The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore

Amanda Skenandore bases this book on real life events in a Louisiana Leprosy Hospital. The story focuses on Mirielle West who changes her name to Pauline when she arrives at the hospital in hopes of keeping her disease a secret from the Hollywood hotshots back home. Mirielle arrives as a prim proper woman who has no desire to be around the “undesirable” type. Her attitude and scheming gets her into a lot of trouble before she finds comradery and friendship in the most unlikely of places.
I was blown out of the water by how wonderful this book is and the incredible growth that Amanda Skenandore wrote about. I’ve always been a huge historical fiction fan but this was an entirely new area of the genre for me and I could not be more impressed. The characters all feel so real and connected, I found myself laughing, crying, and wanting to fight alongside them in the hopes of a cure for what they believed at the time was an uncurable disease. This book has it all too with a little mystery, friendship, and even love. Give this a shot when it’s released on the July 27th!

Huge shoutout to Netgalley and Kensington Books for this ARC in return for my honest review

This is the third book I’ve read about the years of the Leprosy disease and the camps designated to house them. I found all 3 educational, thoughtful, informative and giving respect due to the victims plus the survivors.
I truly enjoyed this journey with Mirielle as she at first denied, then grew to accept and then overcame her lack of experience to become a better person. The writing was great, the storyline flowed well and the character development was spot on. This story has it all, love, loss, grief, blessings, and most of all, heart. So much heart. I highly recommend.
I received an ARC from Kensington Books along with NetGalley for my honest review. This one comes in with high 5 stars.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my ARC of The Second Life of Mirielle West. Mirielle West the wife of an early Hollywood silent film star, Charlie West, discovers that she has leprosy which is an ugly word for anyone let alone the wife of a popular film star. We learn about Mirielle’s opulent life as she gets torn away from her family and taken to Carvelle a home for lepers. Much like a prison, she cannot leave or even communicate much with her family. However, the people at Carvelle all have stories to tell and dreams of better lives. Amanda Skenandore does an excellent job of building characters we learn to love in a story that is hard to leave. Buy the end of the book, the reader feels as if he/she knows all of these people like friends or neighbors, and it’s hard to leave them behind once the story ends. I loved this book and can’t wait to tell more people about it!

This book was fascinating! It was extremely well researched and well written. The author's note says that the book is based not on one person's story in particular but on themes and events described by many. It was compelling and made me think of "quarantine" on a whole other level. My heart broke over and over again for the patients/residents of Carville. The stigma attached to leprosy and the conditions in which they lived were deplorable. But this is also a beautiful story of second chances and I could hardly put it down.

Mirielle West lives a life of luxury. As the wife of a silent movie star, she's the frequent guest at parties and Hollywood premieres. Calling the doctor to treat a small burn on her hand, she has no ideas she's about to be carted away to America's only leper colony.

Historical fiction is such a tricky category. On one hand, you have flighty romances with dukes, earls, cavemen, brutes. On the other, you have gems like this. The Second Life of Mirielle West take the little known history of Carville, a REAL place, and creates a world of isolation, sickness, redemption, and family.

As Mirielle grows to be more comfortable in her skin and in her own life, she also finds her calling and learns about family in a way that she never knew.

This is an excellent and quite informative work of fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore is an excellent historical fiction that covers a lesser-known aspect of US history involving Hansen’s Disease in the earlier part of the 20th century.

As a Practitioner, I learned in school about Hansen’s disease, or leprosy as most recognize it , and know about the etiology and evolution of treatment with antibiotics, as well as its general place in history in Europe. What I did not know was about the institution named Carville in Louisiana that truly existed well into the early-mid 20th century and how the patients that resided there were treated. I am stunned that such archaic and atrocious practices took place in such modern times. However, I do I enjoy it when I am able to learn about something new while reading HF, and I enjoyed that aspect of this novel, as well as the Author’s note at the end.

I also enjoyed the fictional story of Mirielle and her transformation into a different, and dare I say, more mature and thoughtful woman after contracting HD and being placed into this facility. Through her exposure to her fellow patients, her changes in circumstances, and her choice to fight against and overcome her newfound adversities, she was able to reprioritize and find what really matters in life. I enjoyed reading her transformation despite the sad and difficult surroundings.

This is such a unique and impressive story that I highly recommend.

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Kensington for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.

Mirielle West lives a lavish lifestyle in 1920’s Los Angeles, she’s married to actor Charlie and has two young daughters. Her days are busy shopping, taking care of her appearance and getting ready to attend swanky parties to further her husband’s acting career. Underneath the beautiful clothes and makeup Mirielle’s a vulnerable women, she lost her beloved son and is struggling to cope with his loss. She accidentally burns her finger, her husband’s concerned and he thