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Mercy House

Alena Dillon (Goodreads Author)

3.91 · Rating details · 3,017 ratings · 603 reviews

A powerful debut novel of a refuge in Brooklyn for women in trouble—and the one woman who will risk all to protect them.

In the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood of Brooklyn stands a century-old row house presided over by renegade, silver-haired Sister Evelyn. Gruff and indomitable on the surface, warm and wry underneath, Evelyn and her fellow sisters makes Mercy House a

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Paperback, 384 pages

Published February 11th 2020 by William Morrow Paperbacks

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Jan 12, 2020 Meredith ( on Semi-Hiatus until February) rated it really liked it

Shelves: first-reads

Compulsively Readable!

Mercy House is a powerful story about three nuns who run a shelter for victims of domestic violence.

Nuns Sister Evelyn, Sister Josphine, and Sister Maria run Mercy House, a refuge for women who have suffered horrific physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of their partners, parents, and guardians. To help these women, the three nuns act in ways that go against the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Sister Evelyn is at the forefront of this story. In her role as pr Compulsively Readable!

Mercy House is a powerful story about three nuns who run a shelter for victims of domestic violence.

Nuns Sister Evelyn, Sister Josphine, and Sister Maria run Mercy House, a refuge for women who have suffered horrific physical, emotional, and sexual abuse at the hands of their partners, parents, and guardians. To help these women, the three nuns act in ways that go against the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Sister Evelyn is at the forefront of this story. In her role as protectress, she has taken down muggers, naysayers, and violent men in one of the most dangerous neighborhoods in Brooklyn. However, there is one man who incites fear in Sister Evelyn and that is Bishop Hawkins, who has come to investigate the happenings of Mercy House. Evelyn must confront this powerful man to protect the women she has come to deeply care for. To do so, she must face her past and come to terms with her dark secrets.

Sister Evelyn is the primary narrator, but the reader also gets some chapters from each of the current residents of Mercy House. I love Sister Evelyn--she is a wise-cracking, no-nonsense, badass 69-year-old nun!

Some areas might make this hard to read for some readers. There are parts of this book that detail sexual and physical abuse. A good portion of this book revolves around the Catholic Church and the Vatican. While this book heavily critiques the Catholic Church/Vatican, it does not critique Catholicism. Some other areas might ruffle certain political beliefs and/or personal values.

This is a refreshing and captivating read! Once I picked this book up, I couldn’t put it down. I found Sister Evelyn to be quite an entertaining character. She had me laughing out loud. At the same time, her emotions and struggles with her past were palpable. I got quite emotional and teary-eyed when she finally shared her story. Her character is well-developed, but I wish the other characters who play major roles could have been fleshed out a little more. I also wish the ending was a little stronger and that the reader got to see the aftermath of Sister Evelyn’s revelation.

Mercy House is Alena Dillon’s debut and she offers an insightful look into the life of nuns in the 21st century. She has a knack for writing strong, witty, and intelligent female characters. I look forward to reading more from her in the future.

I received a copy of this book from a Goodreads giveaway!

...more

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Jan 04, 2020 Nilufer Ozmekik rated it really liked it

Wow! What an unconventional, soul crashing, vivid journey!

This is an incredible story about women’s unity and solidarity for fighting against abandonment, physical and mental abuse, harm, humiliation, neglecting. I enjoy the characters of this amazing house opening to their doors to those brave women suffered more than they could stand and who are adamant to leave their painful memories and wounded pasts behind, forming great friendships with each other.

I know that too many readers are ready to Wow! What an unconventional, soul crashing, vivid journey!

This is an incredible story about women’s unity and solidarity for fighting against abandonment, physical and mental abuse, harm, humiliation, neglecting. I enjoy the characters of this amazing house opening to their doors to those brave women suffered more than they could stand and who are adamant to leave their painful memories and wounded pasts behind, forming great friendships with each other.

