Patricia Ward
Sep 10, 2025
Hardcover
Young Adult Fiction / Thrillers & Suspense / Supernatural
Ages 13 And Up, Grades 8 And Up
Perfect for fans of Sawkill Girls, Bone Gap, and Dark and Shallow Lies, this suspenseful contemporary mystery delves into a small town’s supernatural, multigenerational curse—and the girl determined to break it.
Mercy was named for her mother’s hopes.
Mercy, in the hope that the Sorrowing—the curse that Mercy and her family had lived with for generations—might take pity on them.
But Mercy’s name never did her any good, and it certainly didn’t save her mother.
The Sorrowing ensures that Mercy, her family, and the core families in Arbor Falls aren’t able to grow, dream, or prosper. It makes sure they stay exactly as they are—mired in the mud. Mercy has learned to live with the truth: the only way to escape the Sorrowing is to accept it.
Until the Bowens move back to town.