The nameless girls

As suffragists marched in the streets of New York and unionists fought for decent working conditions, wayward girls were locked away in the House of Mercy.

Near the family mansion of Luella and Effie Tildon looms the House of Mercy, an institution for fallen women, women considered unworthy of living in society. Under that menacing shadow, the sisters grow up knowing that, even for well-off young women like them, freedom has very strict limits.

Everything changes when they discover a scandalous family secret together, and Luella, the older and more daring sister, decides that she has the right to do as she pleases. The day Luella mysteriously disappears, Effie suspects that her father has carried out his threat to admit her to the House of Mercy, so she devises a plan to save her. However, she makes a mistake and no one believes her story. From that moment on, Effie's fate will be in the hands of Mable, an enigmatic fellow inmate. Their chances of survival will depend on the nascent friendship and trust between them.

A story of hope, courage and sisterhood, inspired by the House of Mercy and the women confined there.

"Burdick has written a fable about struggle and survival, love and family, and, above all, about the strength of the heart, however broken it may be."
New York Times Book Review

"The narrative combines exuberant prose with a fast-paced and fascinating plot."
Publishers Weekly

"A fascinating thriller for lovers of early 20th-century stories."
Kirkus Review

"Plot twists, emotional impacts, and an increasingly accelerated pace make The Nameless Girls captivating."
BookBrowse

"Burdick's story of survival and coming-of-age, set in New York at the beginning of the 20th century, is a must-read."
Historical Novel Society