In The Mercy of Thin Air, Ronlyn Domingue vividly imagines an afterlife for ghosts and shows us Razi‘s tragic history as she haunts a couple marked by tragedy. The intermingling of Razi‘s memories of her romance with Andrew in the 1920s with the present is deft. Unfortunately I cracked the twist earlier than expected and at times it seemed like overdone prose got in the way of the momentum of story. ( )

I love this book. ( )

From Amazon: "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."

This sums it up better than I am able.....

It was a lovely book, haunting, mysterious told in the first person of Raziela (the ghost), who is still searching for he long lost love whom she left behind when she died.

It was not a difficult read pe se, but one that I found to be lyrical and floating in such a manner that I had a difficult time keeping a grip between worlds.....

This book isn't for everyone, especially those who dislike "other-worldly" literature.... nor is this a "favorite" and there was something missing for me, but I enjoyed the story. ( )

From the book jacket 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 what 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.

My Reactions
This is an ethereal novel that moves back and forth in time as Razi’s spirit watches over Amy and Scott, but then takes time to recall her youth in 1920’s New Orleans. Through the flashbacks we learn that she was a well-loved and nurtured child, with parents who applauded her successes and encouraged her dreams. She was a free spirit and liked being a little naughty as well (sometimes going about “without any dainties” under her clothing. Her awakening feminism fueled her desire to be a doctor, and also resulted in conflict between her and her beau, Andrew. But their love was stronger than the expectations of society and they were looking forward to a long and loving relationship when she died.

Amy and Scott happen on an estate sale and buy an old bookcase for their home, and that is how Razi comes to haunt them. For the bookcase was Andrew’s and still carries his scent. Razi has always wondered what happened to Andrew and now she cannot let that puzzle go. As she watches them, Razi realizes something is wrong in their marriage and she begins to play pranks (moving things about, pulling photos out of albums, dropping marbles) to bring them closer together. It’s not working, though. Amy has own tragic past she is struggling to overcome. And then Amy goes to visit her great aunt Twolly, and Razi begins to finally put together the puzzle of what happened to Andrew.

I liked Razi as a young feminist struggling to find her place in a world that had very clearly defined, and somewhat narrow, expectations for a young woman of her social class. I enjoyed her spirit, tenacity, intelligence, and courage. I thought her behavior as a ghost was somewhat out of keeping with the vibrant young woman she had been in life. Amy was a complete puzzle to me. I didn’t understand her long-standing grief or why she completely shut her husband (and anyone else) out of her turmoil. I felt the way in which her story line was concluded was abrupt. I think the dual plot lines got away from Domingue. Still, this is her debut novel and she shows promise.

I started out listening to the audio version, capably performed by Rebecca Gayheart. Her voices for Razi, Twolly, Andrew, Amy and Scott were believable and easy to differentiate. However, somewhere in the middle of disc two I was feeling lost in the plot and somewhat disconnected from the characters. Going to the text version to look up a certain passage I realized that the audio was abridged! Something that is not announced on the jacket, nor in the introduction to the novel. I hate when that happens! I finished the book reading the trade paperback.
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Excellent If I could have more books on a desert island, this would be in my top five. ( )