This was the first book I have read on the Magdalene Laundries (to my knowledge, originally of Irish origin, although many did exist in other countries). I was shocked at the nature of these institutions, and thought this book did a good job at portraying the hopelessness many of the so-called "fallen women" felt at being held against their will for indeterminate amounts of times.

This book featured three POVs (all female, all of one timeline). Although the synopsis made this book appear to be Effie's story of finding her sister, I really felt that one of the other POVs stole the spotlight - I much rather would have had her entire story with appearances from Effie, as opposed to the other way around. But I guess then we wouldn't necessarily have had the other POV, which I did thoroughly enjoy. Oh well, what are you gonna do?

I would say that this is a compelling and interesting book, but I don't know that it's one that will stick with me for years to come.

Thank you to NetGalley & Harlequin for the opportunity to read and review this book before it's publication date! This is no way affected my review, opinions are my own.

I enjoyed this historical fiction title. There isn't too much available in this time period and I'll be writing a longer review on my blog soon. You can see how the women's rights issue exploded into the forefront in the 1920s only a decade after this story.

This book definitely made me glad I was not alive in the 1910s! This is not the first book I’ve read during this timeperiod where women are treated abysmally. Sent away to “Holmes“ simply for not conforming too the rules men in Society and their families believe they should live by. These homes are one step away from prison. The women are treated poorly, punished harshly, and worked hard. I’m glad that there are books like this, because the things these women went through should not be forgotten. I do wish this book had spent more time on the story of these women while they were in this horde situation. This book however was more of a story of sisterly strength and love. And the resilience of women.

Effie and Luella are sisters, Luella was the more rebellious sister while Effie is quiet and has struggled with an illness most of her life. After a big fight with her father Luella is gone and Effie is determined to find her. Convinced that her parents sent her sister to the “House of Mercy“ Effie is determined to find her way in. While in the house her path crosses Mable, a young lady who has had a troubled and hard life. The story is told from three alternating perspectives that of Effie, her mother, and Mabel. I found Mable’s story to be the most compelling and I would not have minded if the story was solely told from her point of view. Effie was a sweet girl, but for the most part I found her story sad. And if I’m being honest I found her mother’s story unnecessary to the book. This was a good book not a great book, I will probably not remember the story, but I will definitely remember the history.

🎧🎧🎧 Emily Lawrence, Nancy Peterson, and Amy McFadden narrated the audiobook. I always love when a story has multiple perspectives that there are multiple narrators, it really alleviates the confusion. All three of these narrators did an exceptional job brought some color into this bleak story.

This book in emojis 👭 🗝 🕯 ⏳ 🏚

*** Big thank you to Harlequin for my gifted copy of this book. All opinions are my own. ***

This was the story of Effie Tildon and how she ended up in a Home for Girls after concocting a scheme to find her sister, who she thought had been sent there by her father. It also tells the story of Mable, and how she ended up at the Home, and how her and Effie hurt and help each other.

This story was heartbreaking and I hated it, but I loved the book. It was an awful story full of people treating people bad and taking advantage of others, and how awful some people that are supposed to be in charge and trusted to take care of others can be. But it was also a story of perseverance and love for family, and how some people can risk everything to help someone else they care about.

Thank you #NetGalley and #ParkRow for an early copy of #TheGirlsWithNoNames for review!

After disagreeing with their father over her interactions with a traveling gypsy family and his indiscretions, Luella disappears, so Effie finagles her way into the House of Mercy, a home for wayward girls, but doesn’t find Luella there. Instead she discovers that she is trapped there, because no one believes wayward girls. Born with a hole in her heart in the early 20th century, her family has considered Effie to be living on borrowed time her entire life. Now she struggles to breathe while working hard labor, since the nuns at House of Mercy are unaware of her condition. A girl with a vague past named Mable plots escape with her, and Mable’s heart-rending story then intertwines with Effie’s. Burdick carefully lays out the challenges in Effie’s family and the obstacles of a misogynistic society that conspired to place her in such an undesirable and dangerous situation. The author provides further information on these mislabeled prisons for girls whose sexuality or unwanted status placed them there, and she also addresses the controversial use of “gypsy” as a historical reference that people in that era would have been most familiar with and used themselves. I received a digital copy of this excellent historical fiction from the publisher Park Row through NetGalley.

Historical Fiction have been really jumping out at me lately and, when I saw The Girls With No Names by Serena Burdick, I knew I had to read it.

The story focuses on two sisters. One is adventurous and hates the restrictive life she leads, and the other was born with a rare heart defect and wants to be just like her sister. One ends up going off and the other ends up getting herself into trouble looking for the other.

