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The Light of Luna Park
In the spirit of The Orphan Train and Before We Were Yours, a historical debut about a nurse who chooses to save a baby’s life, and risks her own in the process, exploring the ties of motherhood and the little-known history of Coney Island and America’s first incubators.
A nurse’s choice. A daughter’s search for answers.
New York City, 1926. Nurse Althea Anderson’s heart is near breaking when she witnesses another premature baby die at Bellevue Hospital. So when she reads an article detailing the amazing survival rates of babies treated in incubators in an exhibit at Luna Park, Coney Island, it feels like the miracle she has been searching for. But the doctors at Bellevue dismiss Althea and this unconventional medicine, forcing her to make a choice between a baby’s life and the doctors’ wishes that will change everything.
Twenty-five years later, Stella Wright is falling apart. Her mother has just passed, she quit a job she loves, and her marriage is struggling. Then she discovers a letter that brings into question everything she knew about her mother, and everything she knows about herself.
The Light of Luna Park is a tale of courage and an ode to the sacrificial love of mothers.
A nurse’s choice. A daughter’s search for answers.
New York City, 1926. Nurse Althea Anderson’s heart is near breaking when she witnesses another premature baby die at Bellevue Hospital. So when she reads an article detailing the amazing survival rates of babies treated in incubators in an exhibit at Luna Park, Coney Island, it feels like the miracle she has been searching for. But the doctors at Bellevue dismiss Althea and this unconventional medicine, forcing her to make a choice between a baby’s life and the doctors’ wishes that will change everything.
Twenty-five years later, Stella Wright is falling apart. Her mother has just passed, she quit a job she loves, and her marriage is struggling. Then she discovers a letter that brings into question everything she knew about her mother, and everything she knows about herself.
The Light of Luna Park is a tale of courage and an ode to the sacrificial love of mothers.
336 pages, Paperback
First published August 10, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 533 reviews
November 8, 2021
Medical miracles and a sideshow at Coney Island were the last two things I would have thought about together. How thousands of premature infants were saved in incubators, a piece of history I knew absolutely nothing about is told here .
A young nurse in 1926 and a teacher in 1950, two women wanting to save children, infants in one case, children with special needs in the other . Hampered by the place of women in society at the times , but yet these women move forward with shared strength , courage connected by love. A fascinating and moving novel.
I found some background here:
https://www.history.com/.amp/news/bab...
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/c...
I received a copy of this book from G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley.
November 23, 2021
"What's sacrifice mean?"
"Love," she said. "Sacrifice means love."
When you are invested in something beyond your own realm, you enter into a higher plane of giving. The scope of your actions move to the beat of someone else's heart. Nurse Althea Anderson finds that nursing entails exactly that. To immediately forecast the needs of those under your care even if it means defying those who hold the reigns in life.
It's 1926 in New York City and Althea is about to culminate her training as a nurse in the Obstetrics unit of Bellevue Hospital. She's frustrated by the loss of another premature baby born too soon. But she's heard of the remarkable work of a doctor treating these early births in special incubators with a high survival rate. But there's a catch. The doctor in question displays the babies at Coney Island as an exhibit. Bellevue Hospital is adamant that such dealings will never happen. But Althea has other plans for a particular premature baby in her care. Even if such care will be built on a house of lies.
Addison Armstrong presents two parallel stories reflecting two women in search of their truth. We will be engaged with Althea's story in 1926 and then to Stella's story in 1950. Stella is a newly married woman whose husband, Jack, suffers from nightmares since returning from the war. She's also a young teacher in charge of children with special needs in an era where their needs are not so special according to her unbending principal. We feel Stella's frustration as she tries to make inroads in their education. And in addition, Stella is suffering from the recent loss of her mother.
Stella will return to pack up her mother's apartment after her death. As she shifts through items and papers, Stella finds that her mother was leading a questionable life. Perhaps Stella never really knew her at all.
The Light of Luna Park is based on true events in regard to the work of Dr. Martin Couney who saved multitudes of premature babies during this time. Others scoffed at his groundbreaking work which had originally been developed in France. The medical community felt that the care of these premies was far too expensive. So Dr. Couney chose to display his incubators at Coney Island for a fee. Saving such tiny little ones is even viewed miraculously today.
Addison Armstrong has done her medical research here. But even more so, she has developed highly faceted characters who defy the expected roles for them in society during these eras. The Light of Luna Park gives us insights into the strength of human character and the willful determination of those who buck the system for a far greater good. And we live in the reality that the strongest links in medical advancements are those individuals never named and never recognized. But we are the beneficiaries of their dedication and stalwart hearts.....
"Love," she said. "Sacrifice means love."
When you are invested in something beyond your own realm, you enter into a higher plane of giving. The scope of your actions move to the beat of someone else's heart. Nurse Althea Anderson finds that nursing entails exactly that. To immediately forecast the needs of those under your care even if it means defying those who hold the reigns in life.
It's 1926 in New York City and Althea is about to culminate her training as a nurse in the Obstetrics unit of Bellevue Hospital. She's frustrated by the loss of another premature baby born too soon. But she's heard of the remarkable work of a doctor treating these early births in special incubators with a high survival rate. But there's a catch. The doctor in question displays the babies at Coney Island as an exhibit. Bellevue Hospital is adamant that such dealings will never happen. But Althea has other plans for a particular premature baby in her care. Even if such care will be built on a house of lies.
Addison Armstrong presents two parallel stories reflecting two women in search of their truth. We will be engaged with Althea's story in 1926 and then to Stella's story in 1950. Stella is a newly married woman whose husband, Jack, suffers from nightmares since returning from the war. She's also a young teacher in charge of children with special needs in an era where their needs are not so special according to her unbending principal. We feel Stella's frustration as she tries to make inroads in their education. And in addition, Stella is suffering from the recent loss of her mother.
Stella will return to pack up her mother's apartment after her death. As she shifts through items and papers, Stella finds that her mother was leading a questionable life. Perhaps Stella never really knew her at all.
The Light of Luna Park is based on true events in regard to the work of Dr. Martin Couney who saved multitudes of premature babies during this time. Others scoffed at his groundbreaking work which had originally been developed in France. The medical community felt that the care of these premies was far too expensive. So Dr. Couney chose to display his incubators at Coney Island for a fee. Saving such tiny little ones is even viewed miraculously today.
Addison Armstrong has done her medical research here. But even more so, she has developed highly faceted characters who defy the expected roles for them in society during these eras. The Light of Luna Park gives us insights into the strength of human character and the willful determination of those who buck the system for a far greater good. And we live in the reality that the strongest links in medical advancements are those individuals never named and never recognized. But we are the beneficiaries of their dedication and stalwart hearts.....
July 6, 2021
Althea Anderson is working as a nurse in the obstetrics ward at Bellevue Hospital in New York City, childbirth in 1926 can be perilous and babies born too soon didn’t survive. After witnessing a premature baby die, another heartbroken mother and Althea’s completely shattered. She reads an article about premature babies being treated in incubators at Luna Park on Coney Island, she finds it incredible and it gives her hope. Others don’t feel the same, it’s changing nature’s way, not a traditional medical practice, and Althea risks everything to save a baby girls life.
Stella Wright has just lost her mother in 1951, she’s really struggling to cope and feels depressed. Stella’s married to Jack, he served in WW II and is suffering from combat fatigue. Stella works as a special needs teacher in Dutchess County, the school principal is a horrible man, he has no compassion, she can no longer tolerate how her students are being treated and she quits her job. Before the contractors come in, Stella decides to finally check her mother’s apartment, locate her keepsake box and she discovers a letter. After reading it, Stella realizes she has no idea about her mother past, who was the woman that raised her and questions her own identity?
In her search for answers, Stella uncovers an incredible story about, ethics, choices, sacrifice, secrets, love, courage and her mother’s strength. Althea’s determination and dedication to caring for new mothers, babies and her total devotion to Stella. This inspires Stella, she needs to fight for the rights of the children in her special needs class, change society’s ideas and with Jack by her side.
The Light of Luna Park is a well written story, you feel a real connection to the characters, full of little known history and facts. I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review, a brilliant debut novel by Addison Armstrong and five stars from me.
https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
Stella Wright has just lost her mother in 1951, she’s really struggling to cope and feels depressed. Stella’s married to Jack, he served in WW II and is suffering from combat fatigue. Stella works as a special needs teacher in Dutchess County, the school principal is a horrible man, he has no compassion, she can no longer tolerate how her students are being treated and she quits her job. Before the contractors come in, Stella decides to finally check her mother’s apartment, locate her keepsake box and she discovers a letter. After reading it, Stella realizes she has no idea about her mother past, who was the woman that raised her and questions her own identity?
In her search for answers, Stella uncovers an incredible story about, ethics, choices, sacrifice, secrets, love, courage and her mother’s strength. Althea’s determination and dedication to caring for new mothers, babies and her total devotion to Stella. This inspires Stella, she needs to fight for the rights of the children in her special needs class, change society’s ideas and with Jack by her side.
The Light of Luna Park is a well written story, you feel a real connection to the characters, full of little known history and facts. I received a copy of this book from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review, a brilliant debut novel by Addison Armstrong and five stars from me.
https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
March 22, 2021
Publishing this novel is a dream come true for me! I hope you all love it as much as I do. Happy reading!
August 9, 2021
It’s 1926 and Althea Anderson is a nurse in training at New York City’s Bellevue Hospital working in the obstetrics ward. When she sees that the doctor in charge refuses to try and save premature infants, she is outraged. When Margaret Perkins is born three months early at two pounds, two ounces, Althea tells the parents that there is a doctor in Coney Island who is saving babies by using state-of-the-art incubators. Dr. Couney does not charge but makes money by placing his hospital on display in a sideshow within Luna Park, a popular amusement park. The father wants no part of this. Unable to allow Margaret to simply die, Althea brings the baby to Luna Park, putting her career in jeopardy. In 1950, Stella Wright, a young special education teacher, is fighting for resources for her neglected students as her school principal views them as uneducable. Stella is also grieving the loss of her mother. While cleaning out her mother’s home, she uncovers a shocking family secret which sets her on a journey of self-discovery. The strength of each of these women, whose stories come together, provides a highly engaging and moving tale.
This wonderful book has so much going for it. The main characters are complex, strong women. With some exceptions, the men are warm and supportive adding a nice element of romance. Author Addison Armstrong, in a highly impressive debut, has done an excellent job presenting the two periods of time reflecting the roles of women, the state of medicine, the spread of eugenics and the plight of returning veterans. The theme of love and sacrifice never gets old. Historical fiction fans will especially enjoy The Light of Luna Park.
Many thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons / Penguin Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this memorable book in advance of its August 10, 2021 publication.
Rated 4.5 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
This wonderful book has so much going for it. The main characters are complex, strong women. With some exceptions, the men are warm and supportive adding a nice element of romance. Author Addison Armstrong, in a highly impressive debut, has done an excellent job presenting the two periods of time reflecting the roles of women, the state of medicine, the spread of eugenics and the plight of returning veterans. The theme of love and sacrifice never gets old. Historical fiction fans will especially enjoy The Light of Luna Park.
Many thanks to G.P. Putnam's Sons / Penguin Group and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this memorable book in advance of its August 10, 2021 publication.
Rated 4.5 stars.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
August 29, 2021
The Light of Luna Park is a gorgeous, deeply rendered, emotional novel recommended for book clubs, historical fiction lovers, and those who just appreciate a layered story they can soak down into.
Althea is an early 20th century nurse discouraged by losing a newly delivered, preemie baby, which leads her to do the unthinkable. Stella is mid century school teacher who longs to give her special needs students the best education she possibly can. Told through a dual timeline, we learn the many ways Althea’s and Stella’s stories are connected, through a thrilling mystery, and the fascinating world of the Coney Island incubator babies.
One of the best novels I’ve read since Jamie Ford’s Love and Other Consolation Prizes, and one sure to tear, and heal, your heart.
Special bonus: Don’t miss the excellent Discussion Guide at the back of the book, with an interview with debut (!) author Addison Armstrong, her thoughts on the book, and some ready made topics for your next book club.
Get your copy today at https://bookshop.org/a/13638/97805933... - the online bookshop that gives 75% of the book’s profit margin back to independent bookstores.
A big thank you Addison Armstrong, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, and NetGalley for providing and Advance Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.
#AddisonArmstrong
#GPPutnamsSons
#NetGalley
#BookShop
#HistoricalFiction
#BookClubs
Althea is an early 20th century nurse discouraged by losing a newly delivered, preemie baby, which leads her to do the unthinkable. Stella is mid century school teacher who longs to give her special needs students the best education she possibly can. Told through a dual timeline, we learn the many ways Althea’s and Stella’s stories are connected, through a thrilling mystery, and the fascinating world of the Coney Island incubator babies.
