Small Mercies

January 26, 2015
Joyce’s debut gives us a close portrait of a working-class Irish-Italian American family on Staten Island marked by the tragedy of 9/11. The Amendolas—matriarch Gail, a newly retired teacher, her husband, Michael, a former firefighter, and their grown children Peter and Franky—are still adjusting to life after the loss of their youngest son, Bobby, who was in his late 20s when the towers fell. The novel’s events take place nine years later, in the week leading up to Bobby Jr.’s birthday. Tina, Bobby’s widow and Gail’s close confidant in grief, reveals that she’s started seeing someone. This admission rocks Gail to her core, and she spends the week ruminating on how best to tell the rest of the family before they all get together at the party. Peter, the most ambitious son, has put Staten Island behind him, rising to partner at a top law firm. In contrast, Franky can’t move on, “a drunken, ruined memorial to his dead brother,” his anger often getting the best of him. Though Joyce writes with sensitivity about his grief-stricken characters, each one is familiar and somewhat stereotypical, resulting in a story more banal than gripping. But there’s comfort in this kind of predictable fare, and it’s clear that Joyce, a native of Staten Island, has deep affection for his characters and the pride they feel in their local rituals. Agent: Claudia Ballard, WME Entertainment.