Light and Air by Mindy Nichols Wendell. Holiday House, 2024. 9780823454433
Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 5
Format: Hardcover
What did you like about the book? This historical novel touches on a significant, but rarely written-about moment in American history–the outbreak and treatment of tuberculosis in sanitariums in the first half of the 20th century.
Ten-year-old Halle, short for Hallelujah and nicknamed Glory lives in rural New York. It’s 1935 and Halle’s life revolves around school, friends, and helping her mother with chores. When her mother is diagnosed with tuberculosis and sent to a sanitarium, it sends Halle’s life into turmoil. She and her father are asymptomatic, meaning they have TB but it is dormant. Halle is ostracized at school and with her mother gone, tensions rise. Halle becomes ill after running away and is sent to the same sanitarium her mother is in. There, she meets other TB patients her age and makes new and lasting friendships. There is heartbreak but also hope, and joy. This novel is a wonderful story about isolation, illness, healing, friendships, family, and love.
The author touches on the fact that the actual hospital in the book served patients both black and white, rich and poor, and that healthy children often lived at the hospital if there was no one at home to care for them. This story is a window into a world that readers will appreciate especially after living through the recent COVID-19 pandemic.
Anything you didn’t like about it? No
To whom would you recommend this book? Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this book.
Who should buy this book? Middle schools and public libraries
Where would you shelve it? Middle grade historical hiction
Should we (librarians/readers) put this on the top of our “to read” piles? Yes, it’s a quick read.
Reviewer’s Name, Library (or school), City and State: Maria Touet, Malden Catholic High School, Malden, MA
Date of review: June 5, 2024
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