Lloyd Willis

I have not read a novel in some time that has moved me to tears. It is a tragic tale that deals with harsh realities of racism, poverty, addiction and crime. At it's center, it is the story of Mary Pat Fennessy, a protagonist you will not soon forget. The setting is Boston, during the 1970s busing riots. Mary Pat is on a quest to find her missing daughter. Dennis Lehane's ability to write scenes that put the reader in a time and place is unparalleled. While using great economy of words, the book is still extremely descriptive and violent, and had me cringing at several times as the story unfolds. There is no great conclusion, no redemptive triumph for anyone in the story. There are only "small mercies"...and great appreciation for Mr.Lehanes' strong, lean prose and magnificent writing. One of the best books of the year.