Joan Silber’s newest novel begins with Ivan remembering a terrible event that he was responsible for about thirty years ago. After recalling this event through Ivan’s perception of it, Silber then describes the history of five other characters who directly or indirectly are connected to Ivan’s night of horror.

Joan Silber is a fine writer, and each of her five characters are interesting and believable. However, two of the characters only have a remote association with Ivan, and one has no connection to Ivan whatsoever. Mercy is a good read, but it isn’t a novel; rather it is six short stories with some being interrelated.