I know that too many readers are ready to judge the book because of its contentious religious and political opinions because it gives us real questioning approach and addressing to the controversies that Catholic Church faces lately (when Spotlight won the best movie Oscar, those controversies were started to get discussed at so many platforms.) This story also discusses mistreatments to the nuns and evolution of Catholic Church throughout the years. So yes, we have so many heavy stuffs on our plate to absorb. If you need a fast and softer reading, you got the wrong book. Pick another one quickly.
And of course the parts about the inhabitants of the house’s back stories are also heart wrecking and
blood freezing. The sexual assault and domestic violence those women endured are told more realistic and harsher than I expected. So don’t expect to read some emotional, tear jerker sisterhood story. The women’s lives are shaking us to the cores and forcing us seeing wild and ugly face of abuse.
I didn’t question the book’s approach to the political and religious matters. I only focused on women’s stories who found themselves trapped in their lives and trying their best to gather their strength to stop to be physically and mentally harmed. They didn’t want to live like victims anymore. They wanted to build new lives for themselves.

And of course I loved sister Evelyn, tough cookie, brave, determined, witty, caring woman who is doing her best to fight against the inquisition kind of investigation conducted by Catholic Church. When assigned priest arrives to Mercy House to conduct his investigation, he startles when he meets with Evelyn. We understand that Evelyn has a history with this man which makes things more complicated and put her inappropriately hard situation. She needs to protect those women who trust her and use her own power to prevent the house’s shutting down. But she also keeps secret and she needs to protect her own self. That’s our story’s CATCH 22 part.

Overall: Writing is fast paced, captivating, intriguing.

Characters are easy to empathize with.

The controversial, compelling, brave and surprising approach is also bringing new soul and new realistic perspective makes us question our own beliefs and life views.

The ending was not powerful as I expected. I could say only “meh, okay, foreseeable!” But it still concluded appropriately because from the beginning of the book, the author gives us enough clues how she will end this story. So we’d better buy this.

I gave 3.5 stars and again rounded up to 4 because of the author’s bravery and straightforwardness.
Special thanks to Netgalley and HarperCollins /William Morrow Paperback for sharing this powerful book’s ARC COPY with me in exchange my honest review. ...more

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May 03, 2020 Lindsay - Traveling Sisters Book Reviews rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: edelweiss

4 stars!

Informative and eye-opening. Heart warming and heart breaking.

Mercy House is a women’s shelter in downtown Brooklyn run by three vivacious nuns. The shelter provides a safe place for victims of domestic abuse to flee their from their dangerous situations. Sister Evelyn, one of the founders of the shelter, is the main character of this story whose personality had me surprised and giggling in each chapter. Her no-nonsense, tell-it-how-it-is attitude helps her navigate the rough and rundo 4 stars!

Informative and eye-opening. Heart warming and heart breaking.

Mercy House is a women’s shelter in downtown Brooklyn run by three vivacious nuns. The shelter provides a safe place for victims of domestic abuse to flee their from their dangerous situations. Sister Evelyn, one of the founders of the shelter, is the main character of this story whose personality had me surprised and giggling in each chapter. Her no-nonsense, tell-it-how-it-is attitude helps her navigate the rough and rundown neighbourhood streets while reaching as many of those in need as possible.

The Sisters at Mercy House offer their guests a variety of support and therapies, some of which don’t align with the Catholic religion. When the Sisters are informed of a scheduled visit from Bishop Hawkins, they worry about what he might discover among their unconventional records. Unknown to everyone, Sister Evelyn has a dark history with Bishop Hawkins that she longs to keep hidden and with his upcoming visit, she is concerned about the future of Mercy House.

A remarkable debut novel! I enjoyed the writing and found the story flowed and unfolded smoothly. It kept me intrigued from start to finish. The characters were unique and loveable — Sister Evelyn is a stand out character who I loved rooting for.

There were a few plot points that felt overdone, including the ending that tied up a little too neatly for me, however, I really enjoyed following Sister Evelyn’s personal growth journey.

This may be a sensitive novel for those who live a strict Catholic lifestyle. There are many scenarios in which the nuns help victims in ways that would not be embraced by their religion, but they feel is in the best interest of the victim at the time. There are also several references to crimes committed and then hidden within the Catholic church. None of these scenarios were a complete shock to me, and although the author presented them in a respectable manner, they were uncomfortable to read.

Overall, an excellent debut novel that I would recommend. I look forward to seeing what this author comes out with next! Side note: I love this cover!

Thank you to Edelweiss for my review copy! ...more

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Feb 14, 2020 Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader rated it really liked it

Sister Evelyn runs Mercy House, a safe haven for abused women. She’s tough as nails for all appearances, but she has a warmth and heart of gold when it comes to women under her care.

