I received this book for free from the publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Mercury by Amy Jo Burns Narrator: Maria Liatis
Published by Celadon Books, Macmillan Audio on January 2, 2024
Genres: Fiction / Family Life / General
Length: 11 hours 58 minutes
Pages: 336
Format: ARC, Audiobook
Source: Publisher
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A roofing family’s bonds of loyalty are tested when they uncover a long-hidden secret at the heart of their blue-collar town—from Amy Jo Burns, author of the critically acclaimed novel Shiner
It’s 1990 and seventeen-year-old Marley West is blazing into the river valley town of Mercury, Pennsylvania. A perpetual loner, she seeks a place at someone’s table and a family of her own. The first thing she sees when she arrives in town is three men standing on a rooftop. Their silhouettes blot out the sun.
The Joseph brothers become Marley’s whole world before she can blink. Soon, she is young wife to one, The One Who Got Away to another, and adopted mother to them all. As their own mother fades away and their roofing business crumbles under the weight of their unwieldy father’s inflated ego, Marley steps in to shepherd these unruly men. Years later, an eerie discovery in the church attic causes old wounds to resurface and suddenly the family’s survival hangs in the balance. With Marley as their light, the Joseph brothers must decide whether they can save the family they’ve always known—or whether together they can build something stronger in its place.
This was really good! I was almost immediately hooked by the story of the Joseph family and a young girl named Marley who wanted to belong and connect to someone. Marley and her mother move around a lot so she hasn’t had the chance to make close friendships. When she first becomes involved with this family, she wants a spot at the dinner table more than anything else. It didn’t take long for me to become completely invested in this story.
Set in the 1990’s, the book spans quite a few years and we see the family grow and change. This is not a perfect family, not at all, and they have plenty of secrets, but they also share a powerful bond. The two oldest Joseph boys work in and help run the family’s roofing business and eventually, Marley becomes a vital part of the company. When the secrets start to unravel, they have to learn how they can move forward.
I listened to the audiobook and thought that Maria Liatis did a great job with this story. I don’t think that I have listened to this narrator’s work before but I was very impressed. I thought that the voices that she used for the characters in this book were incredibly well done. I found her voice to be pleasant and easy to listen to. She added just the right emotion to her reading to really help the story come to life. I am certain that her performance added to my overall enjoyment of this book.
I would recommend this book to others. This family was a complicated one, as most are, but I loved this journey that we take with them in the pages of this book. I hope to read more of this author’s work very soon.
I received a review copy of this book from Celadon Books and Macmillan Audio.
She was just 17? Alone?
Maybe the audiobook is better, or maybe it was me, but I DNFed this. The tone was bringing me down. I needed something more upbeat. Maybe I will try again. Glad you enjoyed it, though.
I’ve been seeing this book around a bit and didn’t even know what it was about. It sounds good and I am glad you enjoyed it.
I do love a sort of family saga/family drama. I’ll have to give this one a go! Thanks for sharing.
Sounds like this one had some interesting family dynamics. Glad you enjoyed it!
I don’t think I’d ever have run across this book without your review, and it does sound like a good one! Another one to add to my TBR list. 😀
This sounds interesting. I think I’ll have to look for the audio of this one.