A Mercy
by Toni Morrison
A Mercy by Toni Morrison holds a well received rating of 3.65 out of 5, based on 14.7K reader ratings. First published in 2008. The book spans 167 pages.
About A Mercy
In the 1680s the slave trade in the Americas is still in its infancy. Jacob Vaark is an Anglo-Dutch trader and adventurer, with a small holding in the harsh North. Despite his distaste for dealing in “flesh,” he takes a small slave girl in part payment for a bad debt from a plantation owner in Catholic Maryland. This is Florens, who can read and write and might be useful on his farm. Rejected by her mother, Florens looks for love, first from Lina, an older servant woman at her new master's house, and later from the handsome blacksmith, an African, never enslaved, who comes riding into their lives.A Mercy reveals what lies beneath the surface of slavery. But at its heart, like Beloved, it is the ambivalent, disturbing story of a mother and a daughter - a mother who casts off her daughter in order to save her, and a daughter who may never exorcise that abandonment.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Author | Toni Morrison |
| Published | 2008 |
| Pages | 167 |
| Genres | Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classics |
| Average Rating | 3.65 / 5.00 |
| Total Ratings | 14,707 |
Reader Ratings & Analysis
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Frequently Asked Questions
What genre is A Mercy?
A Mercy is categorized as Fiction, Historical Fiction, Classics. Its primary genre classification is Historical Fiction.
Is A Mercy worth reading?
Based on 14.7K reader ratings, A Mercy has an average score of 3.65 out of 5.00, which is considered "Well Received."
How many pages is A Mercy?
A Mercy has 167 pages. It is a relatively quick read.
Who wrote A Mercy?
A Mercy was written by Toni Morrison. It was first published in 2008.
What is the ISBN for A Mercy?
The ISBN-13 for A Mercy is 9780307264240.0.
Data sourced from community book ratings and reviews. Last updated: April 15, 2026