Bishop Hawkins is scheduled to visit Mercy House, and the sisters are worried he may find out the extra ways they have helped the women, as in ways that are not allowed by the church.

Sister Evelyn is at the heart of Mercy House, and she will use all her might to protect and serve it. I loved her character. She was ...more

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Feb 10, 2020 Nursebookie rated it it was amazing

Mercy House by Alena Dillon

What an amazing story and an amazing debut by Alena Dillon.

Jumping into this book, I was not sure I would be interested in reading about the Catholic Church and the religious cover up as part of its dark history. However, I was completely wrong. I loved the story of a renegade and badass nun unlike those I have had in my parochial school.

Sister Evelyn, our protagonist and once a nurse, runs the Mercy House, located in Brooklyn, a safe haven for the abused and mistrea ...more

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Feb 22, 2020 DJ Sakata rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: womens-fiction, netgalley, religious-issues

Favorite Quotes:

Ever since Evelyn entered the convent fifty years ago and was required to rise with the sun, she worshipped sleep like it was a false god.

She’d never been to Rome, she’d never met the current Pontiff, and she had virtually no desire to do so. Pope Benedict XVI wore red velvet capes with ermine fur trim. He commissioned his own cologne, which Evelyn called Pope-pourri. He was chauffeured around in a Mercedes… That lavish lifestyle bore little resemblance to her experience in Bedfo Favorite Quotes:

Ever since Evelyn entered the convent fifty years ago and was required to rise with the sun, she worshipped sleep like it was a false god.

She’d never been to Rome, she’d never met the current Pontiff, and she had virtually no desire to do so. Pope Benedict XVI wore red velvet capes with ermine fur trim. He commissioned his own cologne, which Evelyn called Pope-pourri. He was chauffeured around in a Mercedes… That lavish lifestyle bore little resemblance to her experience in Bedford-Stuyvesant…

She spread her lips into a smile so artificial it insulted her cheeks.

The evangelical minister Pat Robertson said Haitians are paying for their sins with that 7.0 magnitude quake. I am terrified that he is right. Sister Evelyn came downstairs in the middle of the night and found me in the living room rewatching clips of Pat Robertson,… “Don’t you listen to that giant-eared moron. He’s equal parts hate and insanity,” she said.

Desiree’s current johns were low-income, most surviving on government subsidies. She aspired to move up the ranks and become a high-class call girl, a corporate lady of the night, from streetwalker to Wall Street. You couldn’t claim Desiree wasn’t ambitious.

“I’m like a Cadillac. This ride is built for comfort.” Desiree swiveled her hips and then took a comically large bite of her sandwich. “More like a Lincoln Town Car. Room for the whole family,” Lucia said and slapped Desiree’s backside.

My Review:

My heart was seriously bruised and battered while reading this highly evocative and stunningly crafted tale of an elderly hard-working yet disillusioned nun. She had been repeatedly sexually abused by a priest as a novice and never told anyone, now fifty years later he was the bishop who was sent to investigate and interrogate with the singular purpose of closing down her abused women’s shelter. Oh, the irony. And I do loves me some clever irony. This was my first exposure to the brilliant wordcraft of Alena Dillon and I was quickly caught up in her mesmerizing and powerful word voodoo and sucked into a heart-squeezing vortex that transported me to a run-down dwelling with an angel knocker on Mercy Street in Brooklyn, New York. I inhabited that residence with an oddly and uniquely compelling hodgepodge of residents, each with a troubling and heartbreaking past as well as an equally challenging present.

The storylines were gripping and taut with tension, frustration, disheartening circumstances, despair, and eye-opening revelations. I was continually struck by the quality and perceptiveness of the writing, which was staggeringly emotive, skillfully assembled, and laced with insightful observations and descriptions of the various types of pain – body, mental, emotional, and of the psyche. I grew to appreciate each of these complicated women, especially the mouthy ones. And going forward, I will never look at a can of Lysol the same way ever again.
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Jan 18, 2020 Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews rated it it was amazing

Evelyn was never wanted. Her father even bargained with God to bring his son home from the war, and he would put Evelyn in a convent. Evelyn's brother did come home, and she did go to the convent.

Her time in the convent wasn't pleasant. Evelyn saw and endured unpleasant things.

