An extremely thought provoking read. It makes you think of things that you really don't want to think about or consider, but well worth the read.

An emotive read that draws you in and packs a punch. Set in the Jim Crow era, The Mercy Seat is a historic fiction that doesn’t try and paint the past in rosy tones. It’s gut wrenching and honest.

DNF'd this one at 60 pages.

I really thought that this was going to be the book for me, but unfortunately, try as I might, I just couldn't get into this one. I normally love short chapters, but the chapters in this book were so extremely short that I couldn't form an attachment to any of the characters. I also found the story too disjointed because of this, and jumping from one person to another every two pages just wasn't for me. After 60 pages I didn't feel invested in the story and it wasn't holding my interest. I thus decided to pass on this one and to move onto something else.

Due to the fact that I never finished reading this book, I won't be formally rating it on Goodreads or on my blog.

Thanks for the opportunity to read and review this title. I hope to have better luck next time. :-)

"As the sun begins to set over Louisiana one October day in 1943, a young black man faces the final hours of his life: at midnight, eighteen-year-old Willie Jones will be executed by electric chair for raping a white girl - a crime some believe he did not commit.

In a tale taut with tension, events unfold hour by hour from the perspectives of nine people involved. They include Willie himself, who knows what really happened, and his father, desperately trying to reach the town jail to see his son one last time; the prosecuting lawyer, haunted by being forced to seek the death penalty against his convictions, and his wife, who believes Willie to be innocent; the priest who has become a friend to Willie; and a mother whose only son is fighting in the Pacific, bent on befriending her black neighbours in defiance of her husband."

I received this book in a Goodreads Giveaway a little while ago and forgot it was on my shelf. The time it is set in and the subject matter is very reminiscent of 2 of my favourite films To Kill A Mocking Bird and The Green Mile. This is an outstanding book that deals with difficult matters of racism, prejudice and the death penalty but in short sharp chapters told from the points of view of 9 different people involved in the matter and this worked brilliantly in my view. It made sure the story was well rounded and left you to make your own mind up about what really happpened.

It is a glorious piece of historical fiction, but as it could so easily be based upon a true event that it sent shivers down my spine and made me wonder at how far the human race has thankfully moved on from some of the shocking things that previous generations had to endure. It brought me to tears in places, because the writing is so well crafted, but I still wanted to carry on reading and I was so pleased that I did persevere to the end of this glorious book.

The Mercy Seat is set in the Deep South (Louisiana) in 1943 and centres around the execution of a young black man who has been convicted of raping a white farmer's daughter who subsequently took her own life. Each of the short chapters focuses on one of the characters whose lives are touched the execution, including the prosecuting DA and his family, a low-security prisoner who is tasked with delivering the electric chair to the prison where the execution will take place, the priest who is delivering the last rights and the accused himself, Will Jones, and his father Frank.

The issues around capital punishment in general and this execution in particular are examined through the differing views and consciences of each of the characters, but this never felt like a preachy, one-sided read - the inequality and injustice of Will's sentence is plain for anyone to see. The brutally racist environment still prevalent in Louisiana in the mid 20th century provides a poignant and sadly familiar backdrop to Will's story.

This is a short but incredibly powerful novel - not easy to read but I'm glad I did

The Mercy Seat is the fourth novel from Elizabeth Winthrop, telling of the hours leading up to the midnight execution of Willie Jones, a young black man accused of raping a white girl who subsequently took her own life.

Set in Louisiana, USA in 1945, the author brings the story to life through her descriptions of the oppressive heat, dusty roads and the fields of cotton. This was a time and a place where prejudices still ran deep and where segregation remained the norm.

The story is unusual in that it is told from the point of view of nine (!) different characters. I thought this worked exceptionally well, as the multiple voices show the reader how the execution is affecting so many people within the small community. I would have liked there to be a couple more African-American narrators, as it would have been interesting to have seen the events unfolding through their eyes.

