Description promised more than delivered. Liked the two narrative plot lines regarding early medical treatment of premature babies and the education of special needs children; however, the novel is more romance than history.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction book that was alternately narrated by the two main characters, a dedicated nurse in the 1920’s and a dedicated exceptional education teacher in the 1950’s. It was interesting and fun to see how the characters related as the story unfolded. The story was well-written and well-paced. Of special interest to me was reading about the medical treatment received by premature babies on Coney Island in the early 1900’s, a main theme of this story, as my children were born as early as those referenced in this book. I am thankful that the author chose to write about this topic in a well-researched manner, and surprised that this was a debut novel for Addison Armstrong...I would be interested in reading more of her books in the future!

Thank you very much to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review,

This was well-written and the transitions in the story between Althea and Stella were done well. Some of the topics very vaguely reminded me of The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. I read a book recently that mentioned the incubator babies at Coney Island so I was slightly familiar with it, and it's definitely an interesting aspect of the novel. It also makes you realize how far medicine has come (not to mention women in the workforce). I'm looking forward to seeing what else this author writes!

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for sending me an advance copy of this book, because I knew from the phrase "neonatal ward on Coney Island in the 1920s" I was going to be absolutely obsessed.

Fun fact about me: Call The Midwife is my comfort TV, and I've secretly been hoping for a historical fiction novel that captures the inherent warmth, beauty, love, and incredible strength of nursing in the same way that show does.

Well, let me tell you. THE LIGHT OF LUNA PARK dove into my mind, pulled out exactly the book I wanted, and handed it to me.

THE LIGHT OF LUNA PARK is a beautiful ode to the power of love and family, especially the families we make ourselves. Both of the narrators—Althea and Stella—are powerful, compassionate, and deeply human women, and although I found myself drawn most deeply into Althea's narration, I loved them both in their own ways. It's clear that the author writes from a place of deep empathy and careful research, and I felt in deeply capable hands the whole way through.

There's even a star-crossed romance with a handsome feminist doctor who's good with kids. DID THE AUTHOR MAKE THIS BOOK TO ORDER FOR ME SPECIFICALLY.

This is a heartwarming and delightful debut from a talented author with a lot of promise. I can't wait to read what she does next!

What an interesting historical fiction novel about something I knew nothing about. It is also exciting is that is isn't a WWII historical fiction. The cover is striking and beautiful. The name, while it describes the book, doesn't quite do it for me, but oh well.

This is a dual timeline story that travels back and forth between two time periods and finally comes together to reveal all the facts. It is heartwarming and heartbreaking and it will keep you turning the pages to find out what happened and why. I had no idea this doctor nor his medical treatments were a part of history and I enjoyed reading about it. The main character experiences a crisis of morals/ethics and I agree that she did the right thing for all involved at the time.

This is this authors debut novel that she wrote while in school. It is well-researched and all the characters are fleshed out and their actions make sense. If her future novels are as good as this one, she has a bright future ahead of her.

This light historical fiction novel is the story of Althea Anderson, young nurse-in-training in 1920s New York who is doing a rotation in obstetrics. Having witnessed the birth of premature infants who were declared unable to survive by the attending doctors, Althea was determined to help give them a chance. She had read about Dr. Couney, who ran a Coney Island side show, where he displayed premature infants in incubators, which did not exist in standard hospitals at the time. Dismissed as a quack, Dr. Couney and his staff were responsible for saving thousands of infants' lives by enabling them to grow and thrive so that they could be returned to their parents.

The story flips back and forth to the 1920s and the 1950s, when young teacher Stella Wright discovers secret information about her mother, who recently passed away. As the story evolves, the reader is taken on a journey through the lives of these women and what matters most in their lives.

I really enjoyed this debut novel by Ms. Armstrong. After finishing the book, I discovered that Dr. Couney was real, and this prompted me to do further research. The characters were likable and genuine, though they seemed a bit too modern for the time period. While the story was a bit predictable, I still felt compelled to read on. This was definitely a quick read for me. I recommend it when you are looking for a light, historical fiction read that is easy to follow.

Thank you NetGalley and G.P. Putnam's Sons for an advanced e-reader copy of this book.