After a few years, she and a few of her fellow nuns opened a shelter in Brooklyn that housed girls suffering from domestic abuse and abandonment.

The red door with the angel knocker was a welcome refuge for these girls.

Thi ...more

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Jan 30, 2020 Fictionophile rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: read-in-2020, literary-fiction, edelweiss-read, william-morrow, new-york, older-protagonists

Mercy House, a women's shelter in Brooklyn, is run by three aging nuns. It opens its doors to all manner of woman, regardless of religion, race, or bias. It gives succor to women who have been abused, either mentally or emotionally by the very people who are supposed to love them...

Sister Evelyn - our protagonist, is sixty-nine years old. A nun for fifty years, she was essentially abandoned to the convent at a tender age by her Irish-American family. When still a novice, Evelyn suffered repeated ...more

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Jan 26, 2020 Lisa rated it liked it

Shelves: 2020, netgally-2020, kindle, netgalley, 3-star-review

Mercy House

A wrenching but hopeful story of women seeking shelter from abuse and the unconventional nun that ministers to them.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
MERCY HOUSE is story about Sister Evelyn, a feisty feminist nun who runs a shelter for abused women in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn. When the Vatican sends Bishop Robert Hawkins to investigate American religious sisters as part of the Apostolic Visitation, convinced they are breaking Catholic doctrine, Sister Evelyn is distressed. When t Mercy House

A wrenching but hopeful story of women seeking shelter from abuse and the unconventional nun that ministers to them.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY
MERCY HOUSE is story about Sister Evelyn, a feisty feminist nun who runs a shelter for abused women in the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn. When the Vatican sends Bishop Robert Hawkins to investigate American religious sisters as part of the Apostolic Visitation, convinced they are breaking Catholic doctrine, Sister Evelyn is distressed. When the Bishop shows up early at Mercy House she is more than frazzled. Sister Evelyn had been sexually assaulted as a young novice by this very bishop conducting the investigation. She had told no one of this abuse. She is now forced to appeal to her assailant, and hide the forbidden practices of her shelter—including helping women obtain divorce, birth control, and abortions—all to protect the diverse and vibrant individuals under her care.

REVIEW
MERCY HOUSE is a wrenching tale involving a unconventional nun, a malicious bishop and a colorful group of abused women who seek shelter from the storm that is their life. The story is intriguing, but as a Catholic, I struggled with the authenticity of a few elements of story. The writing and the character development were both good.

I particularly liked Sister Evelyn’s flawed character. The story showed both her vulnerability, as well as her fierceness in protecting the women at Mercy House. I loved the part where she uses a can of Lysol and a lighter, to fend off a gang leader with a Glock. Her feistiness, creativity and courage were admirable. The backstories of the women staying in Mercy House—Lucia, Katrina, Desiree, Esther and Mei-LI—were vivid and heartbreaking and their ultimate camaraderie was inspiring.

Bishop Hawkins, on the other hand was so virulently evil, it was almost comical, particularly when he searched the bedrooms of the residents of Mercy House and gleefully confiscated all manner of paraphernalia to support his investigation.

I searched for and would have loved to read an author note or an interview with the author to find out more about her inspiration for the story, and her research. MERCY HOUSE is author ALENA DILLION’s debut novel. She has also written a humor collection I Thought We Agreed to Pee in the Ocean published in 2015. She teaches creative writing at Endicott College and St. Joseph’s College and lives on the beautiful north shore of Boston.

Thanks to Edelweiss for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher HarperCollins
Published February 12, 2020
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com ...more

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Feb 07, 2020 Kristina rated it it was ok

