Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace Book Review! #TowardtheCornerofMercyandPeace #NetGalley

 June 20, 2023 pub date, Regal House Publishing

It’s 1952 in the small western Kentucky town of Paducah and Mrs. Minerva Place would prefer everyone mind his own business, follow the rules, and if dead, stay dead. Nosy neighbors and irritating church members are bad enough but when residents of the local cemetery start showing up, the quirky widow wonders if she’s going crazy. Just as distressing, a new boy in the neighborhood seems intent on disrupting her life. Minerva, aggravated by the precocious six-year-old, holds him and his father at arm’s length. 

Nevertheless, with charming perseverance, they find a way into her closed-off life and an unlikely friendship begins. But just when Minerva starts to let her guard down, a tragic accident shatters her emerging reconnection with life. Now more than her sanity is at stake. With the help of the living and the dead, Minerva discovers the power of forgiveness and why it’s worth it to let others into your life, even when it hurts.

Tracey Buchanan crashed into the literary world when she was six and won her first writing award. Fast forward through years as a journalist, mom, volunteer, freelance writer, editor, artist, and circus performer (not really, but wouldn’t that be something?) and you find her happily planted in the world of fiction with her debut novel. She and her husband Kent Buchanan live in Paducah, Ky.

Historical Fiction Novel | Tracey Buchanan

My Thoughts

Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace by Tracey Buchanan is a feel-good story about a crotchety old lady, Minerva, who would rather talk to the people in the cemetery than live folks. 

" Mrs.Minerva Place knew they thought her odd.That, she didn't mind. Jept them out of her hair. But crazy? Crazy was a whole other matter. Preoccupation with a cemetery should not qualify one as insane." Chapter 1, page 1 of Toward the Corner of Mercy and Peace 

The year is 1952, Minerva does not have much of a social life and prefers it that way. She has a low tolerance for people in general. She teaches piano to the people in Paducah Kentucky. Other than that she prefers to be alone, with her research of the people that lived a long time ago. Once she does her research, she writes about who/what these long-ago residents were and what impact they had on the community.

Things for Minerva change, not that she has a choice when a young man, Robert McAlpin, with a 6-year-old son, George, moves into town insisting that she give George piano lessons. She is reluctant of course because she feels that at 6, he is too young. She does and she does find out that George is too fidgety. They do after a while involve themselves in her life, like it or not. They have invited Minerva over for Thanksgiving. An accident changes Minerva, Robert, and Georges's lives, Is that little block of ice around her heart finally melting? 

Minerva is a hilarious woman, but with a heart of gold, if you can get in. Told with wit and as the story goes on, the reader learns about her life when young, her parents, sister, and husband. I could just picture in my mind's eye, how she either gets along or not with the people of Paducah, whether on the street, shops, or church. A story of forgiveness and redemption. It was such a fun read at just under 230 pages.

This is a book, that is not a murder mystery, no one was killed. But a story that if you like a funny escapist novel, then you have to read this one. I like to think that there is a happily ever after for Minerva, Robert, and George. I think they all deserve it!

5 stars!!

I received a copy of the book for review purposes only