It is heartbreaking to realise that one of the narrators is Willie Jones' elderly father, Frank. He has accepted that his boy is going to die at midnight and he is struggling to get to the jail to see Willie for one last time before he dies. His cart, pulled by a clapped out old horse, carries a headstone for Willie because he believes that his son deserves that sign of respect. There was one particular point in Frank's journey that had me in floods of tears. I really was truly heartbroken by this character's story and by his quiet strength and his obvious love for his son.

I undertook some research into the use of the electric chair in 1945 and came across the case of Willie Francis, a 16 year old black boy who was convicted of the murder of a pharmacy owner whom he had once worked for. His story has definite parallels to that of Willie Jones and it made the tale all the more real and shocking for me, to realise that someone actually lived through a very similar turn of events. I must admit to knowing very little about this point in US history and yet I get the feeling that this is a very well-researched book. It certainly makes me keen to read more about this era.

One of the darker points for me was how people seemed to revel in Willie's approaching death - from the guardian of the electric chair to the baying crowds forming around the local jail where Willie is being kept - the execution is viewed akin to a sports event or a tourist attraction. For the family being left behind, knowing that your loved one's life is about to be cut short is bad enough, but how awful to be met with a crowd of bloodthirsty bigots and curious 'rubber-neckers'.

The story is told over a large number of small sections/chapters, each labelled with a character's name (important when there are nine different narrators to get confused over!). This was somewhat risky on the author's part as jumping quickly from character to character could have caused any suspense and tension to dispel, however it actually worked very well and the different voices seem to drive the story forward. It makes for a very compelling read.

The Mercy Seat really showcases Winthrop's writing skills. There is an elegant, almost poetic quality to her writing, which contrasts with the bleakness of the story, and a flow to the tale which makes the book impossible to put down. As the clock slowly ticks towards the hour of the execution, there is a sense of helplessness and inevitability that invades the pages. The first part of the tale leans more towards storytelling and setting the scene, whereas the later part moves into a more contemplative state, examining the conscience of each narrator as they reflect upon the impending execution. It is such an absorbing tale that I felt almost shocked when it ended. I still felt there was more of a story to be told, yet in some ways I liked the ambiguity that the ending provided.

The Mercy Seat really is a profound and powerful story - stark, brutal and real but, at the same time tender and compassionate. This is a tale of racism and injustice, of grief and secrets and, ultimately, of the love between a child and their parent. This is a thought-provoking tale that will stay with you a long time after it concludes.

The whole story takes place in under 24 hours in Louisiana, detailing racism and the justice system. A deeply thought provoking, powerful read- the descriptions are so detailed and amazing, I was back there with the characters.

Louisiana 1943 and Will is about to be executed. His crime, the rape of a white girl, and in Louisiana there is no such thing as consensual sex between the races. Many believe Will to be innocent but a crowd is gathering for his electrocution. As the day wears on the stories of those involved emerge. The priest, the condemned man and his family, the white farmer and his wife whose son has just been killed in the war, the lawyer and his family, the men transporting the electric chair. All involved in the events of the day and all reflecting on the politics of race and poverty.
This is a beautifully written account of a horrible time and place. The intensity of the racism in this corner of Louisiana is palpable throughout the book and the few good characters don't profit at all. The final twists are unexpected and yet so in keeping with this tale. Winthrop as produced a small yet powerful novel that leaves a lasting impression

Not been so choked reading a book for a long time. Set in the 1940s, across just a few hours, from multiple powerful POVs, the story of a young black man facing execution for the rape of a young white girl.
Short , at times sparse, chapters make this a really compelling read. Each chapter packed full of power and emotion. I thought to begin with I’d lose track of the narrators of each chapter. I didn’t, because they were all so good, So strong, and brought something very different to the overall story.

The Mercy Seat is a different, compelling and thought-provoking read. The book takes an unusual approach as it begins after the crucial events that have led to Will’s incarceration and impending death. The reader is given so many different characters points of view and all of them have differing feelings and opinions on what has happened. At first the multitude of characters is a little overwhelming and working out how everyone relates to each other is slightly difficult. However as the story progresses the characters become more clear and much easier to differentiate between. The Mercy Seat covers a very short period of time as the execution looms closer and closer. Despite this short timescale, so much happens and so many contrasting emotions are at play that this feels like such a full and consistently compelling novel.

