A Mercy of Widows - Paperback

by Marcy Lane (Author)

"Her heartbreak is real. But without a wedding ring, she's left to grieve alone.
Now the justice system is asking her to judge someone else's loss."

When Heddie Wright loses her long-time partner to cancer, she also loses her home, her inheritance-and her place in his story. Left adrift and invisible in the eyes of the law, Heddie is barely holding on when she's summoned for jury duty in a high-profile mercy-killing case.

The defendant: a widow accused of helping her terminally ill husband die.
The questions: painfully close to home.

As testimony unfolds in a Calgary courtroom and public debate intensifies, Heddie must confront her own unfinished business-about the final wishes of the man she loved, about what makes a family, and about the gray space between what's legal and what's right.

Set against the backdrop of Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) laws, A Mercy of Widows is a deeply human novel about invisible grief, moral ambiguity and quiet resilience. With moments of wry humour, endearing pets, and an unforgettable cast of flawed allies, this powerful debut asks: when the rules fail the people we love, what do we owe each other?

Finalist - Wishing Shelf Book Awards, National Indie Excellence Awards, and IAN Book of the Year (Women's Fiction)
Top 5% - North Street Book Prize

"A powerful, fearless debut that examines love, loss, and the moral limits of compassion."