterious as the book and Mercy is determined to solve the mystery behind them both.
All in all, the book includes a pleasant mix of romance and mystery with a sprinkling of science fiction. While some parts were a little slow, I still recommend it as a good read.
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Review 4 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
Lessons Learned through The Miracle of Mercy Land
Date:May 11, 2011
Leah
Location:Michigan
Age:18-24
Gender:female
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
The Miracle of Mercy Land by River Jordan is the perfect illustration of why it is important to always remember who you are and where you come from. It takes place in the 1930s in a little town called Bay City. Mercy Land is a young lady who moved to the ‘big city’ from her small town of Bittersweet Creek to find a job. That job consisted of multiple here and there jobs until she was hired by the town’s newspaper. The owner of the paper is Doc Phillips and he and Mercy develop a relationship that very closely resembles one of a father and daughter. When one night Doc was in his office working late like he sometimes does and a mysterious thing happened that would change his life, Mercy’s, and possibly the town’s forever.
The Miracle of Mercy Land is a novel that can appeal to anyone; love, mystery, and human interest are all included in this one book. It has been a while since I’ve had a book that I didn’t want to put down. Jordan writes in such a way that you are pulled into the book and makes you feel like you are actually within the book; which is ironic seeing what the story is actually about. It is a story that transcends time.
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Review 5 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
A whirlwind of a tale...
Date:April 20, 2011
Kim Chewning
Location:Lake City FL
Age:45-54
Gender:female
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
3
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
3
out of
5
At one time or another in our lives, we've all looked back with regret at some road we should have taken, a meandering path where we got off track. We all live in one great big pond. And every time we make a move, the water ripples. We may never know how those ripples affect our family and friends ... and even total strangers.
What if we could know? How would it change our actions? Our words? Our decisions? What if we could go back and change some or all of those things we regret?
Mercy Land is an independent young woman during a time period when those three words were rarely strung together with kind intent. She moved to Bay City from the backwoods of Bittersweet Creek and blossomed into a bright, junior editor at the town newspaper. Doc Philips, her mentor and dear friend – also her boss – kept an covert, watchful eye over Mercy while raising her up to be the next publisher and editor of the paper.
Then a mysterious and dangerous book falls into Doc's possession. It contains knowledge that should not be known to humans. Intimate knowledge of everyone he knows ...and everyone that he doesn't know. Knowledge that, if in the wrong hands, could change everything. Doc instinctively knows that Mercy must take possession of the book.
After an irritating, yet handsome young stranger - who somehow knows about the book - moves to town, Mercy is sucked into a swirling vortex of frightening knowledge and other-worldly events that threaten her very existence. Doc is riddled with guilt that Mercy's safety and sanity are at risk. But she is the only one that can be trusted to keep the book. Will the book destroy her? Can she keep the book safe from those who would use its power for evil?
From the very first sentence, I was captivated by Mercy's soft southern drawl and transported back to a simpler life and time of the 1930's in a southern town filled with wonderful and strange characters, wizened fatherly figures and crusty, doting aunts and old maids dispensing sage advice.
River Jordan takes us back to post-depression, small town Americana where life was simple, yet rich. While accompanying her on the walking tour of Bay City, I felt the breeze blowing through the moss-laden oak, smelled the salty Gulf air, and snatches of childhood memories from the lunch counter at Woolworth danced just out of reach.
Jordan has a warm, intimate way with words. I thoroughly enjoyed her delightful phraseology. She can spin a whirlwind tale that – as unbelievable as it may be – is both compelling and redeeming.
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Review 6 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
Out-of-the-Box!
Date:April 19, 2011
Laury
Location:Waynesville, IL
Age:45-54
Gender:female
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
The Miracle of Mercy Land a novel, written by River Jordan, and published by Waterbrook Press, is a spectacular read and very much out-of-the-box for me; an extraordinary ride down the unfamiliar. A tale woven around very believable characters that I grew to love in a very short amount of time.
The book is written in the eyes of three of the main characters: Mercy Land, the Doc, and John Quincy. A book of sorts landed in Doc's office. This book had the power to change the past. In the wrong hands, it would change the course of history. In the right hands, who knows what good could be done?
