Mary Pat Fennessy is one of just a handful of fictional characters I will remember forever, a character whose very name will always rekindle the essence of Dennis Lehane's remarkable novel Small Mercies in my mind.
It's 1974. It's Boston. And the city's public schools are about to be desegregated whether anyone in Mary Pat's Irish neighborhood wants them to be desegregated or not. Mary Pat, who has already lost two husbands and her only son, lives in Southie with her daughter Jules, a high school senior. Southie is the only home Mary Pat and Jules have ever known, and both of them understand who really calls the shots in Southie. They know that real power lies in the hands of one or two ruthless Irish mobsters, and anyone who crosses the mob is not likely to live long enough to do it twice. That's just the way it is, and the way it always has been.
Mary Pat is fine with all that - right up until the night that Jules doesn't come home from a date with the young man she considers to be one of Southie's biggest idiots. Mary Pat has already experienced enough loss and tragedy in her life, and she doesn't plan to experience another anytime soon, especially one involving the only child she has left. So, Mary Pat starts doing Mary Pat things, rattling cages, asking those who should have seen Jules last some uncomfortable questions - and slapping them around if she thinks they are lying to her. Then it gets complicated.
It seems that the same night that Jules disappeared, a young Black man died inside the neighborhood subway station after being struck by a train - and the cops have reason to believe his death was no accident. Now, for some reason, the cops want to find Jules just as badly as she wants to find her daughter, and Marty Butler, Irish mob boss, is telling Mary Pat to go home and quit asking so many questions - to get on with the rest of her life. Mary Pat, though, is not about to play that game.
"...you can't take everything from someone. You have to leave them something. A crumb. A goldfish. Something to protect. Something to live for. Because if you don't do that, what in God's name do you have left to bargain with?" (Mary Pat to police detective Bobby Coynes)
Mary Pat is going to play her own game, and she's going to make up the rules as she goes along.
True, Small Mercies is a revenge novel, a novel about what one remarkably strong woman is able and willing to do when she's left with nothing to live for. But it's much more than that. Small Mercies is about racism, the deeply embedded kind of racism that becomes so common that it goes unnoticed by those most guilty of it. It's about a woman who only slowly becomes aware of the destructive power of that kind of automatic hatred as she begins to question everything she's ever assumed about herself and those around her. It's the story of a woman who at least begins to sense the truth about the world, but only when it's too late for her to do much about it other than violently strike out at those who have betrayed her.
Small Mercies (the origin of this title will put tears in your eyes) is dark, violent, and sometimes a little difficult to read, but most of all it is powerful. This is not a book readers are going to forget a week after they read it. This one leaves a scar.
Songwriter Kris Kristofferson may have gotten it exactly right when he said "Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose." I think that Mary Pat Fennessy would be the first to agree.
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| Dennis Lehane jacket photo |
Great review Sam and you describe Mary Pat, who she and what she has experienced so well. And that passage you quoted "You can't take everything from someone. You have to leave them something" is so powerful. Never read Lehane but I will now and I wonder if that's a theme in some of his books, people experiencing tragedy and how do they cope or not cope.
ReplyDeleteKathy, that's very much a key theme in Lehane's books. It reminded me of his Mystic River novel that was made into a really good movie of the same name. Lehane is Boston born and bred and I think he lived in Southie as a child. The 1974 busing troubles is something he lived through as a kid.
DeleteI really don't like revenge reads, so I won't be checking this one out. But Mary Pat certainly sounds like a remarkable and memorable character.
ReplyDeleteI suppose there's not much difference really, but I would call this more of a "get even" novel than a revenge novel. Mary Pat was seeking justice for her daughter and that's what guided her actions. I know it's a subtle shade of gray difference, but then I always enjoy good revenge novels, so what do I know? ha
DeleteYou're right, there is a difference in tone between revenge and seeking justice. Still makes for a darker, more depressing read imo.
DeleteWithout a doubt.
DeleteSmall Mercies has made such an impression on so many people. Sounds like a difficult emotional read, but I'm planning on it.
ReplyDeleteIt's quite impactful, Jen. Have you read his Mystic River or seen that movie? The tone is much the same from what I remember about this older novel. Even his detective series hits the same theme of losing children and young women to predators and how their family and the community reacts. Lehane is not for everyone, I know, but if you like him there's a whole lot to choose from at this stage in his career.
DeleteI am averting my eyes because my legal book group is reading this in July but I will enjoy returning then! I was not really affected by busing because my parents had moved a single mile - from Boston to Newton - when they were dissatisfied with the Boston Public Schools. However, Judge Garrity who handled the case was my father's mentor and an unfairly criticized individual. He gave all concerned many opportunities to come up with a plan and they dragged their feet for what seemed like forever.
ReplyDeleteI can't recall what your feelings are regarding nonfiction, Sam, but I highly recommend Common Ground by J. Anthony Lukas which won the Pulitzer for its depiction of the busing case. My father was interviewed for the book (to his disappointment, not in the index) and had the highest opinion of the author. Sadly, Lukas became depressed at not being able to come up with another masterpiece and eventually committed suicide.
What an interesting personal history of that time and place you have. The novel is told exclusively from the neighborhood's point of view and doesn't get into the politics of the situation other than to point out that the politicians made sure to exclude their own neighborhoods from the bussing orders. I won't say anything more that might spoil it for you.
DeleteAbout one-third of my reading is nonfiction, although I'm behind so far this year. Lots of times a novel will lead me directly to a nonfiction title on the same subject. Thanks for the recommendation and information about the author. What a sad end for the author.
Dennis Lehane's books are too dark and violent for me. That is a shame because I can tell that this is a book worth reading. This is a very good review.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words. Lehane's books are striking to me because the violence in them is often directed at the weakest victims...children, women, minorities, etc. And he sets them in periods in which those groups were at their weakest as far as being able to defend themselves.
DeleteI loved this book because of Mary Pat ... and the cop/detective and I think it's my favorite of Lehane's novels ... of which I've only read a few. I hope he's writing a new novel ... but I think he's gotten into writing for TV ... Black Bird show which I haven't seen. But hopefully he'll get back to novels!
ReplyDeleteMary Pat is just unforgettable...maybe the strongest and most determined female character I've ever read. Have you read the early Lehane series featuring the male/female private detectives? I really liked that short series of his. I do hope we don't lose him to Hollywood.
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