The writing in The Mercy Seat is something quite special I think. Almost immediately there is an underlying tension to the prose – an uneasy, discomfiting feeling that pervades every chapter and every character. The atmosphere of the writing sort of feels like a coiled spring about to explode and ignite trouble of some sort. The Louisiana setting is beautifully done and so incredibly evocative. The reader gets such a strong sense of the intensity of the oppressive southern heat, the setting is kind of like a character itself.

I think this book is masterfully done in so many ways and I have very few criticisms. However, I do wish that we had gotten more of Will’s point of view. The book centres around the circumstances he is in and his chapters are so emotional and achingly sad but unfortunately a bit brief. I just wish that there was even more from him and his family. Another thing I think needs to be mentioned is the ending. I won’t give away anything about it but I will just say I think the ending is quite divisive. Personally I think it is well done and in keeping with what the author has achieved with this book but I can see why a reader may be frustrated by it.

Overall I think The Mercy Seat is an important novel which feels so real and intense. It is a hard book to read at times because of how hopeless certain aspects of the story make the reader feel but it is imperative that books like this are both written and read. I will definitely be looking out for more of this author’s work because I think this book is skilful and shocking and yet full of restraint and subtlety. Nothing here is done purely for shock factor, it shows the worst and best of human nature and I really hope it gets the audience it deserves.

Billed as having a kaleidoscopic narrative, The Mercy Seat, Winthrop’s tale of racial and social division is a measured and emotive story from beginning to end. As the hours tick by we bear witness to a young man’s progression to the electric chair, after a false accusation of rape, and Winthrop uses a myriad of voices throughout the book, changing the reader’s perception of events along the way. Weighing in with some big, meaty issues revolving around crime and punishment, justice and injustice, and condemnation and mercy, there is no denying the emotional heft of the book, and the raw human emotion that Winthrop pours into the novel. Cleverly, she integrates the shadow of WW2, and the bloodbath events of war in the Pacific, as a juxtaposition to the incredibly moving faltering journey of the condemned man’s father. The exposition of the loss of a mother of her son to war, and the loss of a son to a father through America’s racial war is beautifully rendered, and for me these two narratives were the real emotional lynchpin of the narrative.

With nine characters voices echoing throughout the book, I did feel there was a slight weakness to the clear identification of them, and some blurriness to their own morality or perception of the events unfolding. Interestingly, I came away from the book feeling that I had not read a contiguous tale, but more that these alternating chapters had taken the shape of a short story collection in my mind, as some chapters seemed less related, and a little less relevant to the whole. So I had a slight issue with the structure, preferring to absorb these as connecting stories, moving towards the same end. I was left a little unsettled by the ending too, as the clarion call of mercy was dealt with in a strangely weak denouement, that rather left the reader hanging in the balance at the end. Consequently, although I admired greatly some aspects of the novel in terms of the rendition of time and place, and the strong emotional resonance of some of the characters’ voices, I felt that Winthrop had maybe cast the net a little too wide, and so some sections of the book felt a little disjointed, and were less satisfactory than others. Would still recommend though despite, in my own opinion, some minor flaws.

https://www.librarything.com/work/21091338
https://www.librarything.com/work/21091338
https://www.librarything.com/work/21091338

This book for me is extremely sad. It is about a young black man who is accused of raping a white girl at a time in the south of the USA when black people are no longer slaves but there is still a lot of segregation and racial hatred. There are lynchings and the KKK is prevalent. He is to be executed. The book tells the story of the last day of his life, not just for him but for all the people connected to him and his sentence.

There are many characters essentially spilling their most heartfelt thoughts and feelings in alternating chapters. Each is equally as sad, compelling and thought-provoking as the last. The historical element does help to distance the emotion of the book, but it is still very raw and poignant.

I don't want to spend a lot of time reviewing this book as to me the subject-matter, which is basically historical racism, is one which is quite unpleasant but necessary for us to think about now that we have the privilege of having our own opinions and realising the terrible mistakes people have made in the past.

Having said all that, this is a book very worthy of reading. All the characters are alive with personality and feeling. They practically emanate sadness, fear and heartache from the pages. I was completely drawn in to the point where I didn't think about the fact that I was reading a fictional novel. The writing and characterisation is flawless.

