"Inside a century-old row house in Brooklyn, renegade Sister Evelyn and her fellow nuns preside over a safe haven for the abused and abandoned. Gruff and indomitable on the surface, warm and wry underneath, little daunts Evelyn, until she receives word that Mercy House will be investigated by Bishop Hawkins, a man with whom she shares a dark history. In order to protect everything they've built, the nuns must conceal many of their methods, which are forbidden by the Catholic Church. Amidst her fight, Evelyn discovers the extraordinary power of mercy and the grace it grants, not just to those who receive it, but to those strong enough to bestow it." -- Back cover.

"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 safe haven for the abused and abandoned. Women like Lucia, who arrives in the dead of night; Mei-Li, the Chinese and Russian house veteran; Desiree, a loud and proud prostitute; Esther, a Haitian immigrant and aspiring collegiate; and Katrina, knitter of lumpy scarves... all of them know what it's like to be broken by men. Little daunts Evelyn, until she receives word that Bishop Robert Hawkins is coming to investigate Mercy House and the nuns, whose secret efforts to help the women in ways forbidden by the Church may be uncovered. But Evelyn has secrets too, dark enough to threaten everything she has built. Evelyn will do anything to protect Mercy House and the vibrant, diverse women it serves - confront gang members, challenge her be

Mercy House is a safe haven for women that have been broken by men. Evelyn presides over the house and secretly protects the women in ways that are forbidden by the church. One day, she receives word that Bishop Robert Hawkins is coming to investigate Mercy House and Evelyn will do everything in her power to protect the women in her house, as well as the dark secrets of her past.