Shelves: netgalley, 2020-netgalley-books, contemporary-fiction, 2020

Mercy House by Alena Dillon is not what I expected. The three nuns who run Mercy House are spunky and untraditional especially Sister Evelyn. I like that they are helping abused women. They work with the women to help them regain their confidence and begin a new life away from their abusers. The residents of Mercy House are diverse and colorful. Sister Evelyn is the primary narrator of the story with chapters featuring each of the girls living at Mercy House. Sister Evelyn is sixty-nine years ol Mercy House by Alena Dillon is not what I expected. The three nuns who run Mercy House are spunky and untraditional especially Sister Evelyn. I like that they are helping abused women. They work with the women to help them regain their confidence and begin a new life away from their abusers. The residents of Mercy House are diverse and colorful. Sister Evelyn is the primary narrator of the story with chapters featuring each of the girls living at Mercy House. Sister Evelyn is sixty-nine years old and her body is feeling its age (aches and pains). She is a no-nonsense type of woman who will protect the women under her care. Sister Evelyn is a familiar figure in her neighborhood where she a network of informants and does what she can to improve situations. What the women have endured including Sister Evelyn is detailed in the book. It may be hard for some people to read the details of the abuse. There is also a substantial amount of foul language (even the nuns use it). There is a significant focus on the Catholic Church and the injustices within it. It does not critique the faith, but how things are handled. The apostolic visitation mentioned in the book truly happened in the United States. The book is trying to show that while the Church is focusing on the sisters who do good work (though not always following Church doctrine), it should take a hard look at the priests and other church officials who commit terrible crimes. Mercy House contains good writing with a cast of unique characters. The detailed descriptions provide visual imagery, but they do slow down the pacing of the story. There is a lot going on in the book. I wish Mercy House had been about the three sisters, Mercy House and the women they helped. Mercy House is a graphic novel that did not appeal to me. Bishop Hawkins is a malicious man who descriptions seems almost a caricature. Unfortunately, I am sure that there are men like Bishop Hawkins in the Catholic Church. I am fortunate to have a kindly bishop overseeing my diocese. I felt like that author was picking on the Catholic Church. Events that are depicted in the book do happen and it is terrible. They should not be hidden or swept under the rug. But I read fiction to get away from the news and real life. The book contains a note from the author on her inspiration for Mercy House, an interview with Sister Suzanne Franck of St. Joseph’s College, and book discussion questions. Mercy House is not my type of book, but many others do find it compelling. Mercy House has a beastly bishop, a smart cracking sister, alarming abuse, sinful situations, and hair raising hijinks. ...more

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Feb 08, 2020 Jennifer rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mercy house was place of refuge, a place of healing for broken girls. I saw an inside glimpse of the faithful ministry of nuns. They had gone through years of change and were committed to staying the course helping anyone who came to their door. They were brave, determined and not perfect. It was refreshing. It was also brutal and unfair. Life is like that isn’t it?
Some people will think this book is about the Catholic Church, but it was about abuse to women. And it also was about ...more

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Nov 29, 2019 Karen M rated it really liked it

Shelves: ebooks, own-ebook, bookclubgirls, fiction

I know of someone who started to read the same ebook and she chose not to continue to read because she said she could see where the book was going, bashing the Catholic Church. I don’t feel the same and I wish she had finished the book.

I think this a book that each person who reads it will have a range of reactions and emotions because this is a story of tragedy and hope, secrets and how they damage those who hold them, how mistakes follow you through life and continue to affect you. It is also ...more

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Sep 24, 2019 Amber rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2019, digital-arcs

Digital arc via Edelweiss.

I was really excited about this book’s potential, and it started out really strong. However, about halfway through, it started to feel like too many things were being tossed in the mix, and it started to get feel crowded. I appreciated the ending and will have plenty of people to recommend it to. However, I needed the plotline to be thinned just a bit for a full 5-star rating.

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Feb 20, 2020 Inkish Kingdoms rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Read my full review coming soon on my blog! So visit me at: Book Blog / Instagram

I contacted the author so that I could thank her for such an incredible book!!! I simply love it and since I want to provide a valid and convincing review, I will do it shortly.

If you read this looking for guidance whereas to read this or not, let me tell you this: YES! DO IT! DON'T HESITATE! And don't trust any review saying otherwise xD

By far this will be in my top 5 of the year!!!!

A few words come to mind when de ...more

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Feb 21, 2020 Carla Johnson-Hicks rated it it was amazing

Shelves: audio, received-from-publisher-or-pr-co, 2020-release, eidelwiess, literary-fiction, edelweiss-challenge-2020, social-issues

This book was one that I could not put down. As another reviewer put it, "it was compulsively readable". Once I started reading about Sister Evelyn and the residents of Mercy House, I wanted to know what was going to happen to these ladies.

Mercy House is a women's shelter in Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn, It is run by three aging nuns, Sister Evelyn, Sister Maria and Sister Josephine, each of them bringing something different to the operation of the Home. It is a shelter that acce This book was one that I could not put down. As another reviewer put it, "it was compulsively readable". Once I started reading about Sister Evelyn and the residents of Mercy House, I wanted to know what was going to happen to these ladies.