I would recommend this book to anyone with any sense of justice, and anyone who likes feels with their reads. It's historical fiction most definitely not for the faint-hearted.

I had my doubts about this one for the first few pages, but then I was riveted. Emotional, beautifully scripted and above all intensely thought-provoking. As the stories of those involved in Willie's conviction and impending execution evolve, the truth emerges. Won't go into detail and spoil the read, but there are some memorable and heartbreaking moments as well as some very real and brutal examples of racial hatred. This book affected me deeply and will stay with me a long time.

This powerful denunciation of the American justice system and the ingrained racialism of a society that is still unable to come to terms with its past is set in rural Louisiana during a period of less than 24 hours. It is October 1943 and at midnight on this day an 18 year old African American man called Willie Jones is to face execution for the rape of a white girl, a crime that from the facts that are presented to us he almost certainly did not commit and is innocent. The story is told in chronological order in short concise chapters through a third party narration of nine people who have some involvement in the forthcoming execution. These people include Willie himself, his father struggling on the road with a tombstone trying to make it to the town jail before midnight, the local District Attorney who is struggling with his conscience regarding the death penalty he sought and a convict who has been temporarily released from prison to help with the transportation of the electric chair to its destination.

At first I must admit I found the structure of the book somewhat disorientating and confusing as one goes from one character to another and the need to pick up again where their narration presently is but after you become familiar with the characters and their individual stories it somehow all fits together to give an added actuality and realism to the book.

One thing is certain is that the descriptive writing displayed by Elizabeth H. Winthrop gives a sense of place and time and you really can visualise the dusty dirt back roads and the shabby shop interior. I'm sure that this is an accurate reflection of the time and as is retold here public lynchings were still common in 1920's America with postcards on sale in shops depicting this. With the death penalty still in use in 31 States and botched executions not an uncommon phenomenon this story still has much resonance together with the continuing proven racial bias when it comes to death penalty convictions. A thought provoking timely read which I would certainly recommend.

Wow! What a powerful book with such an important message. The Mercy Seat is one of those books that you just need to read and I'm glad I persisted with it after a slow start.

Set in 1943 Louisiana we are taken on a powerful journey that takes part over the course of one day. 18 year old Willie Jones is imprisoned and about to be executed for committing the 'rape' of a white girl. We are immediately aware that this wasn't actually rape but that Willie's imprisonment all narrows down to prejudice and racism. Told through the eyes of various people that have been impacted or will be impacted by the execution we are taken on an emotional rollercoaster as the theme of race and prejudice is explored.

At times it is a deeply uncomfortable read but this is for the right reasons. This prejudice is something that I have never witnessed or partaken in, so to read details that draw upon historical events it is incredibly moving and makes you question the morals of those who lived in these southern areas at the time.

Willie is such a likeable character and I was rooting for him throughout the book so the twist at the end did throw me.

The only thing that disappointed me was that it ended just as it got really interesting. I'd love to know what happened next but all in all a very impressive read.

Set in the deep south in 1943. A powerful read and one which I really enjoyed.
Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC.

Interesting book, quite a quick read but the subject matter is certainly not light, however it draws you in no matter. Most characters have some redeeming features and I could have read more if it were longer..

Any book that makes me think of Nick Cave in title and 'To Kill a Mockingbird' in content is off to a good start.

The setting and general feel of 'The Mercy Seat' are excellent. A historical Southern US setting is established well and everything just feels right from the very opening.

The actual narrative is interesting in being over such a short space of time and from multiple differing and kaleidoscopic approaches allows for this short novel to touch on deep subject matter in a short space of time. Managing to cover themes of poverty, racial bigotry, justice and complex moral outlooks in such a short work is no small achievement and is testament to the excellent writing Elizabeth Winthrop is clearly capable of.

This book never bores, and finds a way to keep pace despite the short time frame of narrative, An enjoyable read which is short in the reading but long in the memory.

Thought provoking, gripping and haunting. The voices of the different characters are superbly realised, and the final line will stay with me for a long time.