The present and past of these three people get mixed up and collide and intercept until sometimes it's hard to know what's up. This book is hard to explain. It's a book made to be read and enjoyed and maybe even read again.
I highly recommend The Miracle of Mercy Land, if nothing else, because it's so very original. A must-read for sure!
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Review 7 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
A journey of whimsy and life
Date:April 5, 2011
RobbyeFaye
Location:Anniston, AL
Age:55-65
Gender:female
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
A Journey I Enjoyed
From the very first sentence in *The Miracle of Mercy Land* the author, River Jordan, takes you by the hand and pulls you into a fantastical journey full of darkness, sunshine and life.
From the very first sentence in *The Miracle of Mercy Land* the author, River Jordan, takes you by the hand and pulls you into a fantastical journey full of darkness, sunshine and life.
I was surprised to find Mercy Land is the lead characters name and not a place; however that only adds to the power of her story.
This book will affect each person that reads it differently for the same reasons the character's lives are affected differently; we all have our own weaknesses, demons, desires and individual stories.
This book is full of mysticism and fantasy, not my usual reading fare. Nevertheless the last two books I've reviewed have been of this genre and in spite of this, I've enjoyed both books. Perhaps the Lord is telling me to enjoy more whimsy in my life?
This book is full of mysticism and fantasy, not my usual reading fare. Nevertheless the last two books I've reviewed have been of this genre and in spite of this, I've enjoyed both books. Perhaps the Lord is telling me to enjoy more whimsy in my life?
Mercy is a young woman who left her home in Bittersweet Creek, Alabama for Bay City, Alabama in order live her life as she wanted and not as conventional wisdom dictated.
Along the way she becomes the indispensible right hand woman for Doc Philips, the editor and publisher of the local paper.
Along the way she becomes the indispensible right hand woman for Doc Philips, the editor and publisher of the local paper.
One early morning Mercy receives a strange call at her boarding house from Doc Philips. Thus begins a journey into a world of suspended belief and fantasy.
Doc possess the biggest news story of her life but she can't print a word of what she knows and comes to know as a result of Doc's mysterious call.
Doc possess the biggest news story of her life but she can't print a word of what she knows and comes to know as a result of Doc's mysterious call.
*The Miracle of Mercy Land* will leave you asking yourself a lot of questions about your own life and choices made.
I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for a blogger book review. I am not required to write a positive review.
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Review 8 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
The Power of Choice
Date:March 7, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
River Jordan has certainly mastered the art of story telling and this is apparent in her latest novel, The Miracle of Mercy Land. Mercy Land is the name of a girl who began her life in the small backwoods area of Bittersweet Creek. She moves to the city, Bay City, to improve her life and begins working at the local newspaper office with Doc, the owner and publisher of the local paper. One day she receives a startling call from Doc to report early for work and when she does she finds Doc in possession of a book that seems to have the power of knowing the outcome and effect of choices that people make in their lives. It cause quite a stir in the simple life of Mercy, who resides in a boarding house, and Doc, who is an elderly widower. Some very interesting things begin to happen in and around Bay City that make people think about choices they have made in the past and wonder how things would be different if other choices had been made. I found Mercy to be an endearing character trying to make a life for herself in the city, without forgetting the roots of her childhood home. If I told you more I would only spoil the twists of events that takes place in the book. It is truly a story of deliverance and forgiveness.
I was provided a free copy of this book to review by WaterBrook Press. I was not obligated to provide a positive review. The opinions in this review are strictly me own.
I was provided a free copy of this book to review by WaterBrook Press. I was not obligated to provide a positive review. The opinions in this review are strictly me own.
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Review 9 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
Surprised and pleased
Date:March 3, 2011
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
It's no secret that I love to read. I'm a frequent library visitor and on special occasions when the budget allows, I purchase as many books as I can to add to my collection. With all the books I've read, many are forgotten after the last page is finished. Not because they're "bad" books, but just because I read so much that they all begin to run together in my mind. However, there are a few that stand out in my memory, even years after reading them. Whether it's the characters or the plot or the author's use of imagery to paint pictures in the reader's mind, there are some books that become classics. I would categorize The Miracle of Mercy Land by River Jordan as that type of book.
