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A review by bookph1le
Little Mercies by Heather Gudenkauf
3.0
Started off strong, and I had a lot of sympathy for the main character, but I thought it delved too much into sentimentality later in the book, and the writing is a little clunky in places. More completely review to come.
Full review:
I've read several of Gudenkauf's previous books and tend to like her writing style. However, this one didn't have the same effect for me. It started off strong and dealt with a topic I found very thought-provoking, putting me in the shoes of the main character, Ellen, but I thought later sections delved a bit too much into sentimentality. Some spoilers to follow.
The book starts with a simple premise that really made me think. On a harried day, a series of misunderstandings leads to Ellen inadvertently leaving her baby locked in a car on a hot day, resulting in serious medical consequences for her daughter and serious legal consequences for Ellen. I thought the author handled this issue with great sensitivity, and the parallel nature of the accident--it occurs while Ellen, a social worker, is intervening in a client's domestic issue that threatens the children's safety--was an interesting setup. I think that anyone who's a working parent knows what a blur the morning rush can be, as you're hurrying about getting yourself ready for work and your kids ready for school or daycare. Stay-at-home parents, too, can identify with the general craziness that comes from being a parent of multiple children, trying to keep everything organized and coordinated while often feeling as if you're barely keeping your head above water.
Ellen's excruciating guilt and the self-doubt she experiences are very convincing. She knows she didn't do anything wrong, but like most parents when something goes wrong with their child, she can't quite absolve herself of the conviction that she really is at fault. The accident also gives her a new perspective on some of her clients and what they've suffered as a result of their situations, and the times when she's had to have children removed from their custody.
What I most liked about this book is that I think it provides a pretty nuanced, though somewhat superficial view of a complex issue. Obviously abuse and neglect are unacceptable, but looking at things from a strictly black-and-white perspective allows us to ignore the pervasive and pernicious problems caused by things like substance abuse, poverty, relationship violence, etc. Ellen is good at what she does, but she comes to see that her perspective has sometimes been far too narrow. Yes, she wants to protect her juvenile clients, but she's sometimes done so at the expense of ignoring their parents' humanity.
The more problematic elements, I think, lie with Jenny. I liked her as a character, and I thought Gudenkauf did a good job of portraying a kid from a troubled background, but I found the plot surrounding her too contrived. I can't say much specific about it without giving away some major elements of the book, but I think I would have liked it better had Jenny's story not coincided with Ellen's as it did. In a way I thought this diminished the importance of Jenny's tale because it made it seem like no more than another aspect of Ellen's struggles to strike a balance between her family life and a job that understandably threatens to consume her.
The value of a book like this is in the new perspective a reader can gain. It does lack nuance when it comes to racial and religious elements, but it does give the reader a taste of what a social worker does. This is a job that I think is severely undervalued in society, and social workers make scandalously little money for what they do. Having to carry the psychological weight of their work is a burden, and what they do is so important to the fabric of society that it deserves more attention and more respect. Conversely, the book also puts readers in the shoes of people on the margins, though not to the same extent as it puts them in Ellen's shoes. Still, it provides some insight into what it's like for people for whom survival is a daily struggle, something that can be very easy to forget it you live in a solidly middle-class or upper-class neighborhood. Ellen goes through a process of recognizing that she brings her views into her work, views that aren't grounded in the same reality as that of the people she serves.
Finally, I found the resolution of the book a bit too pat. Things are tied up with a very neat bow, which does make for a satisfying ending, but far too often people in Jenny's or Ellen's position don't get the just, happy ending they deserve. It's a decent book about a very sensitive topic, but it doesn't do the topic quite enough justice.
Full review:
I've read several of Gudenkauf's previous books and tend to like her writing style. However, this one didn't have the same effect for me. It started off strong and dealt with a topic I found very thought-provoking, putting me in the shoes of the main character, Ellen, but I thought later sections delved a bit too much into sentimentality. Some spoilers to follow.
The book starts with a simple premise that really made me think. On a harried day, a series of misunderstandings leads to Ellen inadvertently leaving her baby locked in a car on a hot day, resulting in serious medical consequences for her daughter and serious legal consequences for Ellen. I thought the author handled this issue with great sensitivity, and the parallel nature of the accident--it occurs while Ellen, a social worker, is intervening in a client's domestic issue that threatens the children's safety--was an interesting setup. I think that anyone who's a working parent knows what a blur the morning rush can be, as you're hurrying about getting yourself ready for work and your kids ready for school or daycare. Stay-at-home parents, too, can identify with the general craziness that comes from being a parent of multiple children, trying to keep everything organized and coordinated while often feeling as if you're barely keeping your head above water.
Ellen's excruciating guilt and the self-doubt she experiences are very convincing. She knows she didn't do anything wrong, but like most parents when something goes wrong with their child, she can't quite absolve herself of the conviction that she really is at fault. The accident also gives her a new perspective on some of her clients and what they've suffered as a result of their situations, and the times when she's had to have children removed from their custody.
What I most liked about this book is that I think it provides a pretty nuanced, though somewhat superficial view of a complex issue. Obviously abuse and neglect are unacceptable, but looking at things from a strictly black-and-white perspective allows us to ignore the pervasive and pernicious problems caused by things like substance abuse, poverty, relationship violence, etc. Ellen is good at what she does, but she comes to see that her perspective has sometimes been far too narrow. Yes, she wants to protect her juvenile clients, but she's sometimes done so at the expense of ignoring their parents' humanity.
The more problematic elements, I think, lie with Jenny. I liked her as a character, and I thought Gudenkauf did a good job of portraying a kid from a troubled background, but I found the plot surrounding her too contrived. I can't say much specific about it without giving away some major elements of the book, but I think I would have liked it better had Jenny's story not coincided with Ellen's as it did. In a way I thought this diminished the importance of Jenny's tale because it made it seem like no more than another aspect of Ellen's struggles to strike a balance between her family life and a job that understandably threatens to consume her.
The value of a book like this is in the new perspective a reader can gain. It does lack nuance when it comes to racial and religious elements, but it does give the reader a taste of what a social worker does. This is a job that I think is severely undervalued in society, and social workers make scandalously little money for what they do. Having to carry the psychological weight of their work is a burden, and what they do is so important to the fabric of society that it deserves more attention and more respect. Conversely, the book also puts readers in the shoes of people on the margins, though not to the same extent as it puts them in Ellen's shoes. Still, it provides some insight into what it's like for people for whom survival is a daily struggle, something that can be very easy to forget it you live in a solidly middle-class or upper-class neighborhood. Ellen goes through a process of recognizing that she brings her views into her work, views that aren't grounded in the same reality as that of the people she serves.
Finally, I found the resolution of the book a bit too pat. Things are tied up with a very neat bow, which does make for a satisfying ending, but far too often people in Jenny's or Ellen's position don't get the just, happy ending they deserve. It's a decent book about a very sensitive topic, but it doesn't do the topic quite enough justice.