{Review} Mercy's Rain by Cindy K. Sproles

Set in the late 1800s in the heart of Appalachia, Mercy's Rain tells the story of Mercy Roller. Brought up by her abusive father, the Pastor, and her compliant mother, Mercy suffers abuse and torture at the hands of her father. She feels her name is a curse and cannot figure out why her mother ever gave it to her.

The story uses flashbacks to tell about the unspeakable acts, Mercy's father committed not only on her and her mother, but on the other families in the community they live in. It is an excellent and well written story and shows how Mercy finally finds the true meaning of her name. 

From the back cover:

Married and widowed at thirteen, a mother and childless at fifteen, Mercy has spent her life under the authority of her abusive father, the Pastor. The Pastor rules both her family and the community around Wadalow Mountain, Tennessee. Not a single person seems capable of standing up to the man who calls his sinful actions "righteous," that is, until Mercy takes matters into her own hands.

Kicked out of her home by her grieving mother, Mercy finds her way to the other side of the mountain where she slowly learns that true righteousness has nothing evil about it - and that there might be room for her own stained and shattered soul to find shelter, and even love. 

My thoughts:

The story is not an easy read in the sense that the abuse described doesn't hold back anything. Unfortunately, there are too many people like the Pastor in this world and too many girls like Mercy. Sproles does an excellent job of showing how far Mercy must go to find what true love is and how to live in God's grace and mercy. She doesn't make it seem simple but shows just how hard it can be to finally rest in God's loving embrace.


Disclosure (in accordance with the FTC’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising”): Opinions are 100% my own and NOT influenced by monetary compensation. I did receive a sample of the product in exchange for this review and post.