Inspired by real historical events, The Mercies is a breathtaking story of romance, fear and obsession, and the strength and courage of women. On Christmas Eve, 1617, the sea around the remote Norwegian island of Vardø is thrown into a reckless storm. As Maren Magnusdatter watches, forty fishermen, including her father and brother, are lost to the waves, the menfolk of Vardø wiped out in an instant. A searing historical novel.