Mercy House is a women's shelter in Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood in Brooklyn, It is run by three aging nuns, Sister Evelyn, Sister Maria and Sister Josephine, each of them bringing something different to the operation of the Home. It is a shelter that accepts abused women, whether physical, mental or emotional victims. All women no matter what religion, race or background they bring with them. They do not always follow Catholic Teaching and Doctrines, which brings them under fire during the "Nunquisition". Enter Bishop Hawkins, the man sent to investigate Mercy House. He has a past with Evelyn and will not be happy until he shuts Mercy House down.

Sister Evelyn is at the main character in this story. She is a feisty, no-nonsense, wise-cracking, protectress. She has faced down muggers, naysayers, and violent men while protecting her residents. The only man she has not faced down is Bishop Hawkins. He abused her while she was a novitiate and made her feel that she was the one in the wrong as she was the temptress. It is now time for Evelyn to confront this powerful man and determine what she is willing to do to protect the women she cares about. The secondary cast was very strong. The residents, the other nuns, the community members and even her family members all add wonderful colour and detail to the story.

The difficult part for some people to read or listen to will be the sexual and physical abuse that is described both involving the priesthood and that directed at the young female residents. It is a necessary part of the story, but not gratuitous. A good portion of this book revolves around the Catholic Church and the Vatican, specifically abuse of children and young women that is brushed under the rug. This has been widely reported in the newspaper over the last decade, and I am happy to say that it is being dealt with. Like in every profession, there are bad apples, and there are some inthe priesthood. This book is very critical of those men, not Catholicism in general. Overall, Mercy House was a compelling read. I learned about some history around the Catholic church as well as becoming emotionally involved with the lives of the residents of Mercy House. This is a gritty story, that not only puts the catholic church front and centre, but deals with heartbreak, abuse, anger, evil, female unity and strength and forgiveness of self and others. A well-written narrative that I enjoyed immensely.

I did a read/listen of Mercy House, narrated by a full cast. The voices given to the various characters made this an amazing book to listen to. Each of the residents had their own accents and voices so I knew who was speaking and telling their story. Sister Evelyn's voice was strong and had me picturing her in my mind. If you get an opportunity to listen to this audiobook, I highly recommend it. The publisher generously provided a copy of this book upon request. The rating, ideas and opinions shared are my own. ...more

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Feb 02, 2020 Sue rated it really liked it

This compassionate novel is about a group of nuns who start a shelter for women who are victims of domestic violence. We get a look into the lives of the residents as well as the nuns who run the house. Much of the story is told by Sister Evelyn who has been a nun for over 50 years. She is a strong and compassionate woman who wants to protect everyone - the residents, her neighbors and her friends. She is feisty and will stand up to anyone - muggers, drug dealers or anyone who tries to take adva ...more

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Nov 23, 2019 Sandy rated it liked it

I have conflicting feelings about this book. As a reader, I like most of the characters, though I feel some of them are a little unnecessarily extreme. I like the humorous situations thrown in with the serious business of running this much-needed home. It has a good storyline. However, as a lifelong Catholic, I find the fictionalizing of many of the controversies in the church hard to swallow, even though many controversies do exist, and many are swept under the rug. I'm sure things like this ha ...more

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Nov 27, 2019 Amanda Selvam rated it did not like it

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I was initially really excited to read this book after seeing the description. Once I got into the book, it was quickly evident that the author has an ax to grind with the Catholic Church and every negative cliche and stereotype within the Church was milked to its full extent. It is a somewhat heartwarming story wrapped in so many errors and gross misinterpretations of the Catholic Church and Religious Life. I was ...more

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Dec 13, 2019 Donna Hines rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: arc, netgalley

Dealing with abused & abandoned women and the mercy of faith...WOW!
A Catholic community based program known as Mercy House is being spearheaded by some amazing women and sisters who share a strong desire to help others in need.
That's until they get word that the Bishop wants to investigate their desires to help women; forbidden by the church.
Sister Evelyn is one tough cookie and stops at nothing to save the house and the women they are attempting to save.
It's a story of grace, of dignity, of cou ...more

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Jan 24, 2020 mindful.librarian ☀️ marked it as did-not-finish

Shelves: advanced-reader-copies, adult-reads, audiobooks

DNF the audiobook (free review copy from Libro.fm) at approximately 20% due to multiple graphic depictions of rape and sexual assault. I am not faulting the book or author for this but I have learned that I can’t listen to this content and can disassociate more easily when I experience it via text. I may try this book on paper when it releases.

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Oct 17, 2020 Schizanthus Nerd rated it really liked it

Shelves: kindle-food, content-warnings

“Two eighty-four Chauncey Street. It’s the one with the angel doorknocker. Arrive any time. Day or night. You can be safe.”

Sisters Evelyn, Josephine and Maria have run Mercy House for twenty five years, providing a safe place for women who are escaping violence. Although they are undoubtably effective in their mission, they don’t always play by the strict rules of the Catholic Church.

“It’s what we’ve feared,” Josephine said. “It’s him.”

Bishop Hawkins is coming to visit Mercy House. His vi ...more

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Feb 23, 2020 Susan added it

DNF at approximately 30%. No Rating.

This was too political for me. Although I was intrigued, this book was too much about the Catholic Church and had an obvious message.

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Feb 12, 2020 JP rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

4.5⭐️
I thought this was very good. 🎤

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Feb 23, 2020 Denise rated it really liked it · review of another edition

"Mercy House was a safe haven for victims of domestic violence, founded and operated by Sister Evelyn, Sister Josephine, and Sister Maria...Their row house in Brooklyn was almost always at capacity...Good for business, bad for humanity."

I am not sure what I was expecting when I selected this and started reading but I got so much more than anticipated. This was really a remarkable story about courage and resilience not only that of the women who came there to escape horrible situations, but also "Mercy House was a safe haven for victims of domestic violence, founded and operated by Sister Evelyn, Sister Josephine, and Sister Maria...Their row house in Brooklyn was almost always at capacity...Good for business, bad for humanity."

I am not sure what I was expecting when I selected this and started reading but I got so much more than anticipated. This was really a remarkable story about courage and resilience not only that of the women who came there to escape horrible situations, but also the Sisters of St. Joseph of Mercy who set up the safe house. These indomitable women faced incredible odds and the scrutiny of the Catholic Church whose efforts to destroy their mission almost ruined them all. The story has so many different characters whose backgrounds and experiences have shaped their lives and brought them to Mercy House right before the Vatican sends Bishop Robert Hawkins to scrutinize the activity of religious sisters -- hunting for deviations from doctrine. They call it the "nun-quisition, reproaching American nuns for their 'secular mentality' and 'feminist spirit."

Can Sister Evelyn and her cohort resist the efforts of the devious Bishop to close down Mercy House and get rid of her -- excommunicate her -- in the process? For Sister Evelyn has a secret that has shamed her for years and she may not be able to overcome years of indoctrination and self-hatred to reveal it. Because of Sister Evelyn's own inability to forgive the many transgressions committed against her, it comes as a surprise when she's offered both grace and mercy when everything finally falls apart. The details of convent life, the activities in Mercy House, the stories of the resident abused women who live there, and the atrocities committed by those in service to the Catholic Church will probably not surprise you, but will affect you. It was a very absorbing narrative that I found hard to put down and can't stop thinking about.

This novel is not just meant for Catholics, but it might affect reaction to it. That said, I am Catholic, went to Catholic schools for almost my entire education (including one year at a Catholic University), taught and worked in Catholic Schools for over 20 years -- you can say I've definitely been immersed -- and nothing in this book shocked me. I know there are those who wonder how someone can still claim to be Catholic despite all the horrible abuses that have come to light. I say that Catholicism is not based on those people but in the faith itself. There is incredible beauty and peace in many of the beliefs and rituals as well as in the community of the faithful DESPITE the sins of those who misuse their power and destroy souls. Is the church changing -- yes, definitely. I'll leave it for others to debate what those changes mean for the future and for the current members.

The writing was excellent and I look forward to reading other reviewers' thoughts and reactions. As Sister Evelyn learns, mercy has value to the person who bestows it and holding grudges destroys the spirit. Grace, undeserved love, is a gift to be treasured.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins Publishers for this e-book ARC to read, review and recommend. ...more

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Jan 30, 2020 Kristen Doyle rated it really liked it

As reviewed on www.dineanddish.net

This is one of those books that is not for everyone and is definitely controversial, but I found it to be a compelling and thought-provoking read. (As a Catholic myself, a warning if you are easily offended even by works of fiction, this is not the book for you). It's also a book where the audio narration absolutely added to the story.

