Charlene Reviews: The Silence of Mercy Bleu by Suzan Stirling

ISBN #: 978-1937629274

Overview:

(Taken from Amazon)

What if you had one chance to change your life? Would you have the courage to jump? When Mercy, a runaway with a troubled past returns to the quiet town of Madison, she's determined to make a better life, only how can she? Madison is a place where everybody knows everybody, a town where people still remember the awful tragedy that wrecked Mercy and her family. A young woman harboring a deep secret, Mercy never expected them to come to her aid, and she never expected to fall in love. Just when Mercy thinks she's finally outrun her past, fate catches up with her, and now she must face her worst fear or risk losing everything and everyone she loves all over again. An unforgettable and sometimes surprising story about love, loss and second chances.

Charlene's Review:

The Silence of Mercy Bleu is an often suspenseful, often hopeful tale of learning to live with one's past and the eventual redemption. Written by Ms. Sterling, an advocate and survivor with AIDS, its focus is on Mercy, a young girl who is trying to hide her secret of living with HIV. She leaves home and becomes involved in a violent relationship. After finding out she is pregnant, she flees the relationship and returns home to try to start over and raise her child.

Mercy is a multi-faceted character. A young woman with deep scars from the loss of her mother and sister as a child, an abusive relationship, and the sudden death of her father, combined with hiding her HIV status, she still has a strength that allows her to persevere. As she rebuilds her life, she struggles with opening up to new relationships. She soon learns that her illness need not define her.

This is a truly inspirational story, and although fiction, it is a great tool for teaching others the realities of living with HIV, and brings awareness to the people behind the disease. I found myself thinking about Mercy and her future long after the last page. Five stars!!!