One of the best novels I’ve read since Jamie Ford’s Love and Other Consolation Prizes, and one sure to tear, and heal, your heart.
Special bonus: Don’t miss the excellent Discussion Guide at the back of the book, with an interview with debut (!) author Addison Armstrong, her thoughts on the book, and some ready made topics for your next book club.
Get your copy today at https://bookshop.org/a/13638/97805933... - the online bookshop that gives 75% of the book’s profit margin back to independent bookstores.
A big thank you Addison Armstrong, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, and NetGalley for providing and Advance Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.
#AddisonArmstrong
#GPPutnamsSons
#NetGalley
#BookShop
#HistoricalFiction
#BookClubs
January 13, 2022
‘𝗢𝗵 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮 𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗲𝗯 𝘄𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗲/𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗲,’ By Sir Walter Scott.
Stunning.
Absolutely stunning.
Halfway through as things were coming to light I just couldn’t help but keep asking myself “what would I have done?”
When you are confronted with a moral issue yet an emotive one, you’re heart says one thing, you’re morals say another and you’re common sense doesn’t always take over.
Who should right a wrong? And how much is down to you?
Remembering that this is not set in our era. They didn’t have the “help” we take for granted now.
Am I not telling you much?
That’s right! Because I’d love for you to experience this book for yourself and take special heed to the authors notes at the end (NO NOT READ THEM FIRST) it may spoil the story and reveal…..or part of it!
I was enthralled throughout listening to this audio book so much so I’ve ordered the physical edition to keep on my shelf!
I see this author has other books, and I intend to work my way through them soon.
Stunning.
Absolutely stunning.
Halfway through as things were coming to light I just couldn’t help but keep asking myself “what would I have done?”
When you are confronted with a moral issue yet an emotive one, you’re heart says one thing, you’re morals say another and you’re common sense doesn’t always take over.
Who should right a wrong? And how much is down to you?
Remembering that this is not set in our era. They didn’t have the “help” we take for granted now.
Am I not telling you much?
That’s right! Because I’d love for you to experience this book for yourself and take special heed to the authors notes at the end (NO NOT READ THEM FIRST) it may spoil the story and reveal…..or part of it!
I was enthralled throughout listening to this audio book so much so I’ve ordered the physical edition to keep on my shelf!
I see this author has other books, and I intend to work my way through them soon.
June 2, 2024
The Light of Luna Park by Addison Armstrong is an amazing debut novel. It explores motherhood, medical ethics, and personal boundaries. Taking place in NYC with dual timelines in 1926, with Althea Anderson, a nurse and in 1950, Stella Wright whose mom died and she finds mysteries of her past. This novel includes strong female characters. The author proves strong research into women’s roles in both timelines.
July 14, 2021
Deserving of Life
What a beautiful story of courage, Love and sacrifice in 1929 America. It is the story of a nurse named Althea and her fight for the lives of premature babies. The historical story of the first incubators for premature babies and how they came to be. How Althea saved the life of one such baby sacrificing her career and the love of her life for this child.
It was a very interesting story of this period in American history. I have never heard this story before. How no hospital had an incubator in America at that time. The Doctors deemed the babies undesirables and they were left to perish. Babies born at home were often kept warm in hat boxes with hot water bottles or other mean of keeping them warm but they didn't often survive. The Doctor and nurses at Luna Park learned to feed and care for those small babies that were too weak to eat and needed the incubator to survive.
The book is a dual story line and twenty five years later her daughter Stella , struggling in her marriage , goes to clean out her mother's apartment after her death. She finds information that will change how she thinks about herself forever and the true story of her birth and parentage.
This book was well written and it is captivating to the point you will want to keep reading until it is finished. You will cheer for the baby Stella and you will weep tears for Althea's sacrifice. I would recommend this book.
Thanks to Addison Armstrong, Penguin Group Putnam, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy for my honest review.
What a beautiful story of courage, Love and sacrifice in 1929 America. It is the story of a nurse named Althea and her fight for the lives of premature babies. The historical story of the first incubators for premature babies and how they came to be. How Althea saved the life of one such baby sacrificing her career and the love of her life for this child.
It was a very interesting story of this period in American history. I have never heard this story before. How no hospital had an incubator in America at that time. The Doctors deemed the babies undesirables and they were left to perish. Babies born at home were often kept warm in hat boxes with hot water bottles or other mean of keeping them warm but they didn't often survive. The Doctor and nurses at Luna Park learned to feed and care for those small babies that were too weak to eat and needed the incubator to survive.
The book is a dual story line and twenty five years later her daughter Stella , struggling in her marriage , goes to clean out her mother's apartment after her death. She finds information that will change how she thinks about herself forever and the true story of her birth and parentage.
This book was well written and it is captivating to the point you will want to keep reading until it is finished. You will cheer for the baby Stella and you will weep tears for Althea's sacrifice. I would recommend this book.
Thanks to Addison Armstrong, Penguin Group Putnam, and NetGalley for allowing me to read a complimentary copy for my honest review.
December 20, 2020
I really enjoyed this historical fiction book that was alternately narrated by the two main characters, a dedicated nurse in the 1920’s and a dedicated exceptional education teacher in the 1950’s. It was interesting and fun to see how the characters related as the story unfolded. The story was well-written and well-paced. Of special interest to me was reading about the medical treatment received by premature babies on Coney Island in the early 1900’s, a main theme of this story, as my children were born as early as those referenced in this book. I am thankful that the author chose to write about this topic in a well-researched manner, and surprised that this was a debut novel for Addison Armstrong...I would be interested in reading more of her books in the future! 9/10.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you very much to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
March 19, 2022
THE LIGHT OF LUNA PARK
BY ADDISON ARMSTRONG
This was a delightfully warm debut novel with the big heartening love and sacrifices above all else a mother has for her child. A love so strong that it puts that child first above all other loves and passions. It is 1926 at Bellevue hospital where Althea is a nurse in training that wants nothing more than to work as a nurse helping to deliver babies. After witnessing one baby die because it was born too prematurely when she witnesses it the second time she does something so daring that if found out she could risk everything.
Stella in the 1950's feels strongly that special needs children should not be denied an education. Her and her students are relegated a basement room and Stella has put in a list of inventory to the school principal to be delivered on a Tuesday. When Stella receives the inventory for her students it's shocking and cruel what she discovers in the boxes ordered by the principal.
At Coney Island in the Lunar Park exhibit Dr. Couney has infants in incubators for exhibit. Stella mentions to the Doctor the incubators during a birth of a baby girl born early who weighs only 2 1/2 pounds and the doctor scoffs at the idea.
I wanted to see if the incubator's at Luna Park were really in existence there at Coney Island before they were in United States hospitals and indeed it seems they were as crazy as it seems in the 1920's.
Dr. Couney really was trained in obstetrics and neonatal care born in the 1800's. Here is an article that I found legitimizing his part in the historical aspect of this wonderful debut novel :
https://columbiasurgery.org/news/2015...
The convergence of Althea and Stella's story emerge when she quits her job teaching her special needs children and goes home to her mother's apartment in New York City. She has gone back to pack up some of her mother's things and starts with a treasure chest of memories that was special to her mother. I loved how strong the mother and daughter's love was. That element really made this book sparkle for me. I quickly devoured this in an afternoon. It was an unexpected surprise how much I loved this. I really also loved Stella's relationship with her husband also. I would have liked to learn more about the incubators but that wasn't the arc of the story so I understand. The arc was learning all that Althea gave up for the love of her daughter.
Publication Date: August 10, 2021
Thank you to Net Galley, Addison Armstrong and Penguin Group Putnam-G.P. Putnam's for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
##TheLightofLunaPark #AddisonArmstrong #PenguinGroupPutnamGPPutnams #NetGalley
BY ADDISON ARMSTRONG
This was a delightfully warm debut novel with the big heartening love and sacrifices above all else a mother has for her child. A love so strong that it puts that child first above all other loves and passions. It is 1926 at Bellevue hospital where Althea is a nurse in training that wants nothing more than to work as a nurse helping to deliver babies. After witnessing one baby die because it was born too prematurely when she witnesses it the second time she does something so daring that if found out she could risk everything.
Stella in the 1950's feels strongly that special needs children should not be denied an education. Her and her students are relegated a basement room and Stella has put in a list of inventory to the school principal to be delivered on a Tuesday. When Stella receives the inventory for her students it's shocking and cruel what she discovers in the boxes ordered by the principal.
At Coney Island in the Lunar Park exhibit Dr. Couney has infants in incubators for exhibit. Stella mentions to the Doctor the incubators during a birth of a baby girl born early who weighs only 2 1/2 pounds and the doctor scoffs at the idea.
I wanted to see if the incubator's at Luna Park were really in existence there at Coney Island before they were in United States hospitals and indeed it seems they were as crazy as it seems in the 1920's.
Dr. Couney really was trained in obstetrics and neonatal care born in the 1800's. Here is an article that I found legitimizing his part in the historical aspect of this wonderful debut novel :
https://columbiasurgery.org/news/2015...
The convergence of Althea and Stella's story emerge when she quits her job teaching her special needs children and goes home to her mother's apartment in New York City. She has gone back to pack up some of her mother's things and starts with a treasure chest of memories that was special to her mother. I loved how strong the mother and daughter's love was. That element really made this book sparkle for me. I quickly devoured this in an afternoon. It was an unexpected surprise how much I loved this. I really also loved Stella's relationship with her husband also. I would have liked to learn more about the incubators but that wasn't the arc of the story so I understand. The arc was learning all that Althea gave up for the love of her daughter.
Publication Date: August 10, 2021
Thank you to Net Galley, Addison Armstrong and Penguin Group Putnam-G.P. Putnam's for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.
##TheLightofLunaPark #AddisonArmstrong #PenguinGroupPutnamGPPutnams #NetGalley
December 13, 2020
The Light of Luna Park by Addison Armstrong is an excellent dual timeline historical fiction that really kept me engaged throughout. It presents a memorable and unique narrative that sheds more light on the presence of the incubators for premature/sick infants that was located on Coney Island in the 1920s.
I really enjoyed this book that was inspired by true historical details regarding the beginnings of incubators for infants at the earlier part of the 20th century. I really enjoyed reading both stories in regards to Althea Anderson, the nurse that risked her career and heart to help save a child that was not her own, and Stella Wright's story that takes place a quarter-century later. Dual timelines can either be a great story, or can be unbalanced, ill-fitting, and sometimes tedious. This story was one that I felt did it all justice. It brought to my mind several core concepts: sacrifice, love, loss, concept of maternity, selflessness, courage, and the definition of purpose and what constitutes a family.
As a healthcare practitioner, I really enjoyed reading Althea's story. To see how difficult the medical community could be on females in the profession. It was also interesting to see how current medical practices and NICU regiments have been developed and modified from this ancestor.
I really enjoyed this era and the author's ability to craft an all inclusive feel of the early decades of the 1900s. A very enjoyable and unique read that will stay with me for some time.
5/5 stars
Thank you EW and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 8/10/21.
I really enjoyed this book that was inspired by true historical details regarding the beginnings of incubators for infants at the earlier part of the 20th century. I really enjoyed reading both stories in regards to Althea Anderson, the nurse that risked her career and heart to help save a child that was not her own, and Stella Wright's story that takes place a quarter-century later. Dual timelines can either be a great story, or can be unbalanced, ill-fitting, and sometimes tedious. This story was one that I felt did it all justice. It brought to my mind several core concepts: sacrifice, love, loss, concept of maternity, selflessness, courage, and the definition of purpose and what constitutes a family.
As a healthcare practitioner, I really enjoyed reading Althea's story. To see how difficult the medical community could be on females in the profession. It was also interesting to see how current medical practices and NICU regiments have been developed and modified from this ancestor.
I really enjoyed this era and the author's ability to craft an all inclusive feel of the early decades of the 1900s. A very enjoyable and unique read that will stay with me for some time.
5/5 stars
Thank you EW and G.P. Putnam's Sons for this ARC and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 8/10/21.
May 30, 2021
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The dual setting: New York City, 1926. Nurse Althea Anderson witnesses another premature baby die at Bellevue Hospital. "... she reads an article detailing the amazing survival rates of babies treated in incubators in an exhibit at Luna Park, Coney Island, it feels like the miracle she has been searching for." The doctors at Bellevue disagree. She leaves--taking a huge risk by whisking one of the preemies to Luna Park. [Luna Park was real.] Althea lives by deception--caring for Margaret [the baby] and reinventing herself. A mother's love and her sacrifices are at the heart of this story.
Stella Wright, 25-years later. Married to Jack, a veteran suffering from PTSD. [She met him at Vassar; he attended on the GI Bill.] A special education teacher [though not called that] who loves her job. She asks her principal for supplies; he gives her straightjackets for her students who have with various disabilities. She too leaves. That situation, combined with her continued grieving for her recently passed mother sets her into a tailspin--and sets much of the story in motion. Stella, adrift in the mystery which gradually reveals itself to her in a letter she finds in mother's things . Who was her mother?
The parallels. Both women love their careers--which they abandon--not exactly by choice.
I am in the distinct minority of readers as I did not feel the love for this book. Indeed, I found it pedestrian at times. And melodramatic. And somewhat repetitive. And the "romantic parts" between Althea and Charlie--blech.
2.5 but rounding up for this debut novel which was a fast, though disappointing read.
The dual setting: New York City, 1926. Nurse Althea Anderson witnesses another premature baby die at Bellevue Hospital. "... she reads an article detailing the amazing survival rates of babies treated in incubators in an exhibit at Luna Park, Coney Island, it feels like the miracle she has been searching for." The doctors at Bellevue disagree. She leaves--taking a huge risk by whisking one of the preemies to Luna Park. [Luna Park was real.] Althea lives by deception--caring for Margaret [the baby] and reinventing herself. A mother's love and her sacrifices are at the heart of this story.
Stella Wright, 25-years later. Married to Jack, a veteran suffering from PTSD. [She met him at Vassar; he attended on the GI Bill.] A special education teacher [though not called that] who loves her job. She asks her principal for supplies; he gives her straightjackets for her students who have with various disabilities. She too leaves. That situation, combined with her continued grieving for her recently passed mother sets her into a tailspin--and sets much of the story in motion. Stella, adrift in the mystery which gradually reveals itself to her in a letter she finds in mother's things . Who was her mother?
The parallels. Both women love their careers--which they abandon--not exactly by choice.
I am in the distinct minority of readers as I did not feel the love for this book. Indeed, I found it pedestrian at times. And melodramatic. And somewhat repetitive. And the "romantic parts" between Althea and Charlie--blech.
2.5 but rounding up for this debut novel which was a fast, though disappointing read.
December 13, 2021
This book just wasn't for me. I was very interested in the topic of the book. However, the writing and character development was just off. I didn't like that Althea would have internal dialogue and then she would do the exact opposite of whatever she had said in her head. She made so many bad choices and didn't really face the consequences of them. I also didn't see the need to put the PTSD from WWII into the book. It served no purpose. I will say I did like the dialogue about special education and how Stella was trying to advocate for her students. I did feel like it was definitely written through a 2020 lens and not very true to how things would have been approached in the 50's. I also feel like there were far too many convenient plot devices used for it to come off as plausible for me. Overall just not my cup of tea.
November 4, 2022
Goed uitgewerkte roman over een minder bekend stukje (medische) geschiedenis. De twee verhaallijnen zijn goed uitgewerkt en komen langzaam samen. Vaak vind ik één verhaallijn veel interessanter dan de andere, maar dat was hier absoluut niet het geval. Bijna niet te geloven dat dit een debuut is.
February 1, 2021
This historical fiction novel is a beautiful balance between the heartbreaking (and simultaneously miraculous) story of premature babies on Coney Island and the selflessness of a mother's love. Taking place from two different perspectives in two different time periods, this book takes you on a journey of difficult decisions and critical realizations.
This well-researched book is a fascinating tale about the depths that nurses, mothers, and good hearted humans will go to to fight for what is right.
Do not sleep on this book, it was worth every minute spent reading!!
This well-researched book is a fascinating tale about the depths that nurses, mothers, and good hearted humans will go to to fight for what is right.
Do not sleep on this book, it was worth every minute spent reading!!
December 11, 2020
Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an advance copy of this book, because I knew from the phrase "neonatal ward on Coney Island in the 1920s" I was going to be absolutely obsessed.
Fun fact about me: Call The Midwife is my comfort TV, and I've secretly been hoping for a historical fiction novel that captures the inherent warmth, beauty, love, and incredible strength of nursing in the same way that show does.
Well, let me tell you. THE LIGHT OF LUNA PARK dove into my mind, pulled out exactly the book I wanted, and handed it to me.
THE LIGHT OF LUNA PARK is a beautiful ode to the power of love and family, especially the families we make ourselves. Both of the narrators—Althea and Stella—are powerful, compassionate, and deeply human women, and although I found myself drawn most deeply into Althea's narration, I loved them both in their own ways. It's clear that the author writes from a place of deep empathy and careful research, and I felt in deeply capable hands the whole way through.
There's even a star-crossed romance with a handsome feminist doctor who's good with kids. DID THE AUTHOR MAKE THIS BOOK TO ORDER FOR ME SPECIFICALLY.
This is a heartwarming and delightful debut from a talented author with a lot of promise. I can't wait to read what she does next!
Fun fact about me: Call The Midwife is my comfort TV, and I've secretly been hoping for a historical fiction novel that captures the inherent warmth, beauty, love, and incredible strength of nursing in the same way that show does.
Well, let me tell you. THE LIGHT OF LUNA PARK dove into my mind, pulled out exactly the book I wanted, and handed it to me.
THE LIGHT OF LUNA PARK is a beautiful ode to the power of love and family, especially the families we make ourselves. Both of the narrators—Althea and Stella—are powerful, compassionate, and deeply human women, and although I found myself drawn most deeply into Althea's narration, I loved them both in their own ways. It's clear that the author writes from a place of deep empathy and careful research, and I felt in deeply capable hands the whole way through.
There's even a star-crossed romance with a handsome feminist doctor who's good with kids. DID THE AUTHOR MAKE THIS BOOK TO ORDER FOR ME SPECIFICALLY.
This is a heartwarming and delightful debut from a talented author with a lot of promise. I can't wait to read what she does next!
January 27, 2021
What a beautiful story of love and sacrifice and perseverance. As the mother of an adopted daughter, I felt a special connection to Althea. I understood the choices she made for her daughter, and how those choices, while viewed by others as sacrifices, were done unhaltingly as a part of motherhood. I'm so impressed that this is a debut novel, and I look forward to Addison Armstrong's future novels. Althea and Stella are two characters who will stay with me for a long time.
A special thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the chance to read an early copy of The Light of Luna Park for a fair and honest review.
A special thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the chance to read an early copy of The Light of Luna Park for a fair and honest review.
August 7, 2021
The Light of Luna Park is gripping and emotional historical fiction—once I started I could barely put it down. From the first page, I was caught up in this heart wrenching story about two brave and strong women, determined to make their voices heard—a difficult feat in 1926 and 1950, when the dual storylines take place. I had so much admiration for each of these women; Althea, a nurse in 1926 who tries to right a terrible wrong, with far-reaching consequences; Stella is a teacher of special needs students in 1950, still mourning the loss of her mother at a time when her marriage is fragile. There are so many fascinating layers to each of their stories, and the author deftly and honestly writes about eugenics, spousal abuse, and other difficult subjects. I read this book with my whole heart; my heart broke, my heart was healed; no matter what, my heart was always involved. Congratulations to debut author Addison Armstrong—I can’t wait to find out what’s next!
October 3, 2021
Two timelines, two strong women, and a mother’s love. This debut novel was filled with interesting historical details on incubator babies. Addison Armstrong will be an author to follow.
January 19, 2021
The Light of Luna Park is Addison Armstrong’s accomplished and thought-provoking debut novel, and she does not disappoint the reader. She knows how to tell a story. It is always a treat when you read a debut novel written with the skill of a more seasoned novelist. The Light of Luna Park is just such a book.
There is much to love about this book. It is told in two different time frames; the reader is moving back and forth between the 1920s, with its lack of medical care and incubators for pre-mature babies, and the 1950s, with its major struggles to educate children with disabilities, and finally comes together to disentangle the pieces of the puzzle and reveal secrets that were hidden for decades. Althea Anderson, a nursing student who willingly sacrificed her career in order to save a baby's life, explores the ties of motherhood and the history of this country’s first incubators on Coney Island. A quarter of a century later, Stella Wright, mourning the death of her mother and struggling against an insensitive world to educate children with disabilities, quits a job she loves and is falling apart. The transitions in the story between Althea and Stella were well done and begin when Stella discovers a letter that brings to light not only everything about her mother but also weighty things about herself.
It is often said that the key to great writing is to make every word count. Armstrong certainly makes every single word count and is clearly an intelligent and highly skilled researcher and writer. The historical aspects are accurate and interesting, the characters are vibrant, the language is rich, and there are good life lessons throughout. I highly recommend this book, and in particular to those readers who love historical fiction novels, and hope it is the first of many.
Thank you very much to NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
There is much to love about this book. It is told in two different time frames; the reader is moving back and forth between the 1920s, with its lack of medical care and incubators for pre-mature babies, and the 1950s, with its major struggles to educate children with disabilities, and finally comes together to disentangle the pieces of the puzzle and reveal secrets that were hidden for decades. Althea Anderson, a nursing student who willingly sacrificed her career in order to save a baby's life, explores the ties of motherhood and the history of this country’s first incubators on Coney Island. A quarter of a century later, Stella Wright, mourning the death of her mother and struggling against an insensitive world to educate children with disabilities, quits a job she loves and is falling apart. The transitions in the story between Althea and Stella were well done and begin when Stella discovers a letter that brings to light not only everything about her mother but also weighty things about herself.
It is often said that the key to great writing is to make every word count. Armstrong certainly makes every single word count and is clearly an intelligent and highly skilled researcher and writer. The historical aspects are accurate and interesting, the characters are vibrant, the language is rich, and there are good life lessons throughout. I highly recommend this book, and in particular to those readers who love historical fiction novels, and hope it is the first of many.
Thank you very much to NetGalley for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
September 27, 2021
This is an amazing debut, with great depth. Addison sees the lost children of the word, and the adults who protect them, despite their own troubles. She also points out, via an elegant story, that Hitler’s eugenics movement had its roots in America.
This is a dual timeline novel, and I was blown away by the characterization in both chapters showing our protagonists fighting the systems they were up against. No matter the progress we make, there are always more to save!
Althea Anderson is a student with a single-minded dream—to be a nurse. The only problem is what she sees happening during her obstetrics tour, blind eyes being turned when she knows there’s help for premature babies. It places her in a most untenable situation, go along and get the degree she’s longed for, or save a baby, give one child a chance. It’s an amazing ethical question, perfect for a story.
Stella Wright is a teacher who’s been assigned to special needs children. Though she has no training for it, she sees that with the right help, their lives can be enhanced with learning and care. But she’s up against the system. Then, at home, the love of her life is battling his own never-ending war.
What will happen to these women? It’s worth it to read and find out, as Armstrong twists your heart in the process.
This is a dual timeline novel, and I was blown away by the characterization in both chapters showing our protagonists fighting the systems they were up against. No matter the progress we make, there are always more to save!
Althea Anderson is a student with a single-minded dream—to be a nurse. The only problem is what she sees happening during her obstetrics tour, blind eyes being turned when she knows there’s help for premature babies. It places her in a most untenable situation, go along and get the degree she’s longed for, or save a baby, give one child a chance. It’s an amazing ethical question, perfect for a story.
Stella Wright is a teacher who’s been assigned to special needs children. Though she has no training for it, she sees that with the right help, their lives can be enhanced with learning and care. But she’s up against the system. Then, at home, the love of her life is battling his own never-ending war.
What will happen to these women? It’s worth it to read and find out, as Armstrong twists your heart in the process.
October 29, 2021
A beautiful debut about a fascinating time in history! I loved so much about this book–the skillfully executed dual timelines, the emotional journeys of the protagonists, the family secrets coming to life. I look forward to reading the author’s future work.
March 15, 2022
Het verhaal is een iets anders, het gaat over de opkomst van de couveuses in de jaren 20. Ook hier gebruikt de schrijfster een past en present veraallijn die elkaar tegemoed komen. Vlot geschreven en korte hoofdstukjes.
Wel voorspelbaar maar dat stoorde niet.
Wel voorspelbaar maar dat stoorde niet.
August 27, 2021
A lovely, sentimental and poignant historical fiction about a nurse who gives up everything for the sake of a premature infant.
Told in alternating points of view between Nurse Althea Anderson in New York City, 1926, and Stella Wright, a young married teacher in Poughkeepsie, 1950. The story starts as Althea makes the decision to take a preemie to Luna Park, Coney Island, to be treated by a doctor and his staff who are using incubators and controversial treatments to save lives. In reality, Althea has kidnapped the baby girl whose parents think that she died shortly after birth. That choice changes the entire course of Althea's life.
Stella, whose mother recently died, is newly married to Jack and working as a teacher of children with special needs in an era when they are forced into a damp basement and given only rudimentary materials and minimal effort to educate. When Stella is forced to quit her job, she knows she needs to face the loss of her mother and returns to her childhood home to go through her mother's belongings. Then she finds some odd material in her mother's special memory box. The questions come and Stella must confront everything she thought she knew about herself and her mother. NO SPOILERS.
I really enjoyed this debut and could relate to both of the characters as they try to navigate a world where women have no voice and have to claw their way out of subjugation in all the big and small ways. The choices Althea made were by no means the right ones even though she felt like she had to do what she did. Sure, the ends may or may not justify the means in utopia, but legally and morally there are some challenges. I found the history of the Coney Island incubators very interesting as I had never heard about that before. I like to think that education, medicine, and nursing have advanced in the treatment of exceptional children, but I know that many who work in health care and special needs education still have to grapple with negative perceptions about the work they do.
Definitely this was a story about sacrifice and motherhood and Althea represents the extreme of that love in action. Would any of you make those same commitments -- give up everything for a child that was not even biologically yours?
This would make a great choice for a book club and I'd like to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.
Told in alternating points of view between Nurse Althea Anderson in New York City, 1926, and Stella Wright, a young married teacher in Poughkeepsie, 1950. The story starts as Althea makes the decision to take a preemie to Luna Park, Coney Island, to be treated by a doctor and his staff who are using incubators and controversial treatments to save lives. In reality, Althea has kidnapped the baby girl whose parents think that she died shortly after birth. That choice changes the entire course of Althea's life.
Stella, whose mother recently died, is newly married to Jack and working as a teacher of children with special needs in an era when they are forced into a damp basement and given only rudimentary materials and minimal effort to educate. When Stella is forced to quit her job, she knows she needs to face the loss of her mother and returns to her childhood home to go through her mother's belongings. Then she finds some odd material in her mother's special memory box. The questions come and Stella must confront everything she thought she knew about herself and her mother. NO SPOILERS.
I really enjoyed this debut and could relate to both of the characters as they try to navigate a world where women have no voice and have to claw their way out of subjugation in all the big and small ways. The choices Althea made were by no means the right ones even though she felt like she had to do what she did. Sure, the ends may or may not justify the means in utopia, but legally and morally there are some challenges. I found the history of the Coney Island incubators very interesting as I had never heard about that before. I like to think that education, medicine, and nursing have advanced in the treatment of exceptional children, but I know that many who work in health care and special needs education still have to grapple with negative perceptions about the work they do.
Definitely this was a story about sacrifice and motherhood and Althea represents the extreme of that love in action. Would any of you make those same commitments -- give up everything for a child that was not even biologically yours?
This would make a great choice for a book club and I'd like to thank NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons for this e-book ARC to read, review, and recommend.
July 30, 2023
Althea en Stella, moeder en dochter, worstelen allebei met het feit dat ze het niet eens zijn met het beleid van hun werkgevers. Stella strijd voor beter onderwijs voor mensen met een handicap, Althea voor vroeggeboren baby's. Maar dat vergt moed, liefde en opoffering. Hoe ver gaan ze?
Dit boek bevat ethische vragen, geschiedenis en liefde. Een origineel idee wat buiten de lijntjes van een gewone roman kleurt. Armstong schrijft ook pakkend. Wat ik jammer vond was dat het boek enigzins voorspelbaar was. Maar zeker een aanrader als je een roman zoekt die wat dieper graaft.
Dit boek bevat ethische vragen, geschiedenis en liefde. Een origineel idee wat buiten de lijntjes van een gewone roman kleurt. Armstong schrijft ook pakkend. Wat ik jammer vond was dat het boek enigzins voorspelbaar was. Maar zeker een aanrader als je een roman zoekt die wat dieper graaft.
August 15, 2022
This was an engaging interesting read about nursing in the 1920s and a daughter in the 1950s searching for the truth. I found the history of incubators and nursing life especially compelling. As a special educator, the storyline of special education during the 50s was equally as important but unbearably sad. A solid interesting, quick read.
September 2, 2021
First sentence: No baby is happy about being pushed into this world. But never have I seen one so entirely unprepared for its entrance. Three months premature, the infant before me contorts her shiny face to scream. Her tiny lungs convulse with the effort, and the skin on her chest stretches and snaps back to make room. Her matchstick legs kick; her coin-sized hands twitch. The girl’s mother wails, and I fear her deep, gurgling gasps may snatch away the oxygen so craved by her infant. I fix my eyes on the newborn as if I can send her what she needs. Keep breathing, I will the baby girl. Her torso is the size of two fists, the size of two beating hearts. Though we both know it, the doctor is the one to say the truth aloud.
Premise/plot: The Light of Luna Park is historical fiction with two narrators and two time periods. One narrator is Althea Anderson is a nurse (well, almost fully trained and on the verge of graduation) in 1926. The other narrator is Stella Wright a special education teacher in 1950/51. Both stories relate back to a Coney Island exhibit and a doctor determined to save premature babies.
My thoughts: I recently read Boardwalk Babies by Marissa Moss. I found this picture book biography to be fascinating. I read it several times before returning it to the library--and I pushed it on my mother too. (That's a good test of a book, really, do I *force* my mom to read it???) The Light of Luna Park is about the same subject--premature babies and a doctor along with a team of nurses determined to save them with incubators and special feeding spoons. I wanted to love, love, love the novel. I did. But I didn't quite.
The book wasn't without interesting stories. I would have LOVED to focus on Stella's PRESENT life. Her deep, deep frustrations WORKING for a principal with no principles! Her work as a special education teacher could have been absorbing/fascinating. It could have shed some light on a probably not-so-nice time in American history. We could have been shown how awesome Stella is to fight, fight, keep fighting, keep pushing back, keep striving to serve those students. Instead we get a very lukewarm, not very exciting, boring mystery that she leaves EVERYTHING to solve. Another angle that might have been explored is her relationship with her husband, Jack, and his PTSD after the war. Instead of this truly being central and a way to explore mental health--again during a time in American history when it wasn't always the best--this is more an excuse to have ongoing miscommunication between spouses. I just don't think there was much DEPTH and SUBSTANCE given to the characters in particular how they relate to one another.