Sister Evelyn has experienced repeated sexual abuse at the hands of a well-respected priest...yet she is forced to stay quiet. Sh ...more

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Jan 21, 2020 Basic B's Guide added it

Shelves: dnf

Dnf at 18%. This book took a very unfortunate turn that will only perpetuate stereotypes within the church. I’m disappointed as I had high hopes.

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Feb 15, 2020 Renee rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audible-amazing-listens, 2020-reading-challenge, historical

With Mercy House, Alena Dillon has crafted a poignant story that will touch many with an unforgettable feisty, flawed big-hearted character, Sister Evie, at the center of it all. It’s already predicted to be a book club top pick.

(Side note: Many of my Goodreads pals are fellow lovers of Christian, inspirational, and clean fiction. This is not that.)

There is much to applaud about a story that celebrates heroines in their late 60s. These ladies have spent their entire adult lives protecting the With Mercy House, Alena Dillon has crafted a poignant story that will touch many with an unforgettable feisty, flawed big-hearted character, Sister Evie, at the center of it all. It’s already predicted to be a book club top pick.

(Side note: Many of my Goodreads pals are fellow lovers of Christian, inspirational, and clean fiction. This is not that.)

There is much to applaud about a story that celebrates heroines in their late 60s. These ladies have spent their entire adult lives protecting the vulnerable, healing the broken, championing the despised. AND they still have a lot of life, joy, vitality, and spunk left in them! Brava to Ms. Dillon for portraying the kind of real people who create a safe haven for others & make a real difference in this world.

Also, I appreciate the focus on a faith that is lived out in action & the spotlight turned on the victims of violence and how our I-don’t-want-to-get-involved culture turns a blind eye instead of putting a stop to the cycle.

However, what’s always difficult for me to understand is how folks can uplift the vulnerable in one sphere to the exception of all others. So it’s tough for me to agree that when a girl becomes pregnant through violence or abuse, her only two choices are killing the child or living weighed down by the burdens of poverty and single motherhood.

Why can’t adoption figure into those choices?

Some of my most talented, vibrant students were brought into this world in similar circumstances, adopted out, and raised to become strong, compassionate, beautiful young women. They love life! They fight for life! They raise their voices to say ‘We are here!’

They would not have wanted to be denied their lives because of the wrongs and weaknesses of their biological parents.

So if I were in a book club that had read this book, those would be some of the thoughts I would share :)

Some big names have endorsed this title, so I wouldn’t be surprised to eventually see it in movie form. (Kathy Bates as Sister Evie?) Congrats, Ms. Dillon!

(Trigger warning for descriptions of rape & abuse. Strong, crude language & sexual references.)

...more

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Jan 17, 2020 Jen rated it it was amazing

The house on Chauncey Street with the angel knocker is a safe haven for abused women. Here at Mercy House, the women are nursed back to life by nuns. Sister Evelyn leads the pack, but she’s got secrets of her own. ⁣
⁣
This book is incredibly controversial and I absolutely cannot wait for everyone to read it so we can discuss! This is going to be a fantastic book club choice because there’s SO much to pick apart. People are going to fall into two camps- they are going to love it or they are going t ...more

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Jan 19, 2020 Zoë ☆ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2020-releases, 2020-audiobooks, 2020-reads, audiobook, historical

This was such an interesting read about badass nuns! Unlike anything I’ve picked up before, but definitely worth the read 🙌🏻

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Feb 10, 2020 Lisa rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: audio

best of amazon 02/2020 and Newburyport Book Festival 2020

It rare that we get a book set in a convent in modern day literature. This convent, also known as Mercy House, is in Brooklyn and run by a small number of older nuns. They take in girls, usually young who are in need of care and hiding from the abuse of men in their lives. The characters, both the nuns and the residents are fantastic and the dialog is heartfelt and funny. Then along comes the Bishop who has a previous connection with Siste ...more

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About Alena Dillon

Alena Dillon

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Alena Dillon is the author of Mercy House and The Happiest Girl in the World, forthcoming from William Morrow April 2021. Alena lives with her family on the north shore of Boston.