I am thrilled to be hosting a spot on the LIGHT AND AIR by Mindy Nichols Wendell Blog Tour hosted by Rockstar Book Tours. Check out my post and make sure to enter the giveaway!
About The Book:
Author: Mindy Nichols Wendell
Pub. Date: January 2, 2024
Publisher: Holiday House
Formats: Hardcover, eBook
Pages: 218
Find it: Goodreads, https://books2read.com/LIGHT-AND-AIR
It's 1935, and tuberculosis is ravaging the nation. Everyone is afraid of this deadly respiratory illness. But what happens when you actually have it?
When Halle and her mother both come down with TB, they are shunned—and then they are sent to the J.N. Adam Tuberculosis Hospital: far from home, far from family, far from the world.
Tucked away in the woods of upstate New York, the hospital is a closed and quiet place. But it is not, Halle learns, a prison. Free of her worried and difficult father for the first time in her life, she slowly discovers joy, family, and the healing power of honey on the children's ward, where the girls on the floor become her confidantes and sisters. But when Mama suffers a lung hemorrhage, their entire future—and recovery—is thrown into question....
Light and Air deals tenderly and insightfully with isolation, quarantine, found family, and illness. Set in the fully realized world of a 1930s hospital, it offers a tender glimpse into a historical epidemic that has become more relatable than ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As Halle tries to warm her father’s coldness and learns to trust the girls and women of the hospital, and as she and her mother battle a disease that once paralyzed the country, a profound message of strength, hope, and healing emerges.
A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
REVIEW
Hallelujah is a 10 year old living in Western New York in the 1930's when her mother is diagnosed with tuberculosis. Halle's mother is taken to a special treatment clinic, J.N. Adam, for new treatment therapies. Tuberculosis can be deadly, even though Halle and her father have tested negative, fear of the disease spreads and Halle is treated poorly at school by most classmates. Halle misses her mother and hatches a plan to go visit her; however, Halle falls sick herself and is admitted to J.N. Adam. At J.N. Adam, Halle finds a community, kind nurses and willing friends, but she is separated from her mother and finds out that she is not improving. With some help, Halle tries to see her mother and help her improve.
Light and Air is middle grade historical fiction about the tuberculosis epidemic. Told through Halle's point of view, the emotional and mental toll of the disease is prevalent. There are a lot of unknowns with tuberculosis as well as fear of death and being taken away. There is also fear surrounding people exposed to TB as Halle experiences after she returns to school when her mother is diagnosed. I appreciated the descriptions and historical accurateness of the J.N. Adam facility and how they operated, treating everyone equally. I was glad that Halle quickly found a community and friends there. I do wish Halle had learned from some of her mistakes but was a typical pre-teen girl. Overall, a realistic and emotional story telling an important part of history like the COVID 19 pandemic.
This book was received for free in return for an honest review.
About Mindy Nichols Wendell:
Mindy Nichols Wendell taught writing and pedagogy at SUNY Fredonia for many years, where she served as the Director of the Composition Program. In 2019, she received the prestigious State University of New York Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Mindy lives in Western New York with her husband, Steve, a retired teacher. She is located not far from the ruins of the J. N. Adam Tuberculosis Hospital, the inspiration for LIGHT AND AIR.
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Giveaway Details:
1 winner will receive a finished copy of LIGHT AND AIR, US Only.
Ends January 31st, midnight EST.
a Rafflecopter giveawayTour Schedule:
Week One:
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1/15/2024 |
Excerpt/IG Post |
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1/15/2024 |
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1/16/2024 |
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1/16/2024 |
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1/17/2024 |
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1/17/2024 |
Review |
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1/18/2024 |
IG Review/LFL Drop Pic/TikTok Post |
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1/18/2024 |
IG Review |
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1/19/2024 |
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1/19/2024 |
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Week Two:
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1/22/2024 |
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1/22/2024 |
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1/23/2024 |
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1/23/2024 |
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1/24/2024 |
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1/24/2024 |
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1/25/2024 |
Excerpt |
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1/25/2024 |
Review |
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1/26/2024 |
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1/26/2024 |
Review/IG Post |
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