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The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson review
This vivid story of a Caribbean childhood in 1960s Bradford does not stint on accounts of poverty and systemic abuse, yet is pungent with wit and colour
TL;DR
- The novel is inspired by Marcia Hutchinson's childhood in Bradford, England, as the daughter of Jamaican immigrants in the 1960s.
- It portrays the challenges faced by Windrush migrants, including racism, poverty, and inadequate housing, alongside the cold Yorkshire weather.
- The protagonist, Mercy Hanson, experiences a difficult childhood marked by her mother's strict religious beliefs, her father's abusive behavior, and a sense of separation from her siblings.
- Hutchinson skillfully blends Jamaican patois, Yorkshire dialect, and Received Pronunciation.
- Despite the difficult themes of abuse and poverty, the novel is characterized by its wit, color, and determination.
- Mercy finds solace and encouragement through reading, sports, and her older sister Mona.
- The novel concludes with Mercy's acceptance into grammar school and a significant moment of asserting her Black identity, inspired by the 1968 Olympics Black Power salute.