Park Row and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of The Girls with No Names. I voluntarily chose to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Effie and Luella Tildon are sisters against the world. When their father commits sin against their family, Luella's rebellion has consequences for them all. Effie's desperation leads her to pursue a dangerous path, while their mother Jeanne's well intended decision has an undesired effect.

Written in a multiple perspective format, the voices of Jeanne and Effie's friend Mable from the House of Mercy join in where the sisters cannot. Readers get a clear picture of the life and times of young women in the early 1900's, especially regarding issues of morality and judgment. Based on the true history of the House of Mercy, an asylum for those who were deemed destitute or fallen. Women were used as laundry slaves, imprisoned by the church, which profited handsomely from their labor.

I am not really a fan of a multiple perspective format, especially one that is out of balance like in The Girls with No Names. Although Mable's background story is interesting, Effie is the clear main character from the beginning. Knowing, in large detail, about Mable's reasons behind her actions and how she came to be in the House of Mercy, seemed out of place within the context of the larger story. The focus should have been on Effie alone, with the stories from Luella, Jeanne, and Mable providing a backdrop. Perhaps for this reason, the story did not grab my attention in a meaningful way until well into the book. The Girls with No Names was a good historical fiction, but could have had a larger impact had the above mentioned changes been made.

Thank you, Harlequin, for our gifted review copy.

The Girls with No Names is a very emotional read. While I love HF, especially in the gilded age of NYC, this one is just heartbreaking. The writing is so well done, but this one is just so deep and deals with such heavy subject matter that it's a challenge for me to read. Definitely speaks to my preferences-

A story of confusion and secrets, this book is incredibly sad, but the characters are so wonderful I could not stop reading. Although somewhat predictable in places, I really cared about the stories of the two girls and one woman who each made mistakes and paid dearly for them. Told in alternating chapters, the story slowly unfolds and all is revealed.

Effie is crushed when her sister disappears. Convinced that she has been sent to a home for incorrigible girls, Effie schemes to get herself into the school/home with devastating results. Mable is one of the girls who seems to be a "lifer" in the girls' home. The truth of how she ended up there is told in her first person memoir, and it is heartbreaking. Jeanne is Effie's mother. She is forced to deal with the loss of both of her daughters as her marriage crumbles.

Yes, this is a heart-crushing story, but the setting also reveals the societal pressures and mores of the early 20th century. This is ultimately the story of what people do for love and reputation, and how secrets can change everything. Although it is sometimes overly dramatic and many times I had figured out the "secrets" before the big reveal, this is a book well worth reading.

Beautiful, tragic and stunning all come to mine when you think about The Girls With No Names.

Any fan is historical fiction will be transfixed by this story and Serena Burdicks sweeping prose. I can’t imagine anyone being disappointed that they have their precious time to this book, because the only thing that will let you down is your own inability to do more for these girls.

A very compelling read with very well developed characters. Heartwarming and heartbreaking.
Thank you NetGalley.

Effie and her sister Luella are separated at a young age. This story explores the dynamics of their family after s secret is revealed. Both girls run off and Effie inadvertently ends up at the House of Mercy . It is a home for unwanted girls. Unfortunately, the girls are abused mentally and physically. Effie finds herself in a situation so bad that she isn't sure how or if she will get out of.

I love how the story is told from three perspectives; Effie, her mother and a girl named Mable. Each of these women's characters are so well written and their stories are absolutely compelling.

A fantastic read but have your tissues ready.

While this book is well written, it didn't captivate me emotionally the way I'd expected.

We have three narrating characters: Effie, her mother Jeanne, and, later in the book, Mabel, who is a girl living at Mercy House. Each character's story is heartbreaking on its own, but they don't necessarily mesh well. When we're introduced to Mabel, we go back and relive much of her young life, which takes away from Effie's story. Mabel's story easily could've been a book of its own. Jeanne's story is of a woman repressed, at the expense of her children, which has an entirely different element of sadness. Effie's story is best told in relation to Luella, though Luella doesn't have a narrating part. Overall, for me, this book suffered from too many competing storylines.

