The Mercy Step
Price range: ₦13,000.00 through ₦18,000.00
A sharply-witted and tender portrait of a young girl’s quiet rebellion and her refusal to be broken.
Shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2026
Winner for the British Book Award – Discover Prize
‘Dark, humorous, and passionately captures the unique realities of the northern Black experience’ — The Observer
Set in 1960s Bradford, The Mercy Step follows Mercy, a precocious young child facing a world far too big for her small body.
She lives with her Windrush-generation parents in a crowded household where her mother’s attention is stretched between church and family, and her father’s temper is something to be endured or avoided.
Feeling like an outsider within her own home, Mercy retreats into books and the companionship of her beloved doll, Dolly, while learning early how to navigate the flaws and failings of the adults around her.
Yet Mercy is nothing if not resilient. Armed with humour, style and fierce imagination, she quietly begins to plot her escape from a traumatic childhood.
Raw and deeply affecting, Mercy’s story is one of Black British culture, childhood, family and survival in 1960s Britain. Critical to understanding these untold stories, Marcia’s debut is not to be missed.
“A beautiful and tender portrait of what it takes to leave where you’ve come from and forge your own future.” Cariad Lloyd, 2026 Judge, Women’s Prize for Fiction
“From the very first page I knew The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson was exceptional.” Salma El-Wardany, 2026 Women’s Prize Judge
Available in Paperback, Hardback, Ebook and Signed Hardback editions.
THE READING GUIDE – The Mercy Step
The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson
How does a child find her voice in a home where she is rarely seen or heard?
Set in Bradford in December 1962, The Mercy Step by Marcia Hutchinson introduces Mercy, a bright and fiercely imaginative girl born into a large Windrush generation Jamaican family.
Her home is crowded and unsettled. Her mother’s attention is divided between the demands of church and family, while everyone learns to anticipate or avoid her father’s quick temper.
Feeling like an outsider in her own home, Mercy turns to books, her imagination and the companionship of her treasured doll, Dolly.
These become her sources of comfort in a world controlled by adults whose choices she is still trying to understand. But imagination can only provide refuge for so long.
As family, faith and fear begin to close around her, Mercy realises that securing a different future will require courage, determination and a quiet rebellion of her own.
An award winning Black British coming of age novel
Sharp, witty and deeply moving, The Mercy Step explores childhood, family, domestic violence, religion, racism, belonging and survival through the observant eyes of a young girl.
Mercy’s humour and distinctive voice bring warmth and vitality to the story, even as she confronts painful realities far beyond her years.
This powerful Black British historical fiction novel captures the experiences of a Jamaican family building a life in northern England during the 1960s and 1970s.
It presents an intimate portrait of the Windrush generation and the children who grew up negotiating family expectations, British society and their emerging identities.
Rather than allowing adversity to define her, Mercy begins to imagine a life in which she can be seen, heard and free.
Her journey makes this an affecting story of resilience, self discovery and the transformative power of books.
Why you should read The Mercy Step
The Mercy Step is an excellent choice for readers who enjoy:
• Black British historical fiction
• Windrush generation novels
• Literary fiction told from a child’s perspective
• Coming of age stories about courage and survival
• Novels exploring family, faith, identity and belonging
• Award winning books by Black British women writers
• Emotionally powerful stories with humour and hope
Awards and recognition
Shortlisted for the 2026 Women’s Prize for Fiction
Winner of the 2026 British Book Award Discover Prize
Named an Observer Best Debut of 2025
The Mercy Step is a tender portrait of one girl’s determination to escape a traumatic childhood and build a future of her own.
Raw, witty and ultimately hopeful, Marcia Hutchinson’s acclaimed debut gives voice to a vital part of Black British history.
About Marcia Hutchinson
Marcia Hutchinson is a writer, lawyer, award winning publisher and community activist.
Born into a Windrush generation Jamaican family and raised in Bradford, she became the first pupil from her school to attend Oxford University.
She later founded the educational publishing company Primary Colours and received an MBE for services to cultural diversity.
The Mercy Step is her first solo novel.
| Book Author | |
|---|---|
| Years | 2025 |
| Pages | 288 |
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