Light and Air

October 30, 2023
Wendell’s well-constructed historical debut, set in 1930s Upstate New York, chronicles six months of dramatic changes in fifth grader Hallelujah “Halle” Grace Newton’s life as she and her family navigate the tuberculosis epidemic. When Halle’s mother—whom Halle considers as her loving, steadfast lodestar, unlike her father, who always seems angry with her—contracts tuberculosis and is admitted to a sanatorium 20 miles away, Halle’s life becomes a misery. She and her father test positive for the disease but remain asymptomatic; still, her schoolmates shun her. Her ill-conceived secret plan to walk to the sanatorium to be with her mother hastens Halle’s budding case of pneumonia, resulting in her admittance as a patient, too. As Halle recovers, she bonds with other children in the ward, all of them undergoing “sun curing or air curing” treatments, but still pines for her mother, whose health is not improving. Via unflinching depictions of tragedy and strife, richly rendered period detail, and emotionally honest interpretations of parent-child relationships, Wendell builds satisfying suspense as Halle breaks facility rules to help her mother recover and struggles to win her father’s affection. Historical notes conclude. Halle is white; supporting characters are racially diverse. Ages 8–12.

November 15, 2023
A 10-year-old becomes a patient at a tuberculosis sanitarium in 1935 New York. Halle's world is transformed when Mama begins coughing up blood one afternoon. Halle and Papa take her to the J.N. Adam Hospital in western New York, a 20-mile drive from their home. The sanitarium is stately and impressive, and, as their local doctor has pointed out, it welcomes everyone, regardless of race or socioeconomic status. But at home, Papa becomes short-tempered and remote. Wrapped up in his own worries, he seems oblivious to Halle's unhappiness. At school, Halle is shunned by classmates afraid of the disease. When Halle sets off on foot to get to her mother, she's stricken with sickness and becomes a patient at the hospital. Eventually Halle is placed in a dorm room with three other girls: Flossie, whose mother is a nurse at the hospital; Vivian, whose delicate paleness Halle finds striking; and Rita, an older girl whose well-off parents are uncomfortable around Flossie, who is Black (most characters are cued white). The book takes place nearly a decade before the use of antibiotics for TB, when treatment focused on fresh air and sunlight. Descriptions of the hospital's open-air porches and daily routines are smoothly incorporated, and Halle's fears for her own health and longing for her mother are relatable. A vivid work of historical fiction that explores how infectious disease can intersect with daily life. (author's note) (Historical fiction. 9-13)

COPYRIGHT(2023) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

December 1, 2023
Grades 3-6 Halle (short for Hallelujah) is both hopeful and unhappy after her mother is diagnosed with active tuberculosis and taken miles from home to a sanatorium for treatment. Mama is expected to recover due to the institution's emphasis on fresh air and sunlight. But Halle, who has inactive TB, is unhappy at school, where classmates shun her because of her mother's disease, and miserable living with her father, who reacts to misfortune with anger. Increasingly distressed, she runs away, and soon she, too, is living at the sanatorium. There she befriends staff members, her roommates, and other children, but her real goal is to do whatever she can and take whatever risks she must to help Mama recover. Modeled after a socially enlightened sanatorium that treated an uncommonly diverse group of patients for the time in upstate New York, the setting is unusual and well described, from the architecture to the kids' camaraderie to conversations with the on-site beekeeper. Wendell's engaging, straightforward narrative makes the story highly accessible, and her portrayal of Halle will resonate with many readers. A satisfying first novel.

COPYRIGHT(2023) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2024

Gr 4-6-It's 1935, and Halle's life is nearly perfect. She has a best friend, Thelma, and they are perfectly matched. Her momma makes the best paper dolls and wants her to stay young, even though Papa believes Halle should help around the house more. The only not-perfect thing is her relationship with her father, who is always angry with her though they used to be so close. Then, momma falls ill. Momma, Halle's champion and protector from Papa's angry words, is taken to a treatment center to recover. Halle is left alone with her emotionally distant and demanding father who expects her to manage the home and care for him. Overcome with longing for her mother, Halle decides to walk to the treatment center to see her. She becomes quite ill en route and ends up convalescing in the same treatment center. During her recovery is when Halle learns the true meaning of friendship, family, and belonging. This historical fiction novel about the tuberculosis epidemic will resonate with today's readers. They will understand Halle's turmoil about growing up quickly, and in such a dramatic manner. The recent pandemic will connect readers to Halle's fears about community illness and her own battle. Many will also feel the pain Halle is as she misses her parent while worrying greatly about her health. VERDICT A coming-of-age story set in a historical time period that will appeal to many readers.-Jennifer Seebauer

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