‘Accidents happen every day to everyday people.’
More often than not, there is a time in our life, when we tend to overwhelm ourselves in the enthusiasm of things. In the wake of this strained and unmercifully tight schedule, happen to take for granted everything we breathe for. Sometimes, a small ignorance, a small distraction can have us falling down the hollow of a dark well, and even though the action on our part be small, the consequences can be life changing, life shattering even.
This is what Little Mercies is; story of Ellen, a devoted social worker, a caring mother, a loving wife, a dutiful daughter. An honest mistake lands her in a disastrous puddle, which can have life-altering consequences. She soon finds herself reversing roles, for the first time ever having to step into her clients’ shoes.
Being a social worker, Ellen has witnessed monstrous and dreadful acts, worst form of abuses being inflicted on kids; children with no fault of their own, becoming the victims of their parents’ aggression, indifference or addiction. Never has she, in her wildest dream, imagined being grouped in this category, being charged with child negligence herself. An unexpected moment of distraction results in endangering all that she holds dear, questioning her motherhood and her work.
In contrast, is the life of Jenny, the other protagonist of the story, a 10-year-old child, feisty and spirited, who herself has had a challenging childhood. Once a victim herself, her life takes an unsure turn when she is stranded alone in an unknown city, and decides to fare on her own.
The book shows us how little distractions, at times, end up changing everything around us, hitting at the weakest node and shattering the world we hold so dear. In these trying times, as and when we hope for a miracle, it is the little mercies – the small kindnesses and good that come from the terrible, which help us sail through. These little mercies can come from the family or friends, and at times from acquaintances. For Ellen, her family and friends help her, for Jenny it is the goodwill of strangers that she encounters on her journey.
Changing perspectives with each chapter, alternating between Ellen and Jenny; Heather Gudenkauf has meticulously presented a compelling and emotionally charged account. The book has been written with fine humane inclinations, bound to leave you teary eyed.
The overwhelming enthusiasm, the overexerting scheme of things is relatable to the last minute. The reader is hit with the realization of how precious each tiny moment in life is, how delicate the sanity of each moment is. In rush of things, we seldom take a pause, breathe a sigh of relief, or ponder on the repercussions of our actions, or just be grateful. The continuous addiction and high of achievements, encloses us in a bubble of glass, only so long as until a distraction shatters it and endangers the existence we built so carefully; a rarely deniable course of trajectory. In those testing times, little mercies, from people around us – friends, families or at times strangers, help us pick the shards and set out to a renewed journey with a richer character.
Maniishark 