Pacing is slow throughout.

Setting and atmosphere are portrayed extremely well. I would've liked a better sense of Mercy House, but in general I felt what it must've been like to live during such a challenging time for women and children.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. I was not paid for my review. All opinions are my own.

At first I wasn’t sure about this book. The beginning was slow and I didn’t really like any of the characters except Effie. As the story progressed I couldn’t put it down. It took me almost a week to get 25 % through and one night to finish.

The author brought attention to the difficulties women faced at the turn of the 20th century. Unfair labor practices, little to no control over their own lives, and double standards when it came to morality issues.

The ending brought tears to my eyes.

This story is told through the eyes of girls and women of differing stations in life.

Definitely worth a read, but If you are a highly sensitive reader be aware this book his several triggering episodes.

The Girls with No Names is a historic fiction novel set in the 1910s alternating between narrators of different girls whose paths cross while at a mercy house, while also alternating past and present stories. I loved the girls and their stories, but I got a little confused at times. It read like a lighter historical fiction, even though it had its dark times.

1900’s. New York.
A twelve-year-old girl, Effie, was in desperate search for her sister, Luella, after believing that her sister had been sent away to the House of Mercy, a workhouse for wayward girls, by their father for fear that she’ll disclose his secret.

Effie’s sheltered upbringing definitely didn’t prepare her for what was in store for her at the House of Mercy where ‘immoral’ girls were imprisoned, overworked, enslaved and abused. There she befriended two girls, Mable and Edna, who took her under their wings when they deemed her trustworthy. 

This novel was told from three different perspectives – Effie, Mable and Jeanne, Effie’s mother. 

Two very different girls, Mable and Effie, led very different lives, and brought up in very different conditions, both loved by their families but in very different ways. Life toughened them and brought them together.

Mabel's story was the most compelling of the three, yet toughest to read. It broke my heart to see her suffer. Yet, if I didn't know her story, and only read of her crime reported in the papers, I would've judged and cursed her for what she did. It also made me think, should she be punished for what she did given the circumstances she was in?

On the other hand, Effie was born with a silver spoon and had always been protected by her family, especially her sister. But having left the comforts of her home in search for her sister, she soon came to realize that life can be harsh and cruel. Being bullied at the House of Mercy, she began to learn that survival was the only way she could get herself out of the wretched place, even if it meant betraying the only person who had helped her escape.

Jeanne, mother of Effie and Luella, was portrayed as a compliant and dutiful wife and mother. The girls adored her until they saw those qualities as weaknesses. Jeanne blamed herself for her missing girls and her broken household. But as we get to know her, we'll see that it was from her that her girls inherited their resilience and strength.  

This book surprised me in many ways. First, I expected to like it, but I didn't. I LOVED IT. Second, I didn’t expect it to make me so emotional. But it did. Third, I never expected the twists. But it had.

The characters, especially Mable, and the plot propelled the novel. I also enjoyed reading about the lives of the Romani people (referred to as 'gypsies' by the author for historical accuracy), during that time period, who were seen as ‘ignorant’and ‘dishonest’ people.

That said, the title, ‘The Girls with No Names’ would've been more apt if it were a story about the 3 girls - Effie, Mable and Edna and their lives in the Mercy House. So if you plan to read this, don’t expect to read much about the House of Mercy. It covered maybe 20% of the book? But it didn't deter me from enjoying the novel.

This book is about family, friendship, bravery and survival, trust, compassion and living as a woman in the 1900s. It also covered historical events such as the suffragette movement, a shirtwaist fire (which I believe was the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. I googled lol), laundries (workhouses run by churches), the contrast of the poor and the rich, and the shunned and discriminated.

Overall, a compelling, emotional read. If you’re one for a slow-paced historical fiction, this one’s for you.

I loved this story, from start to finish but what really got me, was the afterward. I recently found out that I am of Romani descent but had never heard about the Romani Gypsies before my sister told me about them. You can easily see our ancestry to them by looking at them, yet I had never heard of them before. I had no idea these were the gypsies in this story, until the end. It was so cool to read a book that dealt with a piece of my ancestry.

Not to mention, the story of the House of Mercy. Why do we hear of the Irish homes for girls but rarely the American ones and the stories of those girls, that can so easily be forgotten? My heart broke for Effie, wrongly forced to live in there, like so many others. I can't imagine a life like that and the willingness to escape or die within those walls.

This is one of those stories that makes you think of the life you have and how you always seem to want more or something better or different, only to realize how good you truly had it before you left.

Years ago I watched a movie on a flight to Paris. It was “The Magdalene Sisters” and it was about three girls who lived and worked in a laundry run by nuns in Ireland. It was absolutely terrifying and horrific and based on the real Magdalene laundries of the mid-1900’s. In The Girls with No Names, the main character, Effie, gets herself put into one of these places as she seeks to find her sister who has run away. Effie also has a heart condition, which makes her situation all the worse. This story takes place in New York City around 1910, and apparently there really were Magdalene-type laundries here at that time.

All in all it was a heart-breaking read that told the sad story of a marriage gone wrong, a family that was destroyed, and the lasting effect of betrayal. But I couldn’t put it down until the last fulfilling page.

Thank you for my review copy through Net Galley, Harlequin Books!

I read this via netgalley. I found this story disturbing, in that it is based on a real place. I thought it was thoughtfully written, without using sensationalism to make it more shocking. I did enjoy the historical detail woven throughout.

Sorry, this wasn't for me. I was interested in the premise, I like historical fiction, and I really like "The Dollhouse", which gets compared to this one. But I just couldn't get into it.

This was a really beautiful story and I'm sad it took me so long to finish reading it. The characters were great and I overall enjoyed reading it. I think once Luella goes missing is when the story gets really interesting and I was invested.

In 1910's New York, there are limits on the roles that women can play. Sisters Luella and Effie Tildon realize this, especially after they see the hypocritical secrets that their father keeps. When Luella takes off, Effie is sure that she was sent to the House of Mercy, a place where young women in need of "correction" are sent. But Luella was not actually there, and her trust in Mable might be the only way she makes it out.

I rapidly read this novel, immediately drawn into the sisters' stories. The Gilded Age has a sharp divide between the rich and poor, and their pains are of a different quality. Either way, it means that their lives are dependent on the men around them. Luella and Effie had always thought highly of their father, and seeing his infidelity is a slap in their faces as well as an insult to their idea of family. There had been a Romani encampment near their home as well as the House of Mercy, and it makes for a stark contrast. Their camp has squabbles, of course, but there is more honesty and less concern about presenting a perfect facade to Society. Always the outspoken one, of course, Luella would leave the sheltered life she'd led when the disillusionment set in. Effie, long dependent on her sister due to her heart defect, of course, looks for her the only way she knows how.

Mabel's life had been difficult in a different way, as she was the daughter of immigrants and no one offered her any opportunities. When she's manipulated out of her own ignorance and loneliness, as well as abused by a system that never cared for her, of course, she took on a different name. She was swept up into the House of Mercy where she met Effie, and there are still abuses to be had in a place like that. She had to grow callous in the face of that, but deep down is still a young woman seeking connection and family. This theme runs throughout these girls' lives, each looking for their independence as well as a place to belong when they don't quite fit the mold of the time period. Some of the struggles that the girls endure don't exist at this time, but the emotional resonance is still there.

The Girls With No Names is a multiple point-of-view story that follows the lives of Luella and Effie. The two sisters are as thick as thieves and when they aren’t stuck at school or at home, they are out exploring the world around them. Effie, who is the youngest, was born with heart problems and feels as if she is a burden to everyone. She is shy and more reserved. Luella is labeled as the “pretty sister” with a rebellious streak. Though it seems they have a perfect family life, we quickly learn there is more going on under the surface.