The author's name alone is a hint that her writing might be something unique, and she does not disappoint. River Jordan delivers a memorable and worthy character in Mercy Land, a career journalist at a time when women did not typically have careers. The book is set in southern Alabama in 1938. In Dickensian fashion, the novel opens with the story of Mercy's birth. Born in a thunderstorm, Mercy arrives with a flash of lightning and great expectations.
"Can you imagine standing where your life might have taken a different turn, where everything was different, where your story would have been written in a different tone?"
This is a quote from Mercy, who has been entrusted with a mysterious book that details the choices and destinies of the people in the small Alabama town of Bay City. It is a map of lives, of decisions made and unmade. It is powerful and dangerous, full of purpose that must be fulfilled.
I won't reveal more of the plot as it would spoil the twists and turns that add up to an intriguing journey through "what if" territory. The theme is universal -- does God have a plan for me? For all of time? How are we all connected throughout? What is my destiny? How do my choices and yours affect each other and all future generations? Would we choose to do the right thing even if we knew it would not be easy and would have life-long consequences for all involved? As someone who very much believes in divine destiny and the plan and purpose that God has for each one of us, I found it fascinating. As a writer, I appreciated the way River Jordan brought Mercy and the other characters to life in unforgettable ways. I did not want to put this book down until I had finished it!
If you're looking for a book that will make you think and will probably stay with you long after you've turned the last page, consider The Miracle of Mercy Land by River Jordan.
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Review 10 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
A Colorful Folk Yarn
Date:March 3, 2011
AbigailMatthewsWrites
Gender:female
Quality:
3
out of
5
Value:
3
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
Mercy Land is a person, not a place in River Jordan's new book, The Miracle of Mercy Land. Our heroine, Mercy, finds herself with a mysterious, magical book whose powers could be used for great good or great evil. Her employer, a crusty old newspaper man, fearful of the book's abilities, locks it away and entrusts Mercy with the sole key. In a rather dramatic showdown between good and evil, Mercy must use her God-given gift to cause a miracle to save the soul of a childhood friend--the man she loves.
Full of colorful characters, Mercy Land, paints a beautiful story of redemption and finding one's place in the world. The chosen settings flip between the warm gulf shores of Alabama to an old-fashioned backwoods village in the South, all occurring against the pre-WW2 drama of the 1930s. Jordan, the author, is good at spinning a folk tale. The story had an almost dream-like quality, weaving a spell around me, yet the middle dragged at points as if the story just needed to fill space to allow enough time to elapse between the well-crafted beginning and ending. Overall, the story was a fulfilling read and I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Recommended for fans of books of a fairytale type nature, realistic fantasy, folk fiction, or Andrew Petersen.
Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for review purposes. The opinions expressed below are my own. I was under no obligation to give the book a positive review.
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Review 11 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
"The Miracle of Mercy Land" by River Jordan
Date:February 25, 2011
Quality:
2
out of
5
Value:
2
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
1
out of
5
Mercy Land has arrived. Born in a bolt of lightening on the banks of Bittersweet Creek, she has moved to nearby Bay City and has found her niche - working as the assistant to Doc, the local newspaper editor. When a mysterious book arrives on her boss's desk that threatens her dreams, Mercy must decide what to do with the book. Mercy's life is further complicated when Doc suddenly decides to retire and brings in John Quincy as his replacement, a newspaper novice who seems to know more about Mercy and Bay City than he's telling. Can Mercy determine the book's purpose before it disappears? Can she solve the mystery of John Quincy before losing her shot at the job of editor?
Jordan is a gifted storyteller who draws the reader in with her descriptions and flowing language. Her characters are alive in this book and kept me cheering them on throughout the story. The issue of the mysterious book, however, was something else. The blurbs I read made me think that this was a book about time travel - which it isn't. Doc seems to think that the book will give him a chance to right an old wrong - but never in their contact with the book do they do more than lose track of time and gain information about people around them. Since they cannot choose whose name will appear to them or travel in time, I'm not sure how he expected to use the book to change a life. That part left me confused; it was a bit raw, I think. There were also connections between a few characters that were never fully explained.
