Small Mercies is a punch to the gut. Dennis Lehane doesn't do 'polite' or 'sanitized.' He takes you into the heart of 1974 South Boston during the desegregation riots and forces you to breathe the air there—slurs, smoke, and all.

It’s a phenomenal book for parents who want a deep, challenging read about history and hate, but keep it far away from the kids' bookshelf. This is the kind of story that stays with you for weeks, mostly because it refuses to give you an easy way out or a happy ending. It's brilliant, but it’s heavy lifting.