Story does not prove that its real but the House of Mercy really existed in 1910 and it was from the outside or for the outside world a safe haven for the girls with no place to live. Originally however it was something a lot bigger and worse than the expectations of a common man. Luella and Effie belonged to a rich family and from their birth they were blessed with all the facilities a girl can dream of.
But they thought that they were never given enough freedom to enjoy what they already had in their possession. There were some boundaries out of which they could never go and thus they wanted a way out. Luckily Luella finds a way out of all this trouble as she happens to find a corruption linked to her father.
Having the weak point in her hands she was able to do anything without the permission of her father and then she vanished into thin air. No one knew what happened to her but Effie was sure that it was the doing of their father. Perhaps he has sent her to the House of Mercy so that the secret could be buried there forever.
Serena Burdick at this point fills the blank space in her novel with Mable who appears out of nowhere and links herself to Effie. Together the two go on a heart touching journey which brings them closer and they feel that they were like two lost sisters who have come together after a long time. House of Salt and Sorrows and Daughter of Shades do have some resemblance with this book but sentiments are really killing in this one. Narrated by Emily Lawrence, Amy McFadden and Nancy Peterson the novel depicts the courage of young girls in the time of need.
