The Mercy Seat

Elizabeth H Winthrop Sceptre €15.65

Set over the course of a sweltering October day in 1943, Winthrop’s short fourth novel tells the story of a small Louisiana town awaiting the arrival of the electric chair. At midnight, Willie Jones, an 18-year-old black man, will be executed for the rape of a young white woman, a crime he insists he did not commit. Based on a true story and told from nine different perspectives, this is an atmospheric, subtle and beautifully crafted portrait of a divided community, riven by prejudice. Echoing both William Faulkner and Harper Lee, this moving novel has clear contemporary resonance.