When love is lost, how do you find the strength to go on? Heddie Wright thought she knew what her future would hold: a home, a partner, and the beloved dog they shared. But when her long-time sweetheart dies of cancer, she loses not only him, but also her place in his home—and her right to be seen as his widow. Homeless and grieving, Heddie is barely holding on when she’s summoned for jury duty in a case that strikes far too close to her own heartbreak. The defendant is another widow, accused of helping her terminally ill husband die. The courtroom becomes a mirror for Heddie’s own questions: What does it mean to honour someone’s final wishes? What truly makes someone “family”? And how do you move forward when the world doesn’t recognize your loss? Set in Calgary against the backdrop of Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) laws, A Mercy of Widows is a moving, character-driven novel about grief, dignity, and the quiet resilience we find in unexpected places. With moments of humour, the steadfast presence of loyal dogs, and a cast of flawed but unforgettable allies, Heddie discovers that even in the shadow of loss, connection can bring us home to ourselves. 🏆 Honours & Recognition Finalist – Wishing Shelf Book Awards, National Indie Excellence Awards, IAN Book of the Year (Women’s Fiction) Top 5% – North Street Book Prize 🌟 Praise for A Mercy of Widows “A moving and nuanced novel about grief and forgiveness.” — Foreword Clarion Reviews “Bravely tackles the theme of assisted dying…a gripping and involving storyline.” — BookLife Critics Report “Mesmerizing…character development is strong and the suspense in the second half is top notch.” — The Wishing Shelf Awards For readers of Elizabeth Berg , Anne Tyler , or Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge , this is a heartfelt novel about love, loss, and the fragile dignity of moving forward. Wishing Shelf Book Awards This book was entered in The Wishing Shelf Book Awards. This is what our readers thought: Star Rating: 5 Stars - Number of Readers: 15 Stats Editing: 10/10 - Writing Style: 9/10 - Content: 9/10 - Cover: 5/5 Of the 15 readers: 15 would read another book by this author. - 15 thought the cover was good or excellent.15 felt it was easy to follow. - 15 would recommend this book to another reader to try. - Of all the readers, 4 felt the author's strongest skill was 'plotting a story'. - Of all the readers, 7 felt the author's strongest skill was 'developing the characters'. - Of all the readers, 4 felt the author's strongest skill was 'writing style'. - 14 felt the pacing was good or excellent. - 15 thought the author understood the readership and what they wanted. Readers' Comments "Anybody interested in assisted dying will find this novel memorising. The plotting is excellent, the character development is strong and the suspense in the second half of the novel is top notch." Female reader, aged 54 - "Interesting mix of a woman suffering personal loss and, at the same time, having to face the ethics of assisted dying. Very much a character-led story, this is as much thought-provoking as it is a good read! I enjoyed getting to know the female protagonist and I was rooting for her to find her way through the mess of dilemmas facing her." Female reader, aged 39 - "What a FAB read this is! The author's adept at developing her characters and offering the reader a tightly plotted story with plenty of twists. The Canada setting is particularly interesting as the laws on assisted dying seem to be very different to here in the UK. Not a 'fun' book, but it is thought-provoking and very hard to put down." Male reader, aged 66 - "A challenging subject taken on by a smart author who knows how to tell a story." Male reader, aged 69 To Sum It Up: 'A compelling, character-led novel looking at the thought-provoking and often challenging subject of assisted dying. A FINALIST and highly recommended!' The Wishing Shelf Book Awards Foreword Clarion Reviews Star Rating: 4/5 A Mercy of Widows is a moving and nuanced novel about grief and forgiveness. In Marcy Lane's novel A Mercy of Widows , a Calgary woman acts as a caregiver for her sweetheart and, after his death, grapples with grief, guilt, and self-preservation. Heddie suspended her dog training business to move in with her "ampersand" Hug after his terminal cancer diagnosis. He intended to give her his house and dog, Fella, but died before he could change his will. Three months later, Heddie returns from walking Fella and finds the locks changed, Hug's brother Stanley in the house, and her belongings on the curb. She babysits for her friend Leah, a death doula, in return for lodging. But then Heddie becomes a juror in a murder case involving two advocates of assisted death: Molly is accused of killing her husband, who was dying of cancer. Protesters pack the streets and the courtroom. Stanley, a bailiff, disparages Heddie's relationship with Hug. And L