Welcome

MERCY

MERCY
If you like MERCY, you’ll also like VANISHING ACTS

About the book

The love of your life
Asks for your help to die.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?


When Jamie Macdonald killed his wife, he knew he might face a life sentence. But what was life in a world without Maggie?

The case divides the small town of Wheelock. Jamie has confessed to premeditated murder – Murder One. For Police Chief Cameron Macdonald, there’s no question this man should be arrested and tried.

But for Cameron’s wife Allie, it’s not so clear-cut. She loves her husband more than life itself. If he was suffering and asked for her help to die, she knows she would do anything for him. Now, for the first time in their marriage, she finds herself set against Cam, siding with Jamie and wondering if what he says is right: that in a relationship, there’s always one who loves more . . .

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Book Club Discussion Questions

  1. To what degree is the title a metaphor for this novel?
  2. Are Jamie's actions justified? What about Cam's? Allie's?
  3. Who is the author of the "notes"between the chapters? Who are these snippets addressing? Did you believe this throughout the book?
  4. Jamie says, "You know it's never fifty-fifty in a marriage. It's always seventy-thirty, or sixty-forty. Someone falls in love first. Someone puts someone else up on a pedestal. Someone works very hard to keep things rolling smoothly; someone else sails along for the ride."Do you agree?
  5. In what ways does Mia's memory of her parents' love influence her relationship with Cam?
  6. Who is the most selfish character? The most selfless?
  7. In what ways are Cam and Jamie similar?
  8. How is Cameron MacDonald like his namesake ancestor? How is he different? To what extent does the Scottish history of this clan affect his decisions?
  9. What is the significance of the moments in MERCY that are magical or somewhat unreal?
  10. There is a catch-22 in Mia and Cam's relationship… they have each fallen in love with a person who would no longer exist if they were to run off together. Do you agree or disagree with this statement, and why?
  11. Is there a hero in this book?
  12. What attracts Allie to Jamie? To Cam? What attracts Mia to Cam, and Cam to Mia? Do you believe that we try to find parts of our personalities that are lacking in the people we love?
  13. At the end of chapter 17, Cam "wondered how he had so quickly gone from holding everything he wanted in the palm of his hand to having absolutely nothing at all. He wondered how he could have been so blinded by something shiny and new and elusive that he couldn't at least give equal credit for the strength of something stable, and strong, and his."Do you think his feelings are heartfelt? Do you agree?
  14. Why did Picoult choose to make Jamie a pioneer in virtual reality?
  15. How has Jamie changed by the end of the book?
  16. What will happen to Cam and Allie? To Mia? To Jamie?
  17. Is this novel about love, or loyalty? Are they the same thing?


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Reviews

'What could have been a competent, topical novel about a MERCY killing becomes, in Picoult's hands, an inspired meditation on love… Picoult pays loving attention to her central characters, fashioning a sensitive exploration of the balance of love.'
Publishers Weekly

'A heady mix of euthanasia and adultery.'
Sainsbury's Magazine

'MERCY, a quietly powerful book that examines the boundaries of love and loyalty, courage and forgiveness... Picoult writes with a fine touch, a sharp eye for detail and a firm grasp of the delicacy and complexity of human relationships.'
The Boston Globe

'A graceful stylist, Picoult entertains her readers not only with feel-good storytelling and irresistible characters but with consideration of such serious moral dilemmas as euthanasia and forgiveness.'
Booklist

'I would be surprised if anyone who reads the first 20 pages of MERCY could put it aside again. This is the Real Thing, a novel about plausible people and important ideas told with riveting cinematic clarity. The story's edge, and the economy with which Jodi Picoult hones it, positively gleam.'
Portland Oregonian

'This is a wonderful book, with many characters who are easy to care about and an ending that is satisfyingly real.'
Associated Press

'This author never produces a dud and her tale of a married police chief who has to arrest his cousin for the MERCY killing of his wife is a page-turner.'
Bella

'This moving portrayal of marriage explores the nature of love.'
Woman & Home

'Jodi Picoult is not one to shy away from fictional controversy; in fact, the more tangled and messy a moral dilemma appears, the better she likes it.'
Daily Mail

'Picoult has been incredibly successful in dissecting the pain that family members go through when faced with sensitive and emotive issues.'
Daily Express

'Picoult, once again, grabs a razor-sharp issue and uses her brilliantly intricate pen to expose all the shades of grey with PERFECTION.'
Cosmopolitan


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Buy the book

 Play.com LogoWaterstones Logo
Amazon LogoWHSmith LogoTesco Logo


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MERCY

MERCY

If you like MERCY, you’ll also like VANISHING ACTS


About the book

THE LOVE OF YOUR LIFE
ASKS FOR YOUR HELP TO DIE.
WHAT WOULD YOU DO?