In the end, Jordan makes the point that we are all connected; all of the choices that we make individually affect the human population as a whole. Forgiveness is also a major theme in this book.
I couldn't put book down because I just had to know how Mercy was going to save the day; but now that I know the ending, I don't know how soon I'll pick it back up again. It's a good read, but not one that I need to dust off and make part of my regular reading list.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.
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Review 12 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
Date:February 5, 2011
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
3
out of
5
The Blurb:
What if you had the power to amend choices you made in the past? Would you do it even if it changed everything?
Mercy Land has made some unexpected choices for a young woman in the 1930s. The sheltered daughter of a traveling preacher, she chooses to leave her rural community to move to nearby Bay City on the warm, gulf-waters of southern Alabama. There she finds a job at the local paper and spends seven years making herself indispensable to old Doc Philips, the publisher and editor. Then she gets a frantic call at dawn—it’s the biggest news story of her life, and she can’t print a word of it.
Mercy Land has made some unexpected choices for a young woman in the 1930s. The sheltered daughter of a traveling preacher, she chooses to leave her rural community to move to nearby Bay City on the warm, gulf-waters of southern Alabama. There she finds a job at the local paper and spends seven years making herself indispensable to old Doc Philips, the publisher and editor. Then she gets a frantic call at dawn—it’s the biggest news story of her life, and she can’t print a word of it.
Doc has come into possession of a curious book that maps the lives of everyone in Bay City—decisions they’ve made in the past, and how those choices affect the future. Mercy and Doc are consumed by the mystery locked between the pages—Doc because he hopes to right a very old wrong, and Mercy because she wants to fulfill the book’s strange purpose. But when a mystery from Mercy’s past arrives by train, she begins to understand that she will have to make choices that will deeply affect everyone she loves—forever.
My Review:
I choose this book to review because I liked the premise. I have often wondered how things would be different if I had made different choices. This story explores this idea, in a very interesting way, when a mysterious book suddenly shows up on Doc's desk. Doc and Mercy discover that they are able to see into other people's lives and how their choices affected the present, both for good and bad.
River Jordan has written an interesting book. Her use of description is powerful, and I can still picture Bay City, as well as, Doc and Mercy as I write this review. I would place The Miracle of Mercy Land in the category of fantasy,or magical realism (River Jordan's loose description), although, there isn't magic, as we might define it, in this book. I enjoyed this story, but if you don't like this genre then you may not be interested in this book.
**The Miracle of Mercy Land by River Jordan was provided for me free by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review.
**The Miracle of Mercy Land by River Jordan was provided for me free by WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group in exchange for my honest review.
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Review 13 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
A wonderfully written piece of fiction
Date:January 28, 2011
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
4
out of
5
From the start of The Miracle of Mercy Land you step into another time and place. You hear to the slow cadence of the south, soft as butter and music to your ears. You can smell the honeysuckle, jasmine and magnolia blossoms each time you take a deep breath. Memories of lazy summer days filled with fishing and chasing butterflies in the fields are brought back to your mind. And you find yourself not only visiting Bay City, Alabama, but seeing and sensing it through one Mercy Land.
Mercy Land, a Bittersweet girl, finds herself plunged into a mystery. A mystery where there are no real answers on how to solve it. This mystery involves a book. A very special book. It showed up at Doc Philips place, without so much as a how do you do. Doc Philip is her boss and owner of the Bay City newspaper.
Together they try to determine the purpose of the book because this book shows the lives, past, present and could be future of everyone of Bay City. Doc thinks he’s suppose to use it to change something that took place in the past. Mercy is trying to determine the book’s purpose. And together they find out that the choices one person makes affects the lives of many.
The author, River Jordan, has written a beautiful book about some wonderful, ordinary people. She brought to life Mercy Land and Doc Philips and those who play an important part in their lives in such a manner that you become a part of the story as well. River Jordan is a wonderful storyteller and this book, The Miracle of Mercy Land, will take you into the past, to southern Alabama, where you will experience those hot summer days with a cool breeze coming off of the bay; along with the sudden squalls that frequent the area that time of year; and in life. River Jordan and her cast of characters in Mercy Land will keep you captivated to the very end.