This story was heart wrenching because one sister gets herself into a jam just for looking for her sister. The things she has to endure are terrible and I cannot even fathom anyone going through that. Burdick gave us interesting characters and was very true to the historical aspects of the House of Mercy.

My only issue with this book was that sometimes it seemed like it was dragging. The life before the plot of the story picked up was a lot of the same thing for chapter after chapter. I found it hard to keep reading at times and had to put it down before I forced myself to keep going. If those small sections where the story lagged were removed, I think this book would have gotten a five star.

I was almost going to give this book a three star rating, but the last 1/3 of the story really picked up pace and was written so well. I was completely surprised by how it ended. While it was a happy ending of sorts, it was also very sad, so if you don’t like books that aren’t sunshine and rainbows at the end, then be prepared this may upset you.

Aside from the small parts that seemed to lag, I found this story to be great. The fact that it is based on a true story is both shocking and interesting. The writing was smooth and the characters were well written. I would definitely read more from author Serena Burdick and look forward to it.

Sisters Luella and Effie lead a privileged life in 1900s New York. When they discover that their father is hiding a secret, Luella goes missing. Thinking that her sister was sent to a home for wayward girls, Effie disguises her identity and enters the school.

There have been several books recently about homes for wayward girls, so that part of the plot wasn’t entirely original. I found the rest of the story interesting and fairly well-written but not all that memorable. I did like the descriptions of the tenements. The character development was a bit cliche at times and could have been stronger. Overall, an ok read.

Many thanks to Netgalley, Park Row and Serena Burdick for my complimentary e-copy ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

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 an intimidating building for wayward girls.

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 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 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.

What I Liked Most
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 was 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.

Historical fiction based in 1915 New York city. The Victorian patriarchal era is on the wane, and women are beginning march and protest for the right to vote and manage their own affairs. Unfortunately, the patriarchal system of repression and discrimination against women is still visible through the existence of prison like homes for girls who don't follow the rules, or the unsafe factories staffed by underpaid women. Women and girls of higher and lower social classes contribute to the plot, but all demonstrate the lack of choice, control, and options available to girls and women. Plot begins with a disoriented girl on the cold floor of a locked windowless cellar room, but in the next scene, we are with two sisters who are lost and running blindly through the night woods. The dark history of the subjugation of women makes this a page turner.

I had a really hard time getting into this book. The storyline jumped timelines, which made it difficult to follow. I liked the strength of the daughters as they followed their own path in life.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for a fair and honest review.
Serena Burdick"s "The Girls with No Names" is an excellent and well-researched novel of historical fiction. Taking place in 1913 New York, Burdick weaves together the stories of several from different socio-economic strata who eventually wind up in a Catholic home for immoral women. I believe this will be recognized as one of the best books of the year. Highly recommended.

Well-written and inspiring characters endure some truly horrific hardships. Alternating points of view keep the pages turning waiting to see what happens next.

My Thoughts

This book was received from the Author, and Publisher, in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own

-This book was Dedicated to those who lost their voices to House of Mercy
House of Mercy is Protestant Episcopal Home for wayward girls.-

“There are girls who get put away for more, if they’re not reformed”
“Or repentant”
“It’s like prison. You get put away for however long fits the crime. There are girls who’ve been in there for ten years, twenty. Some never get out, but I heard three years was the minimum.”
“That can’t be true.”
“I’m just telling you what I heard”

The Girls with No Names, catapults pulls readers into the gilded age of New York City in the 1910s, when suffragettes marched in the street, unions fought for better work condition. A meticulously researched historically engaging book . During the first years of the 20th century, free-spirited sisters Luella and Effie Tildon live in New York City, near the House of Mercy, a home for wayward girls that is anything but merciful.
Effie and Luella can’t conceive of a time they won’t be living a blissful conventional life in the 1910's. Born with a heart condition, Effie has was sheltered from physical activity, but substituted such adventures by writing stories.

One day the sisters were on an lunch outing, with their father and witnessed something he did that shocked and upset them. What the sisters find out, has dire consequences and made Luella question everything. She become rebellious, under the strict guidelines within her household. When Luella hints that she knows of her father's secret, making her father furious at her rebellion, Effie wakes up one morning to realize her sister is gone. Did their father take her away or did she go away on her own?, Effie believing that her sister has been committed by their father to the House of Mercy.
Effie takes things into her own hands, with dire consequences.
A complex historical fiction, the authors narration is solid with multiple POV’s.

In this unhinging compelling look within the dark walls of House of Mercy



Court papers accused the institution of “locking inmates in a small room or cell without food or water for periods varying from one to five days…corporal infliction by whipping, the use of a gag, handcuffs and a straight jacket….that inmates are not permitted to communicate with or to see friends for long periods of time.”

