Small Mercies

Gr 4 Up--In contemporary Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, Mercy Adams lives in fear of a social worker appearing at her doorstep and taking her away from Aunt Flora and Aunt Mary, the two elderly sisters who have been her foster mothers since she was very young. To outsiders, she knows their life wouldn't be considered "normal"--Aunt Mary never hesitates to write Mercy absurd excuses to get out of her sixth grade responsibilities ("she has a bone in her leg," a cross country excuse reads), their ramshackle house is falling apart, and worst of all, Aunt Flora's memory has started to fade due to Alzheimer's. When a housing developer makes aggressive attempts to buy their house, Aunt Mary declines the offer and instead takes in a lodger, Mr. Singh, to raise some extra money. Mr. Singh tells Mercy stories about his "friend," Mohandas (Gandhi), that teach her to appreciate the unforeseeable significance of small acts in building a better world. Mercy is a winning protagonist who is by turns anxious, observant, and brave. South Africa is represented in its diversity: Mercy is mixed race, her aunts are white, and neighbors, classmates, and community members are from a range of racial and cultural backgrounds. Short, episodic chapters in the book's first half build to an emotionally compelling conclusion that is rich in insights about community, family, and social action. VERDICT This novel has a gentle, timeless feel, complex secondary characters, and quirky humor. A heartfelt, human, and wise addition to middle grade shelves.--Elizabeth Giles, Lubuto Library Partners, Zambia

Mercy, a dark-skinned child, lives in modern-day South Africa with her foster mothers, two eccentric elderly sisters who took her in after her mother's death, when she was five. Mercy has been safe and comfortable in the years with Aunt Mary and Aunt Flora, but financial woes, Flora's worsening Alzheimer's, and a pushy real-estate developer determined to turn their property into cluster housing plague the family, leaving Mercy fearful that she'll be taken from her home. With the support of her community, Mercy finds the courage to share her fears and ask for help. Mercy's foster mothers have a clear distrust of government systems, teaching Mercy to be wary of people such as social workers, opting instead to rely on self-advocacy, friends, and neighbors for support. Characters of all ages populate this debut's pages, but, disappointingly, the children are less engaging and memorable than the adults, whose big personalities jump colorfully off the page. There are skillful moments in which Krone touches on themes, such as belonging and connection, with brilliant clarity. Ultimately, though, too many subjects, from the state of the foster care system to environmentalism and the plight of bees, vie for attention, lessening the overall effect of the narrative. Ages 8-12. (Feb.)