River Jordan is a critically acclaimed novelist and playwright. Her previous works include Saints in Limbo and The Messenger of Magnolia Street. She speaks around the country on the “Power of Story” and produces and hosts the radio series Clearstories from Nashville, Tennessee, where she makes her home. You can visit her at www.riverjordan.us.
This book was provided to me free from Waterbrook Multnomah Publishing Group for the purpose of writing a review.
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Review 14 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
The Miracle of Mercy Land
Date:January 27, 2011
KrnDrln
Location:Madison Heights, VA
Age:45-54
Gender:female
Quality:
2
out of
5
Value:
2
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
1
out of
5
I was given this book to review as a part of a blogging program with waterbrookmultnomah.com.
I did not like this book. I'm used to picking up a book and not putting it down until it's finished and it's taken me a month to finish this book. I am not a fan of fantasy type writing so I never got into the unbelievable mysterious book that could change the path of someone's life.
The underlying story of a lost love was good and I wish there hadn't been the fantasy part included. I would read this author again because I enjoyed her writing, but the theme was not my cup of tea for this book.
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Review 15 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
Fascinating but Confusing Book
Date:January 26, 2011
113Mom96
Location:Gainesville, VA
Age:25-34
Gender:female
Quality:
3
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
1
out of
5
I wanted to read this book because the premise seemed fascinating. The writing in the book was excellent. The description was great and feeling like you were right there with the main character, Mercy was very well done.
That being said I thought the book started slowly and it was very hard to get into. While the character was great and her situation was believable the action was slow to begin. The "book" that came to Doc Philips happened early in the book but then just sort of sat there. I had expected more interaction or more story of what happened while they were “in the book”. The foreshadowing was excellent, the wondering what was going on kept me reading.
Once the character, John Quincy was introduced, the book took on a new level of wondering who he was and what would happen. I very much enjoyed the building up of this character and the relationship between John and Mercy. All of the characters questioned if the book they had could change the past and how their choices affected one another.
Since I often like suspense novels I enjoyed the overarching sense of something evil or that something bad was going to happen. The author is very good at portraying that eerie feeling that something isn’t right, that something awful has happened or will happen. However, the “evil” didn’t seem fully realized. The premise was so good but not fully drawn out. I kept waiting for something awful to happen based on what I had been presented with but nothing really did.
Having completed the book I still have questions. There are things I still don’t understand and would have liked to. I believe the story is very character driven which is good but leaves the plot wanting. It is written well meaning it has “pretty prose” and a great Southern charm but my overall impression of the book was confusion.
If you enjoy character-driven books you will like this book because you will love Mercy and her relationship with Doc and her Aunt Ida but if you prefer plot-driven action this wouldn’t be the book you would enjoy. Because of that I have to give this book just 3 stars.
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Review 16 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
Very unique
Date:January 25, 2011
Quality:
2
out of
5
Value:
2
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
1
out of
5
I was interested to read this book. It seemed like a very unique one, and it was set in Alabama. I always like to read books set in Alabama just to see how they describe everything. This book was by far one of the strangest books I have ever read. It started out kind of slow, then got REALLY weird. After all of the weirdness, it got pretty good. I enjoyed the last few chapters of the book. The book focuses on how our choices affect not only ourselves, but everyone around us, whether we realize it or not. It does have a very, very small part that could be considered a love story, but this is by far not a romance novel. If you like unique books, you should definitely check this one out...but be warned - it does start out slow and a little weird!
*I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review. No other compensation was received. See full disclaimer for more information.**
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www.somommy.blogspot.com
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Review 17 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
An unusual story
Date:January 12, 2011
Quality:
4
out of
5
Value:
3
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
3
out of
5
The Miracle of Mercy Land by River Jordan was an unsual story, not the type I normally read. The story captivated me within the first chapter, and I had no choice but to keep reading. At times the story was hard to follow -- jumping between times and places and characters -- but there were so many twists and turns and intriguing scenes that I kept working through the times of confusion to see where it went.
