In The Name Of Love. (Mercy - Jodi Picoult)

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Product:	Mercy - Jodi Picoult
Date:	30/04/08 (67 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Hot topic. Makes you think.

Disadvantages: see review.

In The Name Of Love.

I've read a few book reviews on dooyoo about Jodi Picoult's novels and when I saw this one in my favourite second-hand bookshop I decided to buy it. I know little about the author, and to be honest I find her website confusing with lots about forthcoming book tours and very little about the author and the themes she handles in her books. She's an American author and writes prolifically, with about fourteen books to her name. From reviews and some looking at her website, she writes about relationships, family and friends, love and loss, but mainly about those topics we prefer not to think about. I gather that she also writes about court cases to do with ethical choices, something that needs handling carefully.

In Mercy she explores the theme of mercy killing, or euthanasia, with a delicate touch that shouldn't get readers too biased as to her own beliefs. In fact I was left wondering quite what personal stance she had on this often hotly debated topic. I couldn't see readers taking sides based on the story, but maybe that's because it's the first book that I've read of hers.

<< The Plot >>

N.B. Contains a small plot-spoiler, essential to my review.

The small town of Wheelock, Massachusetts has been home for several centuries to the descendants of the clan McDonald, following their mass exodus from Scotland after the clan was almost wiped out in the massacre by the Campbell's. In many ways it still keeps to the ancient traditions, so it's no surprise that Cameron McDonald, the direct descendant of the chieftain that made the exodus possible, is the town Police Chief. His wife Allie, worships him in the same way that another man worships his own wife and has the courage to carry out her wishes in a way that will plunge the small community into taking sides.
For Jamie McDonald, the long-lost cousin of Cameron, has committed murder in the name of love. His wife, Maggie, dying of untreatable cancer, begs Jamie to end her suffering and Jamie chooses the town where his cousin rules almost like a clan leader to carry out Maggie's wishes by smothering her with a pillow, her own choice of assisted suicide.

He then places himself in the hands of his cousin Cameron, but there is no mercy for him there. Cameron has long resented his official role as Police chief and the unspoken role of Clan Chieftain. He books Jamie for Murder one and locks him up, to the surprise and horror of his gentle wife, Allie, who believes that Jamie has already suffered enough.
On the same day that Jamie commits his "crime", another person enters town, immediately placing herself in the private lives of Cameron and Allie. For Mia is a talented florist and Allie runs a small, but busy Florist's shop.
While Cam is increasingly hostile to Jamie, he takes a lot of interest in Mia, leading to the inevitable affair, while Allie is busy taking both Mia and Jamie under her wing. The court case is pending, the townspeople are divided and in the meantime the outcome of the trial is by no means a foregone conclusion. Jamie could end up being convicted of Murder one. Allie could lose more than just a new-found cousin and a friend.

<< Characters.>>

Despite what should be a great plot, the book is mainly character driven and in this lies it's weakness. Not that the characters are at fault, but by their very natures they undermine the true theme of the book.
Cameron comes across as a man who puts duty before anything else, including his wife and his cousin. He shows no empathy at all with Jamie and goes out of his way to avoid him. Personally I found his character very weak and I couldn't drag up an ounce of sympathy with him at all.
Allie seems a much more lovable character on the surface of things. However, I found her childlike devotion to her husband to be sickly and felt like giving her a good shake. Yes, she does go against the grain by helping Jamie with his defence, but I felt this was part of her nature, the need to be useful to other people. Frankly I found it unbelievable that she would take on Mia as her assistant and even put this stranger up in her own home without knowing anything about her.
Mia herself is an enigma. She appears from nowhere with a few possessions and her cat in her duffel bag. A rootless wanderer who is looking for something she doesn't understand for herself.
Jamie's character was very underdeveloped. For a man that loves his wife enough to agree to kill her I expected more about his thoughts and feelings. But these only came out in conversations and left me feeling that I didn't really know him at all.
There are some other great character sketches as well, with the honour of the hero in my mind going to Graham McPhee, the defence lawyer.
In fact I can't fault Picoult for her characters, but I do have some doubts about their actions in the book.

<< Prose>>

Picoult writes well with some great descriptions of both her characters and the surrounding countryside that often forge such characters. Her prose shows confidence and a deft handling of both setting the scene and engaging her characters in realistic dialogue. The court scenes are obviously something she normally does to great effect and I found the balance of the action and the courtroom drama to be just right. So why did I feel so let down when the book ended?

<< My Thoughts.>>

This book was first published in the UK in the year 2006,but the copyright is dated 1996. Did the author feel that it wasn't the right time to publish, or is this one of her books that she felt needed time to mature? This should have been a great book given the theme of mercy killing. Even the relationship side of it was essential to the plot, so where did it fall down in my opinion?
Somehow I couldn't quite connect with any of the characters and that can spoil a book completely for me. I "liked" some of the characters, but I'm sorry, I didn't believe in them.
Mia's appearance was just too contrived and left me feeling cheated. She had exactly the background to appeal to Cam and wonder of wonders, she was also the kind of person that Allie would connect with.
Jamie should have made my heart melt, but Picoult didn't give him any exposure except for the deathbed chapter and some interaction with Allie. It's Jamie that poses the question on which the book seems to teeter, rather than balance. He puts forward the Hypothesis that in any relationship there is one partner that loves more than the other.
Maybe Picoult tried too hard to prove this, rather than concentrate on the main issue.
Still, it was cleverly plotted and I did manage to get through it with ease. I am unsure how to grade it though.
I suspect that many women would love this book and I don't feel it would appeal to men that much. I also have to think of the author's fans, given that they are more used to her writing.
Finally, there's the element of chance. It's very possible that this isn't up to her normal standards. On that I ask for any comments on my analysis.

Price Comparisons are really letting me down lately. I take Amazon as the base price, but I've found it can change from day to day. Mercy is priced at £4 new today and 1p used plus postage. Mine was a second-hand buy but the copy is exactly like the picture on dooyoo and retails at £6.99.
Thanks, as always for reading.
©Lisa Fuller 29th April 2008.

Summary: An attempt at writing about mercy killing.