description A Mercy Overview
A Mercy is a historical novel by Toni Morrison published in 2008. Set in the 1680s in colonial America before the formalization of slavery, it explores the interconnected lives of an Anglo-Dutch trader and the women on his Maryland farm, examining themes of race, dependence, and societal formation.
help A Mercy FAQ
When and where is Toni Morrison's A Mercy set?
A Mercy is set in colonial America during the 1680s, with much of the story centered on Jacob Vaark's farm in the northern colonies. The novel also reaches Maryland and Virginia through the characters' histories and trade routes. [Penguin Random House](https://www.penguinrandomhouseretail.com/book/?isbn=9780307264237)
Who is Florens in A Mercy?
Florens is an enslaved girl whom Jacob Vaark accepts from a Maryland plantation owner as part payment for a debt. Her perspective becomes central to Morrison's examination of dependence, motherhood, race, and the early slave trade. [Penguin Random House](https://www.penguinrandomhouseretail.com/book/?isbn=9780307264237)
Is A Mercy a sequel to Beloved?
No. A Mercy is a separate 2008 novel with different characters, although it is set roughly 200 years before Beloved and explores related histories of slavery and racial power. Morrison published Beloved in 1987 and A Mercy through Knopf in 2008.
How long is the hardcover edition of A Mercy?
The hardcover edition was published by Knopf in 2008 and runs to 176 pages. The story follows Jacob Vaark, Rebekka, Florens, Lina, and Sorrow in a late-17th-century household. [Penguin Random House](https://www.penguinrandomhouseretail.com/book/?isbn=9780307264237)
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