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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Physical abuse, Rape, Suicidal thoughts, Pregnancy
medium-paced
emotional
sad
slow-paced
3.5 stars
Right off the bat, I have to say that I had mixed feelings about this book – which is why, as I sit down to write this review, I’m struggling a bit trying to figure out how best to begin. In reading the summary, I thought this would be a story centered around the historical House of Mercy, which was a sanitorium of sorts that had once existed in the Manhattan area of New York back in the early 1900s. To the public, the House of Mercy was a religious institution whose purpose was to “rescue” wayward girls from a life of vice and sin by putting them on a path of reform and redemption – in reality though, the institution was actually a “prison” where girls of various ages were enslaved and forced to work under harsh conditions as restitution for the “immoral” behavior that had gotten them committed in the first place. The girls at these establishments were often abused and punished for any little infraction and for some, even though their stays were supposed to only be temporary, sadly did not always survive to see their day of release.
Prior to reading this book, I had heard about these types of institutions, but did not know much about the House of Mercy specifically, so I was thinking I would be able to learn more about what went on there through the fictional story of Effie and her sister Luella. Unfortunately, it turns out that the summary is very misleading, as only a small part of the story (I would say around 20% or so) actually took place in the House of Mercy – most of the story focused on family conflict, gender and class politics, as well as what life was like for women in New York society during the 1910s. Narrated by 3 of the main characters – the younger Tildon sister Effie, her mother Jeanne, and one of the girls from the House of Mercy named Mable – majority of the story centered around each of the character’s backstories and, in the cases of Effie and Mable, how they ended up in the House of Mercy and later on, much of the narrative revolved around whether they would be able to escape and whether Effie would be able to see her family again. While the characters’ backstories (especially Mable’s) were interesting for the most part and did keep me reading to the end, I was a little irked at being misled and unfortunately, this did affect my reading experience somewhat. It also didn’t help that the story itself was the “slow-burn” type where nothing really happens until around a third of the way in when things start to pick up a bit – even then though, I had some problems with parts of the plot as well as the way some of the characters were depicted.
In terms of the writing, it actually flowed quite well in that there was a good balance of descriptive prose and dialogue. Despite the plot as well as direction of the story being mostly predictable and contrived, the story kept my interest (as I mentioned earlier) and I never felt the urge to skim or set this one aside in favor of another book -- both of which I tend to do when I feel the book/story is boring -- which in and of itself says a lot about how I felt about this one. With that said however, one area that was a bit lacking with this story was that I didn’t get a strong sense of time and place, which is critical for me when it comes to historical fiction. Most of the historical elements that would’ve established the time period and setting for me were briefly mentioned for the most part (for example – the suffragettes and women’s marches, a brief mention near the end of what would be the start of World War I, the House of Mercy itself, etc.), to the point that I felt like majority of the story could have taken place anywhere and during any time period.
Overall, I would say that the story definitely had potential and the writing was mostly solid, it’s just that the execution wasn’t really up to par with what I expected. Given the premise, I expected both the story and the characters to be ones that I would continue to think about for awhile after I finished reading, but I’m sorry to say that didn’t turn out to be the case with this one -- I liked this one well enough to finish reading it, but not enough to linger on the characters (most of whom I didn’t connect with) or the story. Basically, I’m ready to move on to something better.
Received ARC from Park Row (Random House) via Edelweiss.
Right off the bat, I have to say that I had mixed feelings about this book – which is why, as I sit down to write this review, I’m struggling a bit trying to figure out how best to begin. In reading the summary, I thought this would be a story centered around the historical House of Mercy, which was a sanitorium of sorts that had once existed in the Manhattan area of New York back in the early 1900s. To the public, the House of Mercy was a religious institution whose purpose was to “rescue” wayward girls from a life of vice and sin by putting them on a path of reform and redemption – in reality though, the institution was actually a “prison” where girls of various ages were enslaved and forced to work under harsh conditions as restitution for the “immoral” behavior that had gotten them committed in the first place. The girls at these establishments were often abused and punished for any little infraction and for some, even though their stays were supposed to only be temporary, sadly did not always survive to see their day of release.
