Sisters You Will Remember For Years To Come
Publisher’s Description
A beautiful tale of hope, courage, and sisterhood—inspired by the real House of Mercy and the girls confined there for daring to break the rules.
Growing up in New York City in the 1910s, Luella and Effie Tildon realize that even as wealthy young women, their freedoms come with limits. But when the sisters discover a shocking secret about their father, Luella, the brazen elder sister, becomes emboldened to do as she pleases. Her rebellion comes with consequences, and one morning Luella is mysteriously gone.
Effie suspects her father has sent Luella to the House of Mercy and hatches a plan to get herself committed to save her sister. But she made a miscalculation, and with no one to believe her story, Effie’s own escape seems impossible—unless she can trust an enigmatic girl named Mable. As their fates entwine, Mable and Effie must rely on their tenuous friendship to survive.
Home for Unwanted Girls meets The Dollhouse in this atmospheric, heartwarming story that explores not only the historical House of Mercy, but the lives—and secrets—of the girls who stayed there.
Book Details
- Title: The Girls with No Names
- Author: Surena Burdick
- Publisher: Park Row, Harlequin (January 7, 2020)
- Categories: Coming of Age and Historical Fiction
- Pages: 336
- PREVIEW of the book
My Thoughts
House of Mercy: Where Girls Were Confined
For Daring To Break The Rules
This is a story that takes place in the early 1900s. Author Serena Burdick manages to breathe life into a family that experiences many things. One experience being this intimidating building for wayward girls.
New York City
The Family In The Story
Near the Tildon’s family mansion loomed the House of Mercy for wayward girls. A place where both rich and poor found themselves for various reasons, since the definition of wayward encompassed many things.
Thirteen-year-old Effie Tildon, born with a heart condition, was content to stay at home and use her imagination to write stories. The only real concerns she caused her family were health-related.
Effie’s older sister, Luella, was also a good child but she found it hard to not speak her mind. Though she would try to bite her tongue, she was more headstrong and independent.
When the two girls heard there was a band of Roma (Gypsies) nearby curiosity got the best of them, especially Luella. They were aware that their parents wouldn’t approve of what they were doing, yet they looked forward to sneaking out and exploring a new world.
Each time they sneaked from their home and headed to the Gypsy camp, Luella realized how much she loved the freedom, music, and dancing that she experienced. Effie, on the other hand, found herself content with quietly sitting, watching, and writing.
The Page-Turning Story Begins
The story begins by basically introducing the characters in the Tildon family and eventually the girls’ enjoyment of Roma nearby. But it doesn’t take long for it to pick up speed when a shocking discovery is made regarding Mr. Tildon. And, trust me, when the story starts moving, it doesn’t slow down.
Of course, Luella’s rebellion reaps consequences and she mysteriously disappears from the household. But will Effie have the strength to locate the sister she loves dearly?
Each chapter is told by either Effie, Luella, Jeanne (Mrs. Tildon), or eventually Mable (a girl who ends up in the House of Mercy).
My thanks to #Harlequin and #NetGalley for an ARC and the ability to freely express my thoughts.
What Concerned Me
While this didn’t concern me, it’s worth mentioning because it may bother some readers. The use of the word gypsy is used throughout. Below is an excerpt from Serena Burdick’s explanation:
. . . I chose to use the word gypsy to maintain historical accuracy, because of the historical setting and the characters who would not be aware of different language to use. I am aware that the word gypsy is seen by many as offensive, and again, the usage here is meant to be indicative of a time and place and is not in any way reflective of my own views of the Romani community.
As I said, this did not bother me in the least. In fact, it would have stood out more if another word was used in place of gypsy. I hope you too will understand and not let this get in the way of reading this wonderful book.
My Conclusion
This is such a marvelous way to learn about the era and the House of Mercy. The characters and actions, which I’m sure were researched carefully, felt believable and heartbreaking at times.
When an author can elicit tears from a reader, I say bravo to the writer. Okay, yes, the reader may or may not have been me. And I rarely shed a tear when reading. Bravo!
This is the first book I’ve read by Serena Burdick, but it certainly won’t be my last.
Recommended for
anyone who likes both historical fiction and a spellbinding thriller.
About the Author
Serena Burdick is the author of the novels GIRL IN THE AFTERNOON (St. Martin’s Press, 2016) and THE GIRLS WITH NO NAMES, forthcoming from Park Row Books in January 2020. She is the 2017 International Book Award Winner for Historical Fiction. She studied creative writing at Sarah Lawrence, holds a Bachelors of Arts from Brooklyn College in English literature and an Associates of Arts from The American Academy of Dramatic Arts in theater. She lives in Massachusetts with her family.
Click to learn more about the book: BEHIND THE BOOK by Serena Burdick
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