"I was born in a bolt of lightning on the banks of Bittersweet Creek." This is the first description we get of Mercy Land. Although Mercy has spent seven years in the "big" Bay City, working at The Banner as Doc Philips' go-to girl, who she was and where she came from continue to play a big role in who she is becoming. As the story progresses, the pieces fall together about who Mercy, Doc, John Quncy, and Aunt Ida are and how their lives impacted each other in ways not all of them were aware of. The mysterious book -- that might be described as the main character of the story -- seems to drive the story in kind of a supernatural way. The story explores the question of what we would change if we could -- and whether that would be a good thing. The "lesson" that seems to come through as the story reaches its climax is one of choices -- how we are each ultimately responsible for our own choices, and that is much more important than anything we might do to try to change the outcome of anyone else's life.
This was not my favorite recent read, but I did enjoy it and would recommend it to others. It is definitely a thought-provoking story.
(I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.)
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Review 18 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
Not my favorite read...
Date:December 31, 2010
Quality:
2
out of
5
Value:
2
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
2
out of
5
Mercy Land's story puts us in a small town in the pre-war era of the 1930s. The everyday life of a newsman, Doc, and his trusted right hand lady, Mercy, is interrupted by the sudden appearance of an unearthly book. The book's mystery and purpose become the main focus of the story, as other characters are introduced and the plot unfolds. While I greatly enjoyed the writing style of River Jordan, I did not find it easy to mix this measure of fantasy into what would have otherwise been a lovely piece of romantic fiction. Not my favorite read.
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Review 19 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
Liked it, but I was a bit lost
Date:November 23, 2010
Quality:
3
out of
5
Value:
4
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
2
out of
5
The Miracle of Mercy Land was not what I expected, but I ended up really enjoying it. Mercy Land is a woman of the 1930s who is smart, no-nonsense, full of heart, and a go-to-girl. She has a history different from many of those that she has lived near the last seven years because she grew up in "Bittersweet Creek." Her rural upbringing has given her a little more sense and awareness than most women of her day in Bay City, Alabama. She works for Doc at the town newspaper and an amazing turn of events occurs in their lives, something that will change so many things for them. Under the circumstances of this turn of events, Mercy and Doc discover many things about themselves, their pasts, and their futures. I found the story full of questions, twists, turns, and thought-provoking tidbits. River Jordan has written a piece that makes you ponder, wonder, think, and keep turning pages (thinking "what will happen next?"). Truly a unique tale with interesting characters, great setting details, and unpredictable plot turns. I got to a point, while reading the story, where I didn't want to put it down because I had to know what was coming next. A mind-bender of a book. I won't soon forget it.
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Review 20 for The Miracle of Mercy Land
Overall Rating:
an extraordinary novel
Date:October 25, 2010
Quality:
5
out of
5
Value:
5
out of
5
Meets Expectations:
5
out of
5
What an extraordinary book! I’ve read over sixty novels this year and this is certainly the most moving. It is hard to describe. It has a hint of the “other world” in it. I had the same reaction I did when I read the first Frank Peretti novel. It is a glimpse in to the world we do not see yet influences our every choice.
Mercy Land says of herself, “I was born in a bolt of lightning on the banks of Bittersweet Creek. Mama said it was a prophecy…” So begins the story. Mercy works for a newspaper owner in a nearby town. Doc comes into the possession of a strange book that yields visions of the lives of people he knows. He, Mercy, and a childhood friend get wrapped up in the possibilities of the book. Can the choices made in the past be changed? How do those choices affect others?
This novel is nearly perfect. Granted, there are paragraphs here and there, and perhaps a scene or two that could be changed. The novel is engaging and thought provoking. It contains the classic struggle of good and evil, personified in Mercy and a strange woman. The author has developed a plot, however, that makes the struggle fresh and very realistic.
There is a reader’s guide at the back that would make this novel a great choice for reading groups. You’ll be thinking about this novel for a long time after you finish it.
This book was provided for review by KBK Public Relations.
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