The Sharp Edge of Mercy

Lillian Donal has a sister who has been blinded by scarlet fever, a need for money, and a burning curiosity. These all lead her to take a job as a nursing assistant at a cancer hospital, though the job is menial labor and only very rarely affords her the chance to ask the many questions she is plagued by. When her opportunity to learn does come, it is tied to potential peril, and Lillian finds herself having to ask questions that have no easy answers.

The Sharp Edge of Mercy has a compelling storyline and fascinating characters, and I continued to go back and forth about what to rate it. In the end, I had to settle on four stars, because the tone of the book took away from my enjoyment. Lillian’s questions were interesting, but often they were presented all at once, as though she was peppering the reader with them. In addition, the morality of the book often feels too simplistic and easily reached. In my opinion, a book dealing with ethical questions ought to delve deeper into gray areas earlier than this one does.

I expect many readers will enjoy this book, however, and I do recommend it.