Janie McCleary runs one of the first movie theatres in New Brunswick. A successful woman in a world of men, she is ostracized, a victim of double-dealing and overt violence. She trusts no one outside her family. Spanning generations, River of the Broken-Hearted explores the life of this formidable woman, a pioneer before the age of feminism, and her legacy as it unfolds tragically in the lives of her son and grandchildren. Written with aching compassion and masterful sophistication, River of the Broken-Hearted muses on the tyranny of memory and history, and peers into the hearts of these extraordinary characters. There Richards finds an alchemy of venality and goodwill, of deceit and brotherliness, of cruelty and love. Once again, David Adams Richards has brought us a work of astonishing grace, rooted on the great Miramichi River of New Brunswick, but universal in scope. ‘A contemporary masterpiece that, in the tradition of Tolstoy, Camus and Melville, reminds us that redemption is to be found in the suffering of innocents.’ - Washington Post (a Best Book of 2002). ‘An incomparable voyage into humanity’s flawed heart’ - The Scotsman . ‘David Adams Richards’ characters achieve redemption through affliction, but the reader does not feel afflicted. The unique style, the humour and narrative drive of Mercy Among the Children carry you along to a magnificent conclusion that is somehow both heartbreaking and uplifting.‘ - Wayne Johnston, author of The Navigator of New York . 'David Adams Richards is perhaps the greatest Canadian writer alive…Although Mercy Among the Children is unrelentingly tragic, as with most tragedies the undertone is one of boundless hope’ - Vancouver Sun .