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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
Oh the injustice of it all! What an impossible situation to be in and how harrowing. I loved these characters. I want them to have all the good things.
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I absolutely loved this. A stunning book.
I was deeply engaged in this story the entire way and learned a lot about a topic I knew very little about. I really enjoyed the pace and found myself pausing often, thinking about each conflict that arose. It was a beautifully told story of hope, resilience and the human spirit. One of my favorite books of 2024!
I was deeply engaged in this story the entire way and learned a lot about a topic I knew very little about. I really enjoyed the pace and found myself pausing often, thinking about each conflict that arose. It was a beautifully told story of hope, resilience and the human spirit. One of my favorite books of 2024!
This book made me curious about the real history but the fictional story was pretty predictable. Not bad though, it felt "right."
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I found the topic interesting. The book felt unbelievable, almost like a dream, for the first several chapters. I liked the character development and the resolution of the book was good, but also sad for Mirielle's first family. I had no idea leprosy was a thing in the US in the 20th century.
Content Warnings
Minor: Suicide
I really enjoyed this story and found the way the author depicted the horrors of the leper colony through the lens of a wealthy woman’s fall from grace to be really interesting. I wish there had not been a love story tied to it, as I think her independence and growth was so much more the star of the star. I wish the ending had focused less on her relationship and more on her own journey.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
hopeful
informative
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Listened to audiobook.
Interesting historical setting that dealt with something I didn't know much about, leper communities in the United States.
Would be a good book group choice for those who like historical fiction.
Interesting historical setting that dealt with something I didn't know much about, leper communities in the United States.
Would be a good book group choice for those who like historical fiction.
I love when a book inspires me to search the internet to learn more about a topic. This book definitely did that for me, and I feel like I learned so much. This was a very good story about a well-to-do woman, the wife of a Hollywood star, who was diagnosed with leprosy. I've heard the references to lepers before, but never put much thought into what life was like for people who actually had the disease prior to the discovery of a cure.
My only reason for giving 4 stars is that I disliked the main character. I feel like I understand the state of mind and emotional turmoil the author described- but Mirielle West was exceptionally self-absorbed and expected to laugh off any horrible behaviors or harsh words from previous encounters with no consequence. To be blunt, she annoyed the hell out of me. I don't feel like a reader should dislike a main character as much as I disliked her. So I dropped a star.
My only reason for giving 4 stars is that I disliked the main character. I feel like I understand the state of mind and emotional turmoil the author described- but Mirielle West was exceptionally self-absorbed and expected to laugh off any horrible behaviors or harsh words from previous encounters with no consequence. To be blunt, she annoyed the hell out of me. I don't feel like a reader should dislike a main character as much as I disliked her. So I dropped a star.
Ohhh I really liked this book. It is heartbreaking yet gives you hope. Irene’s story killed me. How they were able to keep parents and kids away for so long…injustice don’t get it