Amanda Skenandore

Mirielle is the carefree wife of Hollywood silent movie star Charlie West who has recently found a strange lesion that won't heal. Charlie is particularly worried about Mirielle hurting herself since the tragic death of their son. Mirielle is diagnosed with Leprosy and unceremoniously shipped off to the Carville Leprosy Colony in Louisiana. Mirielle quickly learns that her money and charm mean nothing, she is a prisoner of her disease until she receives twelve negative tests for the show more bacteria. Mirielle fights to get back home to her children and husband; however, as Mirielle begins to become involved in the Colony, things become more complicated between her two lives.

The Second Life of Mirielle West is a moving historical fiction novel about the Leprosy Epidemic in America. Now called Hansen's Disease, I did not know much about Leprosy, the epidemic in the USA or how people with Leprosy were treated. I was very interested in the Carville facility. I could easily tell that the author researched this facility as I could imagine the buildings, the staff, the residents and their activities. Mirielle's character was intriguing. As the glamorous wife of a Hollywood star, Mirielle's life is all about keeping up appearances. When Mirielle is diagnosed, everything about her diagnosis is hidden. She is whisked away in the middle of the night and her husband tells the press that she is in a psychiatric facility rather than admit the truth. As Mirielle finally gets to know the people around her at Carville, she learns that the disease treats everyone the same. I was amazed at the stigma that a Leprosy diagnosis carried. Those who were diagnosed were abandoned by their family, lost their jobs and the disease could be used as a grounds for divorce. Mirielle's journey of acceptance while in Carville was heartfelt as she juggled her needs to return to her family and the life she knew and the new life and family she created in Carville. Written with emotion and thoughtfulness, The Second Life of Mirielle West is a transformational read.

This book was received for free in return for an honest review. show less

I really enjoyed Skenandore’s book “Between Earth and Sky” so was eager to read this book. She did not disappoint. This book is based on the true story of America’s only leper colony, the Carville Lepers Home which functioned from 1894 to 1999. Over the years, thousands of people were stripped of their civil rights and forced into quarantine there.

Set in the 1920s, Mirielle West lived the glamorous life of the wife of a Hollywood silent film star. That is until she is diagnosed with show more leprosy and sent into quarantine at the Carville Lepers Home near New Orleans. In order to protect her family from the shame associated with leprosy, she enters Carville under the name of Pauline Marvin.

Mirielle refuses to accept that there is no cure for her. She has a husband and two children to return home to. Over time, she becomes friends with the compassionate Irene and comes to care for Jean, a precocious nine-year-old. But the longer she remains at Carville the more she feels her family slipping away - and the more she feels an attraction for one of her fellow lepers.

I was completely captivated by the characters in the story. They were all well-developed and distinct. While at first, it seemed that the sisters of the Daughters of Charity that staffed the hospital were rigid and harsh with the patients, I came to see them in a much more caring manner. And every time the sisters’ hats were mentioned, I envisioned The Flying Nun. There were members of the colony that will linger in my memory - the handsome Frank, the mysterious Mr. Li, Hector, Mr. Hatch.

There is no question that the story is a grim one. The patients are treated more like prisoners, and they know there is no cure for their disease. They all suffer from the isolation that the stigma of leprosy carries. They endure horrific experimental treatments. Yet there are moments of humor and celebration. I do believe it is human nature to look for the light when all around you is dark.

It is an emotional story as Mirielle fights to find a new purpose for her life. The depth of her character changes dramatically as she journeys from an entitled socialite to her second life in a leper colony. I enjoyed learning about a piece of American history I knew little about previously. show less

In late-1930s Chicago, Mimi is a wife and mother and proud of it. Her husband, Stan, was a popular White Sox baseball player until an injury takes him off the field. When money runs low, Mimi is forced to return to work but it’s been ten years since she last worked as a nurse. Jobs are difficult to come by and Mimi’s family is barely scraping by. When an old nursing school classmate tells her about a job opening, Mimi jumps for it so relieved. Until she learns that it's a clinic show more providing illegal abortions.

In a time when a woman must have her husband's permission to get birth control and her primary duty is raising her family even when her husband is unable to work, Mimi's choices are difficult. Her husband is depressed in a time when depression isn't spoken of. She has to come to terms with her own beliefs and the work she is doing, while keeping home for her family.

I had no idea until the author's note that the novel is based on a true story, which makes it even more powerful. This is a complex novel about an issue that is unfortunately timely once again. An important and fantastic read, and it will be amazing for book club discussions. show less

In 1926 Mirielle West, the wife of a silent screen actor is diagnosed with Hansen's disease and is whisked from Los Angeles to Louisiana to the Carville Leper Home via rail in a box car. Until this point she has led a life of privilege in a lavish home with servants. Though she has been drifting toward alcoholism since the accidental death of her son, relegating much of the care of her two daughters to the nanny.

She arrives in Carville with trunks full of cocktail gowns and extravagant show more clothing demonstrating her naivete about what is to come. She is convinced that she will soon be able to return to her family and that her diagnosis is all a mistake. With time, she interacts with the other residents and slowly begins to appreciate the value of having work to do. She works in the infirmary and the pharmacy slowly being trained and mentored by Sister Verena.

The book is well written and convincingly portrays the difficult adaptation when a life of privilege is stripped away and another way of life is presented. Mirielle swings between being a sympathetic character and a loathsome ones, which is believable given the circumstances. The fear and loathing of Hansens's Disease, which at that time had no treatment or cure is well depicted and it's easy to draw parallels with our recent experience with Covid 19. show less