Finalist for the Women's Prize · Among the Observer's best new novelists · Winner of the British Book Award for Best Book of the Year from Discover
“A beautiful, tender portrait of what it takes to leave where you came from and build your own future.”
Cariad Lloyd, judge of the 2026 Women's Prize for Fiction
Bradford, December 1962.Mercy, a smart baby, is reluctantly born, torn from her mother's warm embrace, into a chaotic home that doesn't seem to have a place for her. Her brothers don't understand her, her mother devotes her time to church, and the entire family lives at the mercy of her father's quick anger.When left to her own devices, Mercy finds solace in books, her imagination, and the quiet comfort provided by her loyal toy, Dolly. But escapism has its limits, and as the grip of family, faith, and fear tightens, Mercy realizes that she must act if she wants a different future; A future in which she can be seen, her voice will be heard, and her family will be free.
