The Mercy of Thin Air
New Orleans, 1920s. Raziela Nolan is in the throes of a magnificent love affair when she dies in a tragic accident. In an instant, she leaves behind her one true love and her dream of becoming a doctor—but somehow, she still remains. Immediately after her death, Razi chooses to stay between—a realm that exists after life and before whatever lies beyond it.
From this remarkable vantage point, Razi narrates the stories of her lost love, Andrew, and the relationship of Amy and Scott, a couple whose house she haunts almost seventy-five years later. The Mercy of Thin Air entwines these two fateful and redemptive love stories that echo across three generations. From ambitious, forward-thinking Razi, who illegally slips birth control guides into library books; to hip Web designer Amy, who begins to fall off the edge of grief; to Eugenia, caught between since the Civil War, the characters in this wondrous novel sing with life. Evoking the power of love, memory, and time, The Mercy of Thin Air culminates in a startling finish that will leave readers breathless.
Praise
“In a word: Timeless.”
—Townsend Bulletin (Australia)
“This is that rarest of first novels—a truly original voice, and a truly original story.”
—Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author
“[E]ntrancing and ethereal.”
—Seattle Post-Intelligencer
“Through the alchemy of Domingue's rich, lovely prose we are transported back and forth through time.”
—The Boston Globe
“Debut novelist Domingue weaves a tapestry of lost spirits and misplaced loves.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“Filled with vivid descriptions of . . . marvelous human sensations that people take for granted and that spirits can only wistfully recall, this is a novel that gets under ones skin.”
—Library Journal (starred review)
“Blending the practical matters of marriage with the sentimental, Domingue has fashioned an emotionally satisfying story of love and longing.”
—Washington Post, reviewed by Meg Wolitzer
“Domingue's vision of the shifting, shadowy world of the dead is convincing and surprisingly affecting . . . and stays just the right side of romantic.”
—Daily Mail (London)
“Love and death come together in a mysterious union. Wonderful.”
—Elle Magazine (Germany)
“[A]n engaging tale. . . . In each plot, so different in time and place, Domingue takes a probing look at what produces strong and independent women.”
—Booklist
Extras
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Books on the Bayou TV interview
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First-ever literature class audio Q&A
Library Lagniappe audio interview
WBRZ (Baton Rouge, LA) TV interview
Foreign Editions
