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The Other Side of the Fence
The Other Side of the Fence is a powerful, emotional journey illuminating the suffering caused by leprosy. This story begins and ends in Carville, Louisiana where in 1894, the town was transformed from an abandoned Plantation into a refuge for lepers. Children were forcibly isolated from their families and put under strict quarantine inside the confines of a twelve foot barbed wire fence. Once inside, they were stripped of their rights, their dignity, and often even their identity. Eighteen year old Frances was smack in the middle of the debutante ball season in Baton Rouge, when pale patches of skin were discovered on her arm during a dress fitting. Diagnosed with leprosy, she was seen as a blight on her family and was sent away at once. Restless and overwhelmed by her family’s abandonment, she set out on a journey through the confines of the plantation that led her to the bend in the Mississippi River. Here she discovers a hole dug under the fence; this is her chance to escape and reclaim her life, or start a new one. When Jenny, a spirited ten year old girl, and her four year old brother, Danny test positive for leprosy they also become reluctant residents of Carville. They are met with the open and compassionate arms of the Sisters of Charity who do their best to help them live normal lives among the suffering. This sweeping historical novel gracefully details the depth, strength, and stamina of the human spirit during extreme times. When lives unfold and intertwine, Faith and Jenny find one another. Together, they develop a deep affinity and unlock the key to surviving by opening their hearts and letting love in once again. This is a love story about the deep bonds of friendship, the effects of love, and the ability to overcome and thrive.
228 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 4, 2015
37 people are currently reading
167 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 20, 2022
I was emotionally drawn to the story - especially after reading “the second life of mirielle west”. Both books outline life at carville leprosy hospital. This was a good second read bc I already knew some things about it - but it’s not as deep or intriguing. Was a fast read from a different perspective - I’d recommend reading both books in this order.
July 17, 2015
Lots of promise, partial delivery
If this book was intended to be a novel for adults, it didn't have enough details. The characters were pretty shallow, and there wasn't enough details of the medical treatment or of their feelings.
While I didn't find as many mistakes in grammar and spelling, I didn't find several run on sentences and comma splices. Too bad the author didn't have better beta readers who could find these.
Overall it was a decent book, but I wouldn't recommend it for adults. I think it would be better for young to mid teens.
If this book was intended to be a novel for adults, it didn't have enough details. The characters were pretty shallow, and there wasn't enough details of the medical treatment or of their feelings.
While I didn't find as many mistakes in grammar and spelling, I didn't find several run on sentences and comma splices. Too bad the author didn't have better beta readers who could find these.
Overall it was a decent book, but I wouldn't recommend it for adults. I think it would be better for young to mid teens.
September 13, 2022
A short story about the leper colony at Carville, Louisiana in 1935. The story focuses on Frances, or rather Faith, the name she uses at Carville. Frances is a young debutante and discovered to have leprosy after battling a skin blemishes. She is dumped at Carville and her family wants nothing to do with her. Fairh becomes friends in a big sister way to Jenny. Jenny is about 10 and has wounds that have no sensation which clued in her family that she had leprosy. Jenny is taken from her family to Carville. Jenny and Faith become their own family.
I knew Carville existed but I really didn’t know much about it. Although this story is fiction it’s heartwarming and probably mirrors actual experiences by those lived there.
I knew Carville existed but I really didn’t know much about it. Although this story is fiction it’s heartwarming and probably mirrors actual experiences by those lived there.
October 16, 2023
Not an easy read due to the main theme, but the author made up for it through great storytelling.
I found the style refreshing and deceptively simple yet elegant in its conciseness.
I found the style refreshing and deceptively simple yet elegant in its conciseness.
August 1, 2017
I read The Other Side of the Fence by Julie Dewey as a Kindle book since I could not obtain it through the library. Although it is a fiction novel, it is based on historical facts and contains accurate information about the disease of leprosy and its treatment. A leprosarium did exist in Carville, Louisiana and it had different names over the years until it was closed in 1996. At that time it was turned into a museum.
This novel which begins in 1935 focuses on 2 girls who are sent to the leprosarium after they are discovered to have leprosy. Although they are treated with compassion at the facility, they are basically imprisoned there and cannot leave. Faith and Jenny develop a close friendship which sustains them though their years at the leprosarium complex. Faith came from an upper class family and that family considered her a disgrace and had nothing to do with her after they dropped her off at the facility. Jenny's family tried to avoid having her sent to the leprosarium but the police came and took her after her little sister reported Jenny's skin problem at school. Jenny's mother did come to visit but had to remain outside the barbed wire fence to talk to Jenny. To add the sorrow of Jenny's family, her little brother Danny who was a toddler was also sent there.
This novel depicts so vividly what life was like for someone with leprosy in the United States at that time---the isolation, the social stigma, and the physical sufferings.
This novel which begins in 1935 focuses on 2 girls who are sent to the leprosarium after they are discovered to have leprosy. Although they are treated with compassion at the facility, they are basically imprisoned there and cannot leave. Faith and Jenny develop a close friendship which sustains them though their years at the leprosarium complex. Faith came from an upper class family and that family considered her a disgrace and had nothing to do with her after they dropped her off at the facility. Jenny's family tried to avoid having her sent to the leprosarium but the police came and took her after her little sister reported Jenny's skin problem at school. Jenny's mother did come to visit but had to remain outside the barbed wire fence to talk to Jenny. To add the sorrow of Jenny's family, her little brother Danny who was a toddler was also sent there.
This novel depicts so vividly what life was like for someone with leprosy in the United States at that time---the isolation, the social stigma, and the physical sufferings.
January 10, 2020
The Other Side of the Fence — Julie Dewey Jan. 15-17, 2019
This was truly the book I should have started my 2019 reading list with. Best book of the year (so far!) Really loved this book from the very first sentence that hooked me in to the very last sentence.
The characters in this story weave a tapestry that cannot be broken. Each has their own contribution and even the "bad" characters help the main protagonist move along in the story.
I really took my time reading this book. I almost felt like I was dragging my heals. I didn't want it to end, but when it did it made all the sense.
It's been a while since I read this book, as I have gotten nearly three months behind in book reviews, but this plot (although I can't recall the characters names,) still resonates with me. Always a very strong indication of a well written book! I am going to follow this author.
The title made me think this was going to a futurist story, and even though it wasn't it really could have been. And even though there were literally fences in this book, there are virtual fences going on too.
As I am writing this review, more of the story is coming back to me. It was bittersweet, but not as melancholy as I thought it would be. More uplifting and definitely satisfying at the end. Yes, I got misty a few times, but this is really an uplifting book. A never let them get you down, you're here for a purpose kind of plot. Loved it!
Five stars.
This was truly the book I should have started my 2019 reading list with. Best book of the year (so far!) Really loved this book from the very first sentence that hooked me in to the very last sentence.
The characters in this story weave a tapestry that cannot be broken. Each has their own contribution and even the "bad" characters help the main protagonist move along in the story.
I really took my time reading this book. I almost felt like I was dragging my heals. I didn't want it to end, but when it did it made all the sense.
It's been a while since I read this book, as I have gotten nearly three months behind in book reviews, but this plot (although I can't recall the characters names,) still resonates with me. Always a very strong indication of a well written book! I am going to follow this author.
The title made me think this was going to a futurist story, and even though it wasn't it really could have been. And even though there were literally fences in this book, there are virtual fences going on too.
As I am writing this review, more of the story is coming back to me. It was bittersweet, but not as melancholy as I thought it would be. More uplifting and definitely satisfying at the end. Yes, I got misty a few times, but this is really an uplifting book. A never let them get you down, you're here for a purpose kind of plot. Loved it!
Five stars.
May 21, 2015
This author seems to tackle parts of history that are not widely exposed. I read a book by her about the Orphan trains, which was something I must say I had not heard about.
The story takes place mainly in Carville, Louisiana where in 1894, the town was transformed from an abandoned Plantation into a refuge for lepers, This book deals with the stigma and suffering caused by leprosy, but also the hopes and friendships that are created while living in this isolated environment.
The main characters story begins in 1935 , in Baton Rouge, at age 18 as she is going through the débutante Ball season, she had had a rash for six months and was treating it herself, but when she is finally taken to a Dr. thinking it is eczema, she is told that she has leprosy, and from there her life changes completely.
A story of friendships and sacrifices and what it means to be a survivor and not a victim.
The story takes place mainly in Carville, Louisiana where in 1894, the town was transformed from an abandoned Plantation into a refuge for lepers, This book deals with the stigma and suffering caused by leprosy, but also the hopes and friendships that are created while living in this isolated environment.
The main characters story begins in 1935 , in Baton Rouge, at age 18 as she is going through the débutante Ball season, she had had a rash for six months and was treating it herself, but when she is finally taken to a Dr. thinking it is eczema, she is told that she has leprosy, and from there her life changes completely.
A story of friendships and sacrifices and what it means to be a survivor and not a victim.
January 31, 2017
Informative historical novel dealing with a leprosy treatment facility from before WW2 to the 1980's
This was an easy read about a subject I had previously known little about. The writing was simple but quite entertaining. I particularly appreciated the character development and the interactions among those who lived, as well as worked there. This book will open your eyes and heart to the lives of unfortunate people in a treatment facility that forcibly confined lepers before effective drugs were invented to control the disease. An enjoyable read that can teach you many things.
This was an easy read about a subject I had previously known little about. The writing was simple but quite entertaining. I particularly appreciated the character development and the interactions among those who lived, as well as worked there. This book will open your eyes and heart to the lives of unfortunate people in a treatment facility that forcibly confined lepers before effective drugs were invented to control the disease. An enjoyable read that can teach you many things.
February 27, 2018
This is a very good read about the stigma of leprosy in the past. Short read but quite enlightening and touching.
May 9, 2019
Interesting, fictional account of living in Carville, but somewhat flawed
This is an interesting account of living with Hanson's Disease (leporsy) and being imprisoned at the Carville, Louisiana facility. There are a number of fairly egregious anachronisms and misspellings which interfere with the smooth flow of the story, but the plot was so interesting that I was able to overlook most of them. It is told totally from the viewpoint of two women. It would have been interesting to have a male point of view. The story encompasses the time of the Great Depression, World War II, and the early fifties. The impact of these time periods are almost unmarked in the narrative. I would have been very interested in knowing how these monumental world events affected the daily lives of the Carville inmates. In sum, this is an interesting addition to the literature of public health, but be warned that in many ways it lacks depth and veracity.
This is an interesting account of living with Hanson's Disease (leporsy) and being imprisoned at the Carville, Louisiana facility. There are a number of fairly egregious anachronisms and misspellings which interfere with the smooth flow of the story, but the plot was so interesting that I was able to overlook most of them. It is told totally from the viewpoint of two women. It would have been interesting to have a male point of view. The story encompasses the time of the Great Depression, World War II, and the early fifties. The impact of these time periods are almost unmarked in the narrative. I would have been very interested in knowing how these monumental world events affected the daily lives of the Carville inmates. In sum, this is an interesting addition to the literature of public health, but be warned that in many ways it lacks depth and veracity.
February 7, 2019
What a sad story! I had no idea this went on in America in such recent time! How awful!
January 10, 2023
This book was excellent. Honestly, I read it months before I read The Second Life Of Mirielle West, and I thought this book was much better. If you enjoyed Mirielle's story, give this one a try.
November 16, 2015
Who would have thought a book written about several characters suffering leprosy would have such an effect. It was heartbreaking how people especially children, were treated once diagnosed with leprosy. Shoved away from society and shunned, ultimately imprisoned. This story though shows that love conquers all!
September 4, 2015
Story about Carville, La and the suffering of the inmates. Brief descriptions of the treatments (some gruesome) and physical suffering. Goes into the psychological suffering of the patients in more detail. The book seemed rather shallow. Not enough about the staff and politics of Hansen's disease in the 30's.
June 24, 2015
Disease
Frightening and enlightened. Account of living with leprosy,forced into institution,shame and misunderstanding suffered by those struck with illness,even young kids banished by families.Wellwritten easy read
Frightening and enlightened. Account of living with leprosy,forced into institution,shame and misunderstanding suffered by those struck with illness,even young kids banished by families.Wellwritten easy read
July 13, 2015
Great work of "faction"
This book is an intriguing story about leprosy and how the unfortunate victims of the disease were treated by society, including their own families. Faction is what I call works of fiction with a lot of facts included.
This book is an intriguing story about leprosy and how the unfortunate victims of the disease were treated by society, including their own families. Faction is what I call works of fiction with a lot of facts included.
May 15, 2015
I could not put this book down ....really great read . Loved the story , the characters and the writing style .
July 17, 2015
Wonderful story
Very good book about how people used to be treated who had leprosy. What a shame how these people were shunned by their own families.
Very good book about how people used to be treated who had leprosy. What a shame how these people were shunned by their own families.
May 20, 2016
Potentially interesting idea but a lack of real character development and a weak plot made it pretty lame.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews