A Mercy of Widows

Finalist: 2023 Wishing Shelf Book Awards "A great voice that in spite of the heavy themes, carries a lightness so you root for Heddie and her dog, Fella. Clever and also quite touching." J Marie Rundquist, author of All I'm Asking and As Though You Were Mine. Her heartbreak is real but lack of a wedding ring has left her defenseless. Will grappling with MAID legislation destroy her or bring her peace? Heddie Wright is a shadow among the living. After her boyfriend's death from cancer, with no wedding ring to mark her loss, she stands defenseless against a world blind to her pain—mourning her lost love alone and unheard. But when she's thrust into a mercy-killing trial, her journey as a juror becomes a path of personal discovery, where each day in court peels back her emotional facade and forces Heddie to grapple with the letter of the law alongside the aching questions of love's endurance and the costs of loyalty. A Mercy of Widows is set against Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) legislation, capturing a nation's struggle with ethical dilemmas surrounding life's final dignity. Filled with dynamic dialogue, Lane's narrative combines the gravity of a legal drama with a wry touch of humour, sketching characters who are as flawed as they are fervent. As secrets come to light, Heddie—and the reader—must consider what redemption truly looks like when peace feels just beyond reach. Echoing the moral complexity of Jodi Picoult and the emotional authenticity of Kristin Hannah, Marcy Lane's narrative is both straightforward and richly compassionate. A Mercy of Widows captures Heddie Wright's transformation from silent grief to a bearer of hope, where true courage lies in facing the past and real endurance is continuing to love amid life's most profound trials.