I was provided with an ARC of this title from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a meticulously researched historical novel that chronicles the horrors of workhouses that masqueraded as refuge for "wayward girls." The core of the story focuses on the adventures of two sisters struggling to navigate their place in society and reconcile it with their individual hopes and dreams.

The heroine, Effie was born prematurely and suffers from a heart defect that limits her choices in the life she was born to. She has always loved a rip-roaring story of dastardly deeds and loves putting her imagination into words. When her sister goes missing, Effie's imagination is convinced their father has sent her to the House of Mercy. Effie works out a scheme to gain access to the house and rescue her sister.

This was heartbreaking because it told the stories of all of the girls that lived on the fringes of society, whose choices were crippled by the ridiculous limitations placed upon their gender.

I have dabbled in historical fiction only a few times, and once again, after reading a historical fiction novel, I ask myself why I don't do it more often! The Girls with No Names is a unique and heartbreaking story about two little girls living a fairly charmed life in New York in the early 1900's. Big sister Luella is always seeking more to life, and little sister Effie is always by her side, despite being born with a heart defect. Fascinated with the Romani lifestyle that is seemingly right outside their doorstep, Effie wakes up to Louella gone missing, and concludes her parents have done away with her. She embarks on a mission to find her, at the only place she can think of, The House of Mercy.
This story is told between Effie, her mother, and a girl she meets at the House of Mercy - Mable. Effie soon learns that everyone in the house has a story, and every girl there is to fend for themselves. Torn between loyalty, a need to protect oneself and a want to go home, this story explores each characters history and heartbreak. There are many times when its truly hard to believe these houses for girls existed, especially as a place for girls to get saved and redeemed by God. Torture, starvation and abuse are daily occurrences, and so many of the young women have stories that are more painful than the lives they endure at the House of Mercy.
I highly recommend diving in to this one. It's a slow burn, with a great emphasis on individual stories. There isn't' necessarily a full blown climax, but none the less you will end this book with the pain of heartbreak in your chest. An incredibly moving story!

When I read the synopsis of The Girls with No Names it really sounded interesting. I didn't have high expectations about this one since I am super picky when it comes to historical fiction books.

I am happy to say that I did enjoy this book even though it started off slow and I actually almost quit reading this book but I forced myself to keep reading. Eventually ( about 25 % into the book) the story got better and then I just couldn't put the book down.

Do I recommend these books? Yes, I do but just be warned that it does start off slow.

I am giving this 3 1/5 out of 5 stars.

4.5 stars

Effie and Luella Tildon grew up in the New York high society. Stifled by family expectations, they found an escape among the gypsy group nearby. But freedom had new meaning when it was no longer an option.

The 1910s New York setting gave readers an insight into both high society and the slum through the main characters. The story was a little slow in the beginning, but I enjoyed it overall.

It followed three female characters from two different social standing, navigating life based on the trials and tribulations of the period. They might seem weak and/or unlikable on the surface but they formed an invisible strength from the bond that connected them. My favorite character was Mable because she had the most interesting past.

The Girls with No Names is a story of survival and hope. It would appeal to readers who are interested in female camaraderie Historical Fiction.

HAPPY PUB DAY!⁣
⁣
Thank you to harlequin for this unsolicited copy of #Thegirlswithnonames. It's ashame that the #netgalley version doesn't have the beautiful cover of the book that captures so much of this historical fiction. This book will leave you yearning to know more and make you fall in love with the protagonist. I found myself cheering outloud more times than once! Written very elegantly and poetically, capturing my heart from page one! It's a sorry of defiance, rebellion but also the strength of a true friendship. Be prepared to get emotional for this one. If historical fiction is your thing give this one a try!⁣
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HAPPY PUB DAY!⁣
From the publisher:⁣
⁣
"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."⁣
⁣

My Thoughts
This book wasn't quite what I expected, but I did find some things to like about it. Here are my pros and cons for The Girls with No Names:

Pros

1. I love any book that is even remotely based on a true story or real people. The House of Mercy is a very real place and you can read more about it here. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire is also mentioned in the book. A lot of the health and safety requirements for workers, particularly with regard to building access and egress, alarm systems, availability of fire extinguishers, and sprinkler requirements came about because of this horrific fire. Even Inez Milholland – a lawyer and suffragist - is mentioned in the book.
2. The story was told from three different POVs – Effie, her mother Jeanne, and an unrelated girl named Mabel. The three voices were effective in providing different points of view from females and their lives during the early 20th Century.
3. I thought this was a good story about how women and girls, particularly poor ones, were viewed and treated in this time period. Mabel’s story was particularly compelling because it was her story that really described the life of a poor girl during this time period and how a life could be completely turned upside down from lack of a basic education or a mistake.
4. I was generally happy with the ending – particularly for Mabel.