As the family slowly rips apart, so does Luella and Effie. When Luella ends up running away, Effie feels lost and abandoned by her sister and is struggling to cope. We get to see how Luella’s leaving has an effect on her, but how the rest of the family falls apart. Thinking her sister has been sent to The House of Mercy she enlists herself in the school. Effie soon learns of deplorable conditions and knows that she must escape. Coming from a sheltered background puts her at a disadvantage, but she know she must be strong to survive.

Throughout the novel, readers see the turbulent past that arises as well as the frantic emotions that go through the characters minds. This novel deals with not only story about family and survival, but also a book about grief. Grief for a dying marriage, the loss of a daughter/sibling, loss of a childhood, and the grief of losing a loved one. Each character actions shapes their fates for better or worse. It’s real, raw, and very heartbreaking.

This book sheds a light on a part of history that I was not very familiar with. It’s sad to think about the horrible things that were going on at the House of Mercy, but also they many numerous “Magdalene Laundries” within the US and overseas. This book spreads awareness about a dark part of history while also weaving a narrative of two sisters with unbreakable bond. And most of all it’s a story of survival.

*Trigger Warnings: Death, Child Abuse, Violence, Racial Slurs

I finally understood what my fortune meant....I was bone and skin and earth and sky. Death was not literal, Time was infinite, my Existence..eternal.

Set in the early 1900s, a time of great change and social reforms, The Girls With No Names is the story of young girls, some wealthy and other travelers or from among the working poor. It is a brilliant example of all that was wonderful and horrific about "the gilded age."

Luella and Effie Tildon are children from a wealthier family. Their lives are spent in school, wandering the land around their home and obeying the strict rules set forth by their parents. They know that if they don't obey these rules they will be sent to the House of Mercy, a work house wayward girls. The institution was meant to be home for young women without support or who were unmarried and pregnant. What it became was a place for men to send women and girls who didn't conform to the "rules." A house of horror, hunger, torture and worse, the House of Mercy was used as a cautionary reminder for all females to obey. When Luella discovers a secret her father is hiding, she begins to rebel against him to the point that, when she disappears, Effie immediately assumes Luella has been banished to the House of Mercy. Effie, who has a debilitating heart condition, decides she will find a way to get sent to the house so that Luella will not be alone. What transpires is a horror show for the young girl and for all of the girls held captive within those walls.

Serena Burdick has woven together a story of the rich and the poor, of the Suffragette movement, of work houses run by "the church", of an age that glorified the male while subjugating women. The stories of these young women is one of friendship, love, bravery and hope. It is, by far, one of the most remarkable stories I have read and, sadly, it is based on the true stories of the House of Mercy in Innwood Park.

This book grabbed me and wouldn't let me go. It seemed like it started a bit slow, but then it took off and I went with it. This story is full of beautiful details, wonderful characters and plenty of twists and turns along the way. I finished it in a day because I literally could not put it down.

Not far from Luella and Effie Tildon’s large family mansion in Inwood looms the House of Mercy, a work house for wayward girls. The sisters grow up under its shadow with the understanding that even as wealthy young women, their freedoms come with limits. But when the sisters accidentally discover a shocking secret about their father, Luella, the brazen older sister, becomes emboldened to do as she pleases.

But her rebellion comes with consequences, and one morning Luella is mysteriously gone. Effie suspects her father has made good on his threat to send 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 escape from the House of Mercy seems impossible—unless she can trust an enigmatic girl named Mable. As their fates entwine, Mable and Effie must rely on each other and their tenuous friendship to survive.- Goodreads

The book started off really good. You are drawn into the desperation of Effie. You are intrigued and curious about what happened to lead her to where she was. Your expectations are high. Really high when you begin this book.
However, by the 5th chapter, I was bored out my mind. Still thoroughly interested in the book but bored. If you aren’t interested in a slow historical build, then this book is not for you.
It is extremely detailed and because Effie was so much of a follower, it was hard reading her voice for so long. Thankfully, the story does move to different perspectives.
This is a short review because other than those points, this book was well written and much more historical than I thought it would be.
Not normally a book I would go for but glad to be able to read it.