The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore is a historical fiction novel set in a leprosy colony in the United States. The story follows Mirielle West, a Hollywood socialite who is diagnosed with leprosy and must navigate the challenges of living in isolation in the colony. The book delves into the journey of Mirielle as she transitions from a life of wealth and acceptance to being an outsider in a different world, showcasing her character growth and inner strength. The author, Amanda Skenandore, brings empathy to the story, painting a vivid and emotional picture of Mirielle's struggles and triumphs.

Characters:

Characters in the story are complex, with Mirielle evolving from a spoiled socialite to a resilient survivor, supported by a diverse cast.

Writing/Prose:

The writing style is described as engaging and vivid, although some readers noted technical issues with spelling and sentence structure.

Plot/Storyline:

The plot centers on Mirielle West's drastic transition from a wealthy Hollywood lifestyle to life in a leper colony, highlighting themes of stigma and personal struggle.

Setting:

The setting illustrates life in a leper colony during the 1920s, providing a stark backdrop for the story.

Pacing:

The pacing is generally steady, focusing on character development while allowing the plot to unfold gradually.

Such fuss over a little burn. Some salve and a gin rickey, and Mirielle would be right as rain tomorrow. But Charlie had insisted on ringing the doctor. Look how it’s blistered, he said. Off in the nu...

Notes:

The novel is based on the real-life leper colony in Carville, Louisiana, which operated until 1999.

Mirielle West is a fictitious character, but her experiences are intertwined with historical facts about leprosy patients.

The story is set in the 1920s, during the Roaring Twenties, highlighting a time when society held strong stigmas against diseases like leprosy.

Patients were forcibly quarantined and had limited contact with the outside world, communicating with family only through letters.

Mirielle's life can be divided into 'before' and 'after' her diagnosis, showcasing her struggle with identity and societal status.

The novel explores themes of stigma, personal liberty, and the emotional turmoil of chronic illness.

The author conducted extensive research to accurately portray the medical, geographical, and historical aspects of the time period.

Readers noted the emotional depth and character development, with Mirielle growing stronger through her challenges.

Many readers connected with the story on personal levels, comparing it to their own experiences with chronic illnesses.

The narrative encourages discussions about the treatment of contagious diseases and the impact of societal views on individuals.

Amanda Skenandore is praised for highlighting lesser-known historical events in her writing.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of chronic illness, mental health struggles, social isolation, stigma, and descriptions of life in a leper colony.

Has Romance?

There are elements of romance in the narrative, depicting Mirielle's journey towards finding love again despite her struggles.

From The Publisher:

In an intoxicating story of resilience, repulsion, and the Roaring 20's, the glamorous world of a silent film star's wife abruptly crumbles when she's forcibly quarantined at America's only leper colony in Carville, Louisiana…

Based on the little-known true story of America's only leper colony, The Second Life of Mirielle West by RUSA Award-winning author Amanda Skenandore brings vividly to life the Louisiana institution known as Carville, where thousands of people were stripped of their civil rights, branded as lepers, and forcibly quarantined throughout the entire 20th century.

* A 2023 Silicon Valley Reads Selection *

* Reader's Digest Editor's Choice *

For Mirielle West, a 1920's socialite married to a silent film star, the isolation and powerlessness of the Louisiana Leper Home is an unimaginable fall from her intoxicatingly chic life of bootlegged champagne and the star-studded parties of Hollywood's Golden Age. When a doctor notices a pale patch of skin on her hand, she's immediately branded a leper and carted hundreds of miles from home to Carville, taking a new name to spare her family and famous husband the shame that accompanies the disease.

At first she hopes her exile will be brief, but those sent to Carville are more prisoners than patients and their disease has no cure. Instead she must find community and purpose within its walls, struggling to redefine her self-worth while fighting an unchosen fate.

As a registered nurse, Amanda Skenandore's medical background adds layers of detail and authenticity to the experiences of patients and medical professionals at Carville - the isolation, stigma, experimental treatments, and disparate community. A tale of repulsion, resilience, and the Roaring '20s, The Second Life of Mirielle West is also the story of a health crisis in America's past, made all the more poignant by the author's experiences during another, all-too-recent crisis.

"Scrupulous in her research and practically clairvoyant in her choice of urgent subjects - from the Indigenous boarding schools of her first novel to the disease and quarantine of The Second Life of Mirielle West - historical novelist Amanda Skenandore has quietly become one of the valley's finest authors." - The Las Vegas Review Journal

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The Second Life of Mirielle West

Amanda Skenandore

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