Prior to reading this book, I had heard about these types of institutions, but did not know much about the House of Mercy specifically, so I was thinking I would be able to learn more about what went on there through the fictional story of Effie and her sister Luella. Unfortunately, it turns out that the summary is very misleading, as only a small part of the story (I would say around 20% or so) actually took place in the House of Mercy – most of the story focused on family conflict, gender and class politics, as well as what life was like for women in New York society during the 1910s. Narrated by 3 of the main characters – the younger Tildon sister Effie, her mother Jeanne, and one of the girls from the House of Mercy named Mable – majority of the story centered around each of the character’s backstories and, in the cases of Effie and Mable, how they ended up in the House of Mercy and later on, much of the narrative revolved around whether they would be able to escape and whether Effie would be able to see her family again. While the characters’ backstories (especially Mable’s) were interesting for the most part and did keep me reading to the end, I was a little irked at being misled and unfortunately, this did affect my reading experience somewhat. It also didn’t help that the story itself was the “slow-burn” type where nothing really happens until around a third of the way in when things start to pick up a bit – even then though, I had some problems with parts of the plot as well as the way some of the characters were depicted.
In terms of the writing, it actually flowed quite well in that there was a good balance of descriptive prose and dialogue. Despite the plot as well as direction of the story being mostly predictable and contrived, the story kept my interest (as I mentioned earlier) and I never felt the urge to skim or set this one aside in favor of another book -- both of which I tend to do when I feel the book/story is boring -- which in and of itself says a lot about how I felt about this one. With that said however, one area that was a bit lacking with this story was that I didn’t get a strong sense of time and place, which is critical for me when it comes to historical fiction. Most of the historical elements that would’ve established the time period and setting for me were briefly mentioned for the most part (for example – the suffragettes and women’s marches, a brief mention near the end of what would be the start of World War I, the House of Mercy itself, etc.), to the point that I felt like majority of the story could have taken place anywhere and during any time period.
Overall, I would say that the story definitely had potential and the writing was mostly solid, it’s just that the execution wasn’t really up to par with what I expected. Given the premise, I expected both the story and the characters to be ones that I would continue to think about for awhile after I finished reading, but I’m sorry to say that didn’t turn out to be the case with this one -- I liked this one well enough to finish reading it, but not enough to linger on the characters (most of whom I didn’t connect with) or the story. Basically, I’m ready to move on to something better.
Received ARC from Park Row (Random House) via Edelweiss.
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I received a digital review copy from the publisher through Edelweiss. The book is scheduled to be published January 7th.
I enjoyed this book, and think our patrons will like it.
The story takes place in the early 20th century and is told from several viewpoints. The characters are good and the plot moves very well, keeping my interest throughout.
I enjoyed this book, and think our patrons will like it.
The story takes place in the early 20th century and is told from several viewpoints. The characters are good and the plot moves very well, keeping my interest throughout.
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Title: The Girls with No Names
Author: Serena Burdick
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: January 7 2020
T H R E E • W O R D S
Emotional • Dynamic • Vivid
📖 S Y N O P S I S
The Girls with No Names follows Effie and Luella, two sisters growing up in 1910s New York City. The sisters discover a secret about their father, leading Luella to rebel, eventually convincing Effie to join her in sneaking away to visit a travelling gypsy camp on the outskirts of town. When Luella decides to run away with this camp, Effie is heartbroken and is convinced her parents have sent her to The House of Mercy, a Protestant Episcopal home for wayward girls. She conjures up a plan to get herself into The House of Mercy in order to rescue her sister. However, she soon discovers Luella is not there, and that escaping is next to impossible. A touching story of sisters and friendships, of secrets and survival.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I went into this one thinking it was WWI or WWII historical fiction, so I was completely surprised when I started reading. As a lover of historical fiction, it is always nice to explore a different aspect of history besides WWI or WWII. There is definitely a lot of setting the stage in the beginning, but I was intrigued to see where everything was going to go. I instantly developed strong feelings surrounding many of the characters very early on. In particular, I took a keen interest in Effie's story, and how she beat the odds with her heart condition. She was definitely my favourite character, demonstrating immense loyalty, strength, and courageousness. At the same time, I felt skeptical and dislike for both of her parents at various times.