Cons

1. Once we were introduced to Mabel, I found myself becoming more and more uninterested in the Jeanne and Effie chapters. Mabel was so compelling that her story eclipsed everything else.
2. I think this book needed some focus. Honestly, this might have been a better book altogether if the story had focused on Mabel and left the entire Tildon family out of the story.
3. I wanted more about the House of Mercy! The synopsis states that the story “explores not only the historical House of Mercy, but the lives – and secrets – of the girls who stayed there”. That is stretching it a bit in my opinion. We really only got the story of two girls that were there and all we really learned about the House of Mercy is that they operated a laundry and the nuns were mean. I really wanted more detail.
4. Effie liked to write stories and some of these stories were interspersed in the narrative. While somewhat cute and whimsical at times, overall I thought this was distracting and added no real value to the book overall.

Summary
Mabel is the hero of this book hands down. She is what makes this book worth reading. After Mabel entered the story, the rest became filler to me. It isn’t a bad story as written, I just think it lacked some focus and I definitely wanted more historical detail than I got.

I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in early 20th century history, and particularly in how women were treated during that period.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher (Park Row) for a free eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I feel very conflicted about this book. On the one hand, this is an historical fiction novel that is rich with details. Many of the characters are quite compelling. And the subject matter, the House of Mercy (which was a prison for women and children disguised as a place to help these people), is a part of history we should all know about.

But there were a few aspects of the storytelling that I found difficult to overlook. The author seems to use a particular minority group simply to further someone else's storyline. And another character's horrible behavior was excused because she had a difficult life. I think the bad outweighs the good, so unfortunately, I cannot recommend this book.

What I Liked:

Setting:

New York city in the Gilded Age was a time filled with contrasts. This was a moment in history where a select few had unprecedented wealth and prosperity. Their mansions were just blocks away from the crushing poverty seen in the infamous tenement building occupied by recent immigrants.

The author does do a credible job of showing how both groups of people lived. She shows the details of food, clothing, housing, and occupations that separated the lucky from the unfortunate.

Characters:

This book focuses mainly on three female characters, Effie (a young teen), her mother Jeanne, and a tough as nails older teen named Mabel. While all three characters were well written, I really enjoyed Jeanne.

Married to a wealthy businessman, Jeanne has been pampered most of her life. But her privilege comes at a price. She has to endure her husband's womanizing, her mother-in-law's criticism, and the disdain of her children. But as the new century unfolds, times are changing. Women are marching to demand the right to vote. I liked how Jeanne comes into her own power and doesn't let her husband (or her children) define her.

What I Didn't Like:

Use of the Romani people:

I really was uncomfortable with the use of the word, "Gypsy" throughout this book. While I did appreciate that the author addressed this in an afterword at the end of the novel, I still couldn't understand why she used that word again and again. She defended it by saying that she researched this group extensively and wanted to be "historically accurate". But, it struck me that the author only had the Romani people in the book as a way for one of the wealthy characters to rebel, and not to shed any light on who they really were or what their plight was.

While I am by no means an expert on this group of people, every tired cliche was used during scenes where the sisters visit the Romani. The clothes were described as colorful, and the people loud. There was exciting violin music and (of course) fortune-telling. I felt like these were stereotypes from old black and white movies from the 1940's.

What I would have loved to have seen was any acknowledgment of why they were living in wagons and constantly on the move, or how hard their life was. Instead of showing how they were harassed and pushed out of towns, the author seems to suggest the Romani were "free" compared to Effie and her wealthy sister. But freedom implies one has choices. I doubt that if the Romani wanted to settle in one place they would have been accepted.

Emotional Manipulation:

The other aspect of the book that I hated was how the author worked hard to make the reader feel sorry for Mabel, while making excuses for her horrible behavior. Yes, Mabel stood for all the abused and disadvantaged women of the time. She was born into extreme poverty. When she and her mother moved to New York there was one horror after another for Mabel. I did have deep empathy for this character.

But Mabel also did many terrible things (some truly unforgivable), and I was baffled that she didn't change much over the course of the book. While she did do some good, she never showed remorse or took any responsibility for her actions. One of the characters actually said Mabel shouldn't be blamed for what she did because of her unfortunate circumstances! So she shouldn't have to try to be a good person because she went through tough times?

Trigger Warning: This book contains scenes of sexual violence. It is not suitable for young readers.