A Mercy

Once again, Morrison uses accurate historical context for your inspiration.  She goes back to early colonialism as the backdrop for this book.  Instead of focusing on just the African American experience, she merges other cultures in the mix and how they may interact with each other by focusing on the common female experience.

The African American's experience is the usual oppressed situation based on slavery and the ramifications of such.  Then we have Native American's view of the colonial situation that delves into loss of land, disease, death, and difference of religious and work expectations.  Finally we have the European side of what were the available options for ladies of the time, an idea of how life it can play out, and how different cultures can interact when left in their own smaller community. 

As I read this book, there were many times that I caught on to the accurate historical references and enjoyed the fact that they were things that are usually forgotten, ignored, and so on.  This book is a quick, brief, good book to read.