Super Short Summary

A Mercy follows the experiences of a 16-year-old enslaved girl named Florens, who is given to Jacob Vaark as payment for a debt. She goes to live on Vaark's farm in rural New York, where a pseudo-family of enslaved and indentured individuals forms. Florens falls in love with a free Black man, the Blacksmith, but faces numerous challenges as fear and panic emerge after Jacob's death, leading to significant changes in the household. The novel addresses slavery and explores themes of abandonment, belonging, and the search for kindness in a pre-racial America. Sensitive topics include cruelty towards enslaved individuals and incidents of physical violence.