The plot felt believable and as always I enjoyed learning a new part of history I wasn't aware of. At times heartbreaking to read knowing The House of Mercy subjected so many young girls to abysmal and abusive circumstances. The short chapters and alternating perspectives helped hold my attention. There were multiple relationships that were resolved in the end, and I was left feeling satisfied with how everything played out.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• historical fiction fans
• readers interested in women's history
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
" 'Life can be ugly,' she said. 'You must keep your imagination alive. That way you will have somewhere else to look if things turn unbearable."
"But life’s a blind business, none of us can see up ahead, and none of us would move forward if we could."
"When you become a person you no longer recognize, it is startling to find a piece of yourself intact."
Author: Serena Burdick
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 3.75
Pub Date: January 7 2020
T H R E E • W O R D S
Emotional • Dynamic • Vivid
📖 S Y N O P S I S
The Girls with No Names follows Effie and Luella, two sisters growing up in 1910s New York City. The sisters discover a secret about their father, leading Luella to rebel, eventually convincing Effie to join her in sneaking away to visit a travelling gypsy camp on the outskirts of town. When Luella decides to run away with this camp, Effie is heartbroken and is convinced her parents have sent her to The House of Mercy, a Protestant Episcopal home for wayward girls. She conjures up a plan to get herself into The House of Mercy in order to rescue her sister. However, she soon discovers Luella is not there, and that escaping is next to impossible. A touching story of sisters and friendships, of secrets and survival.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I went into this one thinking it was WWI or WWII historical fiction, so I was completely surprised when I started reading. As a lover of historical fiction, it is always nice to explore a different aspect of history besides WWI or WWII. There is definitely a lot of setting the stage in the beginning, but I was intrigued to see where everything was going to go. I instantly developed strong feelings surrounding many of the characters very early on. In particular, I took a keen interest in Effie's story, and how she beat the odds with her heart condition. She was definitely my favourite character, demonstrating immense loyalty, strength, and courageousness. At the same time, I felt skeptical and dislike for both of her parents at various times.
The plot felt believable and as always I enjoyed learning a new part of history I wasn't aware of. At times heartbreaking to read knowing The House of Mercy subjected so many young girls to abysmal and abusive circumstances. The short chapters and alternating perspectives helped hold my attention. There were multiple relationships that were resolved in the end, and I was left feeling satisfied with how everything played out.
📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• historical fiction fans
• readers interested in women's history
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
" 'Life can be ugly,' she said. 'You must keep your imagination alive. That way you will have somewhere else to look if things turn unbearable."
"But life’s a blind business, none of us can see up ahead, and none of us would move forward if we could."
"When you become a person you no longer recognize, it is startling to find a piece of yourself intact."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death
Moderate: Infidelity, Racial slurs
Minor: Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Terminal illness
I love Historical Fiction and so when I saw the summary of this book... "atmospheric, heart-warming," but i was let down which doesnt happen much when I read Historical Fictions
It was filled with out of date cliche's and after having researched how the culture was in the early 1900's and how women were treated as minoroties,i felt that these women in this book and how there attitudes and how they spoke were not from early 1900's but more modern and the story was very unrealistic in the way it progressed. The House of Mercy is worth looking into but not in this way.
I sadly wouldnt recommend
It was filled with out of date cliche's and after having researched how the culture was in the early 1900's and how women were treated as minoroties,i felt that these women in this book and how there attitudes and how they spoke were not from early 1900's but more modern and the story was very unrealistic in the way it progressed. The House of Mercy is worth looking into but not in this way.
I sadly wouldnt recommend
emotional
slow-paced
Girls with no names
There was a lot of unnecessary build up to the story that made it a bit anti climatic. It was historically accurate and it wasn’t a typical love story. I gave it three stars.
There was a lot of unnecessary build up to the story that made it a bit anti climatic. It was historically accurate and it wasn’t a typical love story. I gave it three stars.