I think my main problem with the novel--what kept it an "almost" for me--was the way it was narrated. Because it has TWO time periods and TWO main protagonists, it's hard for suspense to build. And that's the thing, the readers know from almost page one everything that is going to happen. There are absolutely no surprises, no twists and turns. Stella's story depends on mystery and suspense. Literally almost all of her sections are about her desperately searching, seeking, sleuthing, hunting, tracking, etc. There's no suspense for readers to share in because readers know everything. Likewise, Althea's story fizzles out because readers know ultimately where it's heading because of where Stella starts out.
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For example, we know from Stella's story that Althea must marry for convenience at some point and that there is a man who raises Stella as his own. We also know that BOTH of Stella's parents have died. So when Althea's "romantic" story line begins, it doesn't really have an emotional impact because we know that ultimately it doesn't go anywhere.
Since I've already typed the spoiler alert, I can go ahead and mention how utterly silly it is for Althea to seek out "the one that got away" after her husband died so they can have a ONE NIGHT STAND?????? So Althea can oh-so-conveniently confess her deepest darkest secret (that readers have known about since chapter one essentially), so that the doctor can then SHARE with Stella VIA a letter THEIR PRIVATE INTIMACIES and confessions. EWW!!!! "I can confirm that her body had never delivered a baby!"
Premise/plot: The Light of Luna Park is historical fiction with two narrators and two time periods. One narrator is Althea Anderson is a nurse (well, almost fully trained and on the verge of graduation) in 1926. The other narrator is Stella Wright a special education teacher in 1950/51. Both stories relate back to a Coney Island exhibit and a doctor determined to save premature babies.
My thoughts: I recently read Boardwalk Babies by Marissa Moss. I found this picture book biography to be fascinating. I read it several times before returning it to the library--and I pushed it on my mother too. (That's a good test of a book, really, do I *force* my mom to read it???) The Light of Luna Park is about the same subject--premature babies and a doctor along with a team of nurses determined to save them with incubators and special feeding spoons. I wanted to love, love, love the novel. I did. But I didn't quite.
The book wasn't without interesting stories. I would have LOVED to focus on Stella's PRESENT life. Her deep, deep frustrations WORKING for a principal with no principles! Her work as a special education teacher could have been absorbing/fascinating. It could have shed some light on a probably not-so-nice time in American history. We could have been shown how awesome Stella is to fight, fight, keep fighting, keep pushing back, keep striving to serve those students. Instead we get a very lukewarm, not very exciting, boring mystery that she leaves EVERYTHING to solve. Another angle that might have been explored is her relationship with her husband, Jack, and his PTSD after the war. Instead of this truly being central and a way to explore mental health--again during a time in American history when it wasn't always the best--this is more an excuse to have ongoing miscommunication between spouses. I just don't think there was much DEPTH and SUBSTANCE given to the characters in particular how they relate to one another.
I think my main problem with the novel--what kept it an "almost" for me--was the way it was narrated. Because it has TWO time periods and TWO main protagonists, it's hard for suspense to build. And that's the thing, the readers know from almost page one everything that is going to happen. There are absolutely no surprises, no twists and turns. Stella's story depends on mystery and suspense. Literally almost all of her sections are about her desperately searching, seeking, sleuthing, hunting, tracking, etc. There's no suspense for readers to share in because readers know everything. Likewise, Althea's story fizzles out because readers know ultimately where it's heading because of where Stella starts out.
S
P
O
I
L
E
R
S
For example, we know from Stella's story that Althea must marry for convenience at some point and that there is a man who raises Stella as his own. We also know that BOTH of Stella's parents have died. So when Althea's "romantic" story line begins, it doesn't really have an emotional impact because we know that ultimately it doesn't go anywhere.
Since I've already typed the spoiler alert, I can go ahead and mention how utterly silly it is for Althea to seek out "the one that got away" after her husband died so they can have a ONE NIGHT STAND?????? So Althea can oh-so-conveniently confess her deepest darkest secret (that readers have known about since chapter one essentially), so that the doctor can then SHARE with Stella VIA a letter THEIR PRIVATE INTIMACIES and confessions. EWW!!!! "I can confirm that her body had never delivered a baby!"
January 31, 2021
What a phenomenal book!
The Light of Luna Park was a captivating story following two timelines of mother and daughter as they each grappled with societies that identify groups of individuals who can be cast aside. The parallels between the two stories helped to emphasize the impact one individual can make but also the emotional impact such a journey can have for the individual and those around them. I couldn't help but become attached to the characters as they experienced the joys and sorrows of their life based on their choices. In addition, The Light of Luna Park shed a light on a piece of history that is hardly mentioned or known about, crafting a deep interest to learn more about throughout the story. The connection between historical fiction, family, and sacrifice created a well-rounded story that any reader could find a connection too.
Overall, The Light of Luna Park was a beautifully written story that I couldn't put down and I would highly recommend to read!
The Light of Luna Park was a captivating story following two timelines of mother and daughter as they each grappled with societies that identify groups of individuals who can be cast aside. The parallels between the two stories helped to emphasize the impact one individual can make but also the emotional impact such a journey can have for the individual and those around them. I couldn't help but become attached to the characters as they experienced the joys and sorrows of their life based on their choices. In addition, The Light of Luna Park shed a light on a piece of history that is hardly mentioned or known about, crafting a deep interest to learn more about throughout the story. The connection between historical fiction, family, and sacrifice created a well-rounded story that any reader could find a connection too.
Overall, The Light of Luna Park was a beautifully written story that I couldn't put down and I would highly recommend to read!
January 29, 2021
I loved this book! Once I started reading it, I could not put it down. The book tells the story of two women in different time periods. Althea Anderson is a nurse in training who wants to try to save the premature babies she sees on her obstetrics rotation. She reads about the incubator babies at Luna Park in Coney Island but can't get anyone to listen to her ideas. Stella Wright is a newlywed teacher whose mother recently passed away. She has just quit a job she loves and is struggling in her marriage when she finds a letter in her mother's things that change everything she thought she knew about her parents. This was such a quick easy read but the writing was fantastic. You really got a feel for the angst these women feel over the decisions that they make. Love of family is evident throughout the book as well as the sacrifices one is willing to make for those they love.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an electronic advanced copy in exchange for a review.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an electronic advanced copy in exchange for a review.
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