Little Mercies

Little Mercies
Heather Gudenkauf

Sometimes, one small mistake can have life-altering consequences…As a veteran social worker, Ellen Moore has seen it all - the vilest acts one person can commit against another. The only thing that gets her through the workday is knowing her job helps children. That, and her family: her husband, Adam, and three beautiful kids, twins Leah and Lucas, and eleven-month-old Avery. But with a blink of an eye - with one small mistake - Ellen is suddenly at the mercy of the system she works for. Avery is ripped from her clutches, and her whole world begins crashing down around her.Meanwhile, ten-year-old Jenny Briard has been living with her well-meaning but good-for-nothing father since her mother left them. When her father decides to pack their belongings and move to a new state, Jenny thinks she might be on the road to a better life. But soon she finds herself on her own, forced to survive with nothing but a few dollars and her street smarts. Evading police and the social system, Jenny finds refuge with a kind-hearted waitress. The last thing she needs is a social worker, but when Ellen and Jenny's lives collide unexpectedly, little do they know just how much they can help one another.Praise for Heather Gudenkauf:‘This will have you gripped until the last page’ – Closer‘Deeply moving and lyrical’ – Company‘A memorable read’ – Sunday Express‘totally gripping’ – Marie Claire‘Set to become a bookclub staple’ – The Guardian'Fans of Jodi Picoult will devour this' - Red'Gudenkauf’s prose is searingly raw… Thrilling and emotionally tender, this novel, with its driving pace, will appeal to fans of…Jodi Picoult.' - Booklist‘This gripping novel is moving and thought-provoking’ -Heat‘Emotionally-charged’ -My Weekly

In her latest ripped-from-the-headlines tour de force, New York Times bestselling author Heather Gudenkauf shows how one small mistake can have life-altering consequences…

Veteran social worker Ellen Moore has seen the worst side of humanity—the vilest acts one person can commit against another. She is a fiercely dedicated children’s advocate and a devoted mother and wife. But one blistering summer day, a simple moment of distraction will have repercussions that Ellen could never have imagined, threatening to shatter everything she holds dear, and trapping her between the gears of the system she works for.

Meanwhile, ten-year-old Jenny Briard has been living with her well-meaning but irresponsible father since her mother left them, sleeping on friends’ couches and moving in and out of cheap motels. When Jenny suddenly finds herself on her own, she is forced to survive with nothing but a few dollars and her street smarts. The last thing she wants is a social worker, but when Ellen’s and Jenny’s lives collide, little do they know just how much they can help one another.

A powerful and emotionally charged tale about motherhood and justice, Little Mercies is a searing portrait of the tenuous grasp we have on the things we love the most, and of the ties that unexpectedly bring us together.

Praise for Heather Gudenkauf (#u6452047e-b154-5b68-9f52-d8a89efe555e)

‘Brilliantly constructed, this will have you gripped until the last page…’

—Closer

‘Deeply moving and lyrical…it will haunt you all summer’

—Company

5 stars: ‘Gripping and moving’

—Heat

‘Her technique is faultless, sparse and simple, and is a masterclass in how to construct a thriller… A memorable read…A technical triumph’

—Sunday Express

‘It’s totally gripping…’

—Marie Claire

‘Tension builds as family secrets tumble from the closet’

—Woman & Home

‘Set to become a book group staple’

—The Guardian

‘Deeply moving and exquisitely lyrical, this is a powerhouse of a debut novel.’

—Tess Gerritsen, No. 1 Sunday Times bestselling author

‘Fans of Jodi Picoult will devour this great thriller.’

—Red Magazine

‘Heart-pounding suspense and a compelling family drama come together to create a story you won’t be able to put down. You’ll stay up all night long reading. I did!’

—Diane Chamberlain, bestselling author of The Midwife’s Confession

‘A great thriller, probably the kind of book a lot of people would choose to read on their sun loungers. It will appeal to fans of Jodi Picoult.’

—Radio Times

‘A real page-turner’

—Woman’s Own

HEATHER GUDENKAUF is the critically acclaimed and New York Times bestselling author of The Weight of Silence,These Things Hidden and One Breath Away. Her debut novel, The Weight of Silence, was picked for The TV Bookclub. She lives in Iowa with her family.

Read more about Heather and her novels at www.HeatherGudenkauf.com (http://www.HeatherGudenkauf.com).

Also by Heather Gudenkauf

THE WEIGHT OF SILENCE

THESE THINGS HIDDEN

ONE BREATH AWAY

Little Mercies

Heather

Gudenkauf

For my brothers and sisters

Contents

Cover (#u66dfa632-9889-5780-9e65-66e76c18905a)

Back Cover Text (#u6dba12da-1ea3-5b61-ab98-72ecbcc8fbd2)

Praise for Heather Gudenkauf

About the Author (#u28c5050a-a0c7-548c-a391-1b7f00cc8407)

Title Page (#uf285c9cf-f6a0-5f7f-b07d-7ba4cdd09382)

Chapter 1 (#u21eca465-68c3-52fa-8c75-630e2a76c1d0)

Chapter 2 (#u1cce890d-3ec9-5896-a5d5-f97a9d8485c8)

Chapter 3 (#u5aa5fbb0-1de2-5fa1-950e-fc5c80295cec)