Speed of Mercy

the long version

"Stella Sprague is mute and has lived at the Jericho Care Centre for most of her adult life. With no family around and a scattered memory, she draws comfort and a sense of protection from the beauty of the dramatic seasons, daily rituals, and her abiding friendship with Dianne, a wise and hilarious elderly resident. When a young woman on the trail of a cold case shows up asking questions, Stella's quiet life as she knows it is over, and she decides to run to the ocean and take shelter in an old family cottage. She may not be able to remember what happened in the summer of 1980 -- the summer when as a thirteen-year-old she forged a pact with her best friend and uncovered a dark family secret of murder -- but it is becoming impossible to deny that someone else does. Unlikely friendships and unusual heroes show Stella that while she can't change the past, she might be able to discover her true inheritance and change the future."--