Book Review: For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain

For Thy Great Pain Have Mercy on My Little Pain
by Victoria Mackenzie
Review by Bel

Hurrah for concise and perfectly formed little novels! Beautiful of phrase, elegant of structure, and bursting with pathos and intellect. I was fascinated by the richly imagined days of these extraordinary women, and their astonishing interior worlds. They find opposite ways of subverting the power structures of their time, bending them to their needs in order to live the lives they desire and find meaningful. A stunning debut for its clarity of purpose, assured style and vivid prose. Not at all weighed down by historical detail but alive with it. These women will stay with you long after you’ve closed the book. Highly recommend.