THE MERCY RELAY

Claudie Gallay

Le Cercle Ouvert, 336 pages, 2026

Why you should take a look at it:
√ Atmospheric historical setting

√Captivating character journeys

√Award-winning author

From Claudie Gallay—the multi-award-winning, bestselling author of Les Déferlantes (The Breakers, McLehose Press, 2011)—comes a breathtakingly cinematic and emotionally raw historical epic set in the frozen heart of the subzero wilderness.

La promesse des chiens delivers an addictive blend of high-stakes atmospheric survival and deep psychological drama.

In January 1925, an isolated Nome, Alaska faces a catastrophic diphtheria outbreak among children, with only a tiny, expired supply of antitoxin available.

Gallay depicts this fight for survival, following local Ada Blackjack, based on the iconic real-life Iñupiaq heroine, a fiercely resilient Indigenous mother fighting extreme poverty, who works grueling shifts at the local saloon and dispensary to raise her young son alone.

The novel highlights a desperate relay of sled dogs and mushers braving subzero blizzards to bring the life-saving serum, focusing on the suspenseful wait of a community on the brink of catastrophe.

The narrative follows key figures including photographer Betty and a dark secret, exhausted Dr. Curtis fighting an impossible medical clock, saloon owner Madame Augusta, and legendary musher Leonhard Seppala as they face the crisis.

La promesse des chiens is a sweeping, unputdownable page-turner about human resilience, compromised morality, and the unbreakable bonds that keep us alive in the darkest corners of the earth.

Claudie Gallay is an established author known for her understated and sensitive style. She regularly explores themes of solitude, family memory, and the contemplation of nature.