But I Smile Anyway…

I am participating in the blog tour for the fantastic book, The Mercy Step, by Marcia Hutchinson.

The Blurb

December 1962 in Bradford, and the precocious Mercy makes her reluctant
entrance into the world, torn from the warm embrace of her mother’s womb
and thrust into a life that feels far too big for her small body.
Mercy craves her mother’s attention, which she must share with the Church
and her many siblings, while dodging the fists and temper of her abusive
father. Quick-witted and wise beyond her years, Mercy feels like an outsider
in her family, with everyone else seemingly happy to ignore the precarious
house of cards they live in. But Mercy is nothing if not resilient, finding hope
and escapism in books and learning, as well as her faithful toy, Dolly. She is
determined to overcome her upbringing and save her family – no matter what it
takes.

My Review

The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Mercy Step is a story written from the viewpoint of a young child born in the UK to a couple who are a part of the Windrush Generation that immigrated here from Jamaica.
From the off, we are with Mercy, as she leaves her mother’s womb, and beyond. Mercy is an astute child, held back in so many ways by her family’s thinking. She is a product of immigrants but growing up in this Western workd where there are opportunities beyond the scope of her parents.
It is an emotional ride, I have to say. On one side, she has an abusive parent, and on the other, a parent who only wants the best for her ‘pikney’ but who cannot separate her Jamaican/church thinking from the world she is now living in.
It is tenderly told, tugging at the heartstrings.
TW for some child abuse and SA.

About The Author

Marcia Hutchinson was born to Windrush generation Jamaican parents in the UK in 1962. She was the first pupil
from her comprehensive school to go to Oxford, where she gained an MA in Law. She
worked as a lawyer before founding the educational publishing company Primary
Colours, which she ran until 2014. She was awarded an MBE in 2011 for services to
Cultural Diversity. Moving to Manchester in 2012, she became a community activist
and was eventually elected as a Labour Councillor in 2021. She is now a full-time writer
and an active member of the Black Writers’ Guild. She is the co-author with Kate Griffin
(under the pseudonym Lila Cain) of the historical fiction novel The Blackbirds of St
Giles, which will be published by Simon and Schuster in 2025. The Mercy Step is her
literary debut as a solo writer.