Mercy Me (Esmeralda Trilogy Book #1): A Novel

Esmeralda, a high-spirited widow in her sixties in the small South Carolina town of Live Oaks, leaves an unforgettable impression on readers with her unpretentious, down-to-earth manner. Her unabashed faith shines through as she shares details of her life as an adviser to her best friend, Beatrice, and as a voice of reason to her women’s Sunday school class, the Willing Workers. The pettiness of the women at the Apostolic Bible Church gets under Esmeralda’s skin, but when she rallies them to the side of an impoverished mother with AIDS, the very best of human love and compassion is portrayed.
Told in delightfully eccentric first-person narration, this story will inspire, uplift, amuse, and move readers to tears. Despite Esmeralda’s lack of education and sophistication-or perhaps because of it-she is used mightily by God and meets everyday challenges with gumption, humor, and grace. Her struggle to maintain her faith in the midst of pain and suffering is a timeless and universal theme with which many will identify, and the love and mercy the story unfolds will delight both young and old.

From the Back Cover

”Mercy Me is a truly refreshing tale told in a deliciously Southern voice. But don’t let the quaint, small-town charm fool you-Margaret Graham allows her characters to face complicated problems with all their human frailties intact. This is a colorful story, rich with humor and full of spice."
Melody Carlson, author of Angels in the Snow and the Diary of a Teenage Girl series

“I can sum up Mercy Me in three words: It’s a keeper! Esmeralda is for real; I know her well. And still I find her unique. I wish Esmeralda a long and happy life."
Ruth Glover, author of the Saskatchewan Saga and the Wildrose series

In the South Carolina town of Live Oaks, a spunky widow named Esmeralda is always ready to share her homespun wisdom with anyone who will listen. As a member of the Willing Workers Sunday school class, she rallies the troops to the side of the underdog. Esmeralda’s indomitable spirit and gumption shine through whether she’s defending a friend’s old pet, quashing gossip, or giving dating advice to her gray-haired pen pal.

But she’ll need all the mettle she can muster when, in an unexpected twist of fate, she is challenged to deliver mercy and grace to someone in desperate trouble. In the midst of a life-changing dilemma, can she face deep inner doubts that have troubled her, and still maintain her unabashed faith and hope?