Small Mercies

1. General Impressions 

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• How much did you know about Boston’s busing crisis before reading Small Mercies? Do you think a person can appreciate the novel without understanding this context?
• How did the novel’s title shape your expectations? How did your understanding of the title’s meaning change as the novel unfolded?
• Several of author Dennis Lehane’s novels have been adapted into movies, including Shutter Island and Mystic River. Have you seen any of these films (or read the novels that inspired them)? How does Small Mercies compare?

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Mary Pat takes several extreme steps—including kidnapping, torture, and murder—in her quest first to learn what happened to her daughter and then to secure justice for her. Is she justified in taking those measures? How does her community’s relationship with law enforcement influence your opinion? What about Jules’s own complicity in crime and racism?
• Have you ever lived in a particularly tight-knit community? Did you find that there were drawbacks? If so, did they outweigh the advantages?
• There is a strong element of legacy in Southie’s governing character and codes.