Author: Amanda Skenandore
Started: May 7, 2021
Finished: May 9, 2021
Thank you to Edelweiss+ and Kensington Publishing Corp for the chance to preview this book in return for an honest review.
Mirielle West, the wife of a Hollywood star and mother of two children, is seen by a doctor after hurting herself and not knowing it. While she is there, the doctor notices spots on her hand and tests it only to discover that Mirielle has leprosy (Hansen's Disease).
Mirielle is sent away to a leprosy colony in Louisiana named Carville where she has to learn to adapt to new surroundings and her condition. While she awaits her twelve negative tests in order to go home, Mirielle throws herself into her community and comes to understand truly cares for them. She learns to help those around her and how best to care for her illness.
This book was extremely well-written and kept my attention throughout. I knew nothing about the leper colonies in the south nor how people from all over the country were sent there to live in exile so as not to spread the bacteria. This historical fiction is based on a real leper colony and gave a glimpse into the life of those who lived in Carville.