Into the Fire

If you’re going to read a novel by Susan Meissner, you’re not going to get one story. Nope. You’re going to get several layers under the guise of one story. Not only that but you’re going to get those stories with the added bonuses of pretty prose with a unique and recognizable voice that I happen to love. The mind of Susan Meissner runs deep as a well fed by streams of clear, fresh water. If you want to learn what the measure of a word is—in other words: how to be concise with perfectly chosen words—read a novel by Susan Meissner.

Look, my being a fan of her writing does not mean I will extol every novel she’s ever written because her Rachel Flynn mysteries were not my preference, but even with that series Susan’s voice is intact and her layers firm. Simply stated, Susan is an excellent writer.

You can read an interview with Susan in the archives of this blog or a recent interview with Cara Putman on her Monday blog post (http://carasmusings.blogspot.com/), or you can visit Susan at her blog here: http://susanmeissner.blogspot.com/.

In The Shape of Mercy a young woman from a wealthy family makes an independent choice to shun Stanford University for a “state school” and dorm living. “Lauren” assumes from hushed voices she recalls from the tender age of six that her father would’ve preferred a son for his only child, and she’s determined to assert herself by taking English/Literature instead of business classes as her father would’ve chosen for her.

Welcoming and taking the job to transcribe a faded but carefully preserved diary of a teenaged girl written before and during the Salem witch trials, Lauren meets the also wealthy 83 year old caretaker of this treasured piece, Abigail, who shares that this young woman, Mercy, was a distant relative and definitely not a witch.

The story fluctuates between Lauren’s current and Mercy’s past lives while blending with Abigail’s, revealing the wide gamut of choices involved in living one’s life. Mingled within these lives are the results different choices can bring to an individual. Lauren learns more than she cares to know about how she dissects the choices made in others’ lives and comes up with judgments she never intends to make.

The stirring story of Lauren’s emotional links to Mercy as the diary reveals Mercy’s keen character, a young love which develops into a sacrificial offering, and the inconclusive final passage in the diary upon her death sends Lauren on an ill-fated mission for more information.

Susan speaks the voice and records the actions of 20 year old Lauren perfectly. Perhaps it has something to do with having a daughter in that age bracket. Lauren’s actions and attitudes in all of her relationships impart just enough of that self-centered worldview mixed with immense emotion and intense confusion typical of young adulthood. The reader can both identify with and tsk at her choices, but in the end we are pleased with her actions.

Another important element of Susan’s prose is her infallible research demonstrated succinctly in this novel. The title is taken from the term used to describe the “visions” of witch-accusers in Salem. They would claim to see the “shapes” of individuals harassing and haunting them which would send them into convulsing seizures. The post-years of the Salem trials revealed that those executed were not witches at all but devoted followers of Christ.

The unnecessary death of a young woman, father-daughter relationships, three simple yet complex love stories, and friendships which transcend age and time . . . all of these and more found in the pages of The Shape of Mercy.

As is the case with the rest of the story, the title is as multi-faceted as the plot. A touching story and a good read.

Father, you see Susan’s heart, you designed her and delight in her. Help her to find rest in you, and be the supplier of all her stories and dreams as she finds her true pleasure in you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.