A Tangled Mercy

by Joy Jordan-Lake

Overview

A haunting and redemptive novel inspired by the heartbreaking true events that occurred at a church in Charleston, South Carolina, A Tangled Mercy examines the horrifying depths of human brutality and our enduring hope for forgiveness.

After the sudden death of her troubled mother, struggling Harvard grad student Kate Drayton walks out on her lecture—and her entire New England life. Haunted by unanswered questions and her own uncertain future, she flees to Charleston, South Carolina, the place where her parents met, convinced it holds the key to understanding her fractured family and saving her career in academia. Kate is determined to unearth groundbreaking information on a failed 1822 slave revolt—the subject of her mother’s own research.

Nearly two centuries earlier, Tom Russell, a gifted blacksmith and slave, grappled with a terrible choice: arm the uprising spearheaded by members of the fiercely independent African Methodist Episcopal Church or keep his own neck out of the noose and protect the woman he loves.

Kate’s attempts to discover what drove her mother’s dangerous obsession with Charleston’s tumultuous history are derailed by a horrific massacre in the very same landmark church. In the unimaginable aftermath, Kate discovers a family she never knew existed as the city unites with a powerful message of hope and forgiveness for the world.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781477823668
Publisher:	Amazon Publishing
Publication date:	11/01/2017
Pages:	462
Sales rank:	969,117
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.50(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Joy Jordan-Lake has written more than a half dozen books, including the novel Blue Hole Back Home, which won the Christy Award in 2009 for Best First Novel. The book, which explores racial violence and reconciliation in the post–Civil Rights South, went on to be chosen as the Common Book at several colleges, as well as being a frequent book club pick.

Jordan-Lake holds a PhD in English, is a former chaplain at Harvard, and has taught literature and writing at several universities. Her scholarly work Whitewashing Uncle Tom’s Cabin draws on the narratives, journals, and letters of enslaved and slaveholding antebellum women, research that led her to the story behind A Tangled Mercy. Living outside of Nashville, she and her husband have three children. To learn more about the author and her work, visit www.joyjordanlake.com.

Editorial Reviews

A Goodreads Hot Reads Selection

“Satisfying…[A Tangled Mercy] will appeal to admirers of Sue Monk Kidd’s The Invention of Wings.” —Library Journal

“A novel of secrets, racial tensions, family, and a love that withstands the passage of time, A Tangled Mercy is truly enthralling.” —Historical Novel Society (Editor’s Choice)

“Jordan-Lake brings us the aroma, taste, and view of Charleston as vividly as if we stood in the middle of the scene. The depth of emotion and veracity of the story sets this novel apart, as it brings a lost and critical piece of southern history to light. [It] is about the important things in our life—how art undoes our chaos; how history is part of our present; and how defiant love and forgiveness conquer hatred and bigotry.” —Patti Callahan Henry, New York Times bestselling author of The Bookshop at Water’s End

“A must-read novel for today. Weaving the story of a slave uprising in 1822 Charleston with one set during the 2015 massacre at Charleston’s AME Church, A Tangled Mercy reminds us of yesterday’s atrocities and today’s ongoing racial travesties. Throughout the novel, author Joy Jordan-Lake offers readers compelling characters, evocative writing, and an engrossing and appalling look at time past and time present.” —M.K. Tod, author of Time and Regret

“Joy Jordan-Lake has done a masterful job with her new novel, A Tangled Mercy. She captures the beauty, charm, and challenges of one of America’s great cities, Charleston, South Carolina. In the historical-cultural context of Charleston, her writing is an inspiration. Through rich character development, she gives us an intimate view of its African American life. A Tangled Mercy is a must-read for those who want to experience the South. We meet a variety of people, both living and dead, that represent the iconic, ‘Emmanuel Nine.’” —African Methodist Episcopal Bishop John Richard Bryant, retired

“Joy Jordan-Lake’s A Tangled Mercy is an incredibly compelling and meticulously researched historical novel that will have you thinking about it long after you turn the last page. The dual narrative interweaves the story of Harvard grad student Kate Drayton’s journey to Charleston, South Carolina, to find answers about her deceased mother’s troubled past, with the little known but fascinating story of the Charleston slave uprising of 1822. It is a powerful and culturally relevant tale that should be on everyone’s must-read list this year.” —Jane Healey, author of The Saturday Evening Girls Club

From the Publisher

10/01/2017
Harvard doctoral student Kate Drayton's academic career is derailed by grief over her Charleston, SC,-born mother's death in this blend of contemporary and historical fiction by Christy Award-winning author Jordan-Lake (Blue Hole Back Home). She spontaneously quits school to pick up her mother's long-ago research into Charleston's history, most specifically the 1822 failed slave revolt, which is somehow linked to her own family's past. Kate's story of personal discovery alternates with stories of enslaved blacksmith Tom Russell and Southern abolitionists Emily Pinckney and Angelina Grimké during this tumultuous period. The depth of African American history in Charleston makes this novel a good choice for book club discussions. Story lines are wrapped up at the end, in a predictable but satisfying way. VERDICT With a similar Charleston historical setting and shifting historical perspectives between the enslaved and the enslavers, this novel will appeal to admirers of Sue Monk Kidd's The Invention of Wings.—Laurie Cavanaugh, Thayer P.L., Braintree, MA

Library Journal