Mercy Hill
A Novel
by Hannah Thurman
You must sign in to see if this title is available for request. Sign In or Register Now
Send NetGalley books directly to your Kindle or Kindle app
1
To read on a Kindle or Kindle app, please add kindle@netgalley.com as an approved email address to receive files in your Amazon account. Click here for step-by-step instructions.
2
Also find your Kindle email address within your Amazon account, and enter it here.
Pub Date May 05 2026 | Archive Date May 12 2026
Doubleday Books | DDay Gen Adult
Talking about this book? Use #MercyHill #NetGalley. More hashtag tips!
Description
A debut family novel about four sisters growing up on the campus of the underfunded state mental hospital where their strong-willed mother serves as head of psychiatry. A richly moving story of sisterhood, loyalty, and mental health in America.
The Cross sisters have lived their entire lives on the sprawling grounds of Mercy Hill, the embattled Raleigh mental hospital run by their formidable mother. Since childhood, JJ, Caro, Mimi, and Denise have been inculcated with their mother's mission: they'll work alongside her to protect Mercy Hill from the fate of other state hospitals across the country, which are being gutted and closed, one by one.
After an incident involving the highest security ward, Mercy Hill faces greater scrutiny than ever, and Lisa Cross pushes each of her daughters even harder in the name of her mission. As the sisters cross into adulthood, the pressures of their isolated environment and mercurial mother set them on different – and perilous – paths. And as the battle wages on, youngest sister and narrator Denise grapples with the added responsibility that comes from being the last hope for their mother’s dreams.
Set in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with Mercy Hill’s fate hanging in the balance, Denise recounts the transformations that shape and destroy her family, along with the landscape of mental healthcare in the United States. With sharp insight and real humor, debut novelist Hannah Thurman captures the turmoil of growing up, the true meaning of a calling, and the indelible bonds of family.
Advance Praise
“A tremendous debut, a beautifully written, engrossing story of family, individuality, and social purpose. Hannah Thurman builds a nesting doll of a novel that operates on both a societal and personal level, illuminating the thorny nature of sacrifice and altruism, what it means to genuinely care for others, and what is finally and truly worth defending.” —Lauren Acampora, author of The Paper Wasp
“Move over, Tolstoy. If it’s true that each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way, then this has got to be the fiercest, funniest depiction of family unhappiness that I’ve encountered in a long time. A blisteringly beautiful debut that addresses the state of American medicine like a masterwork. Hannah Thurman is the realest of real deals.” —David James Poissant, author of The Heaven of Animals and Lake Life
“How often does a book come along with the power and magic needed to keep you reading in the age of distraction? . . . Do yourself a favor and don’t start reading before you’ve cleared your calendar. Hannah Thurman’s debut is a knock-out.” —Shelly Oria, author of New York 1, Tel Aviv 0
Marketing Plan
National Review and Media Appearances, including NPR and Newspaper and Magazine Features
Literary Media Coverage
Original Essays and Opinion Pieces
Author Events
Custom Social Media Assets to be Featured on Doubleday’s Social Media (i.e. Praise, Giveaways, and Author Videos)
Big Mouth Outreach to Author's Network
Inclusion in the Doubleday Bookstagram Program
Inclusion in KDPG Newsletter
Feature in Summer Fiction Promotions
Available on NetGalley
Available Editions
| EDITION | Hardcover |
| ISBN | 9780385551823 |
| PRICE | $29.00 (USD) |
| PAGES | 352 |