When Jamie Macdonald killed his wife, he knew he might face a life sentence. But what was life in a world without Maggie?

The case divides the small town of Wheelock. Jamie has confessed to premeditated murder – Murder One. For Police Chief Cameron Macdonald, there’s no question this man should be arrested and tried.

But for Cameron’s wife Allie, it’s not so clear-cut. She loves her husband more than life itself. If he was suffering and asked for her help to die, she knows she would do anything for him. Now, for the first time in their marriage, she finds herself set against Cam, siding with Jamie and wondering if what he says is right: that in a relationship, there’s always one who loves more . . .

Back to top



Book Club Discussion Questions

  1. To what degree is the title a metaphor for this novel?
  2. Are Jamie's actions justified? What about Cam's? Allie's?
  3. Who is the author of the "notes"between the chapters? Who are these snippets addressing? Did you believe this throughout the book?
  4. Jamie says, "You know it's never fifty-fifty in a marriage. It's always seventy-thirty, or sixty-forty. Someone falls in love first. Someone puts someone else up on a pedestal. Someone works very hard to keep things rolling smoothly; someone else sails along for the ride."Do you agree?
  5. In what ways does Mia's memory of her parents' love influence her relationship with Cam?
  6. Who is the most selfish character? The most selfless?
  7. In what ways are Cam and Jamie similar?
  8. How is Cameron MacDonald like his namesake ancestor? How is he different? To what extent does the Scottish history of this clan affect his decisions?
  9. What is the significance of the moments in MERCY that are magical or somewhat unreal?
  10. There is a catch-22 in Mia and Cam's relationship… they have each fallen in love with a person who would no longer exist if they were to run off together. Do you agree or disagree with this statement, and why?
  11. Is there a hero in this book?
  12. What attracts Allie to Jamie? To Cam? What attracts Mia to Cam, and Cam to Mia? Do you believe that we try to find parts of our personalities that are lacking in the people we love?
  13. At the end of chapter 17, Cam "wondered how he had so quickly gone from holding everything he wanted in the palm of his hand to having absolutely nothing at all. He wondered how he could have been so blinded by something shiny and new and elusive that he couldn't at least give equal credit for the strength of something stable, and strong, and his."Do you think his feelings are heartfelt? Do you agree?
  14. Why did Picoult choose to make Jamie a pioneer in virtual reality?
  15. How has Jamie changed by the end of the book?
  16. What will happen to Cam and Allie? To Mia? To Jamie?
  17. Is this novel about love, or loyalty? Are they the same thing?


Back to top

Reviews

'What could have been a competent, topical novel about a MERCY killing becomes, in Picoult's hands, an inspired meditation on love… Picoult pays loving attention to her central characters, fashioning a sensitive exploration of the balance of love.'
Publishers Weekly

'A heady mix of euthanasia and adultery.'
Sainsbury's Magazine

'MERCY, a quietly powerful book that examines the boundaries of love and loyalty, courage and forgiveness... Picoult writes with a fine touch, a sharp eye for detail and a firm grasp of the delicacy and complexity of human relationships.'
The Boston Globe

'A graceful stylist, Picoult entertains her readers not only with feel-good storytelling and irresistible characters but with consideration of such serious moral dilemmas as euthanasia and forgiveness.'
Booklist

'I would be surprised if anyone who reads the first 20 pages of MERCY could put it aside again. This is the Real Thing, a novel about plausible people and important ideas told with riveting cinematic clarity. The story's edge, and the economy with which Jodi Picoult hones it, positively gleam.'
Portland Oregonian

'This is a wonderful book, with many characters who are easy to care about and an ending that is satisfyingly real.'
Associated Press

'This author never produces a dud and her tale of a married police chief who has to arrest his cousin for the MERCY killing of his wife is a page-turner.'
Bella

'This moving portrayal of marriage explores the nature of love.'
Woman & Home

'Jodi Picoult is not one to shy away from fictional controversy; in fact, the more tangled and messy a moral dilemma appears, the better she likes it.'
Daily Mail

'Picoult has been incredibly successful in dissecting the pain that family members go through when faced with sensitive and emotive issues.'
Daily Express

'Picoult, once again, grabs a razor-sharp issue and uses her brilliantly intricate pen to expose all the shades of grey with PERFECTION.'
Cosmopolitan


Back to top


Buy the book

 Play.com LogoWaterstones Logo
Amazon LogoWHSmith LogoTesco Logo


Back to top