Author Description

Finalist - Wishing Shelf Book Awards, National Indie Excellence Awards, and IAN Book of the Year (Women's Fiction) Top 5% - North Street Book Prize "A great voice that in spite of the heavy themes, carries a lightness so you root for Heddie and her dog, Fella. Clever and also quite touching." J Marie Rundquist, author of All I'm Asking and As Though You Were Mine. Her heartbreak is real. But without a wedding ring, she's left to grieve alone. Now the justice system is asking her to judge someone else's loss. When Heddie Wright loses her long-time partner, she also loses her home, her inheritance-and her place in his story. Homeless, broke, and questioning whether she was ever more than a convenient caregiver, Heddie is barely keeping it together when she's summoned for jury duty in a high-profile mercy-killing trial. The defendant: a widow accused of helping her terminally ill husband die. The questions: far too close to home. As testimony unfolds in a Calgary courtroom and public opinion rages, Heddie is forced to confront her own unfinished business-about Hugh's final wishes, about what truly makes someone family, and about the blurry line between what's legal and what's right. Set against the backdrop of Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying (MAID) laws, A Mercy of Widows is a deeply felt, character-driven novel that balances grief, justice, and quiet resilience. With moments of unexpected humour, endearing pets, and an unforgettable cast of flawed allies, this powerful debut asks: when the rules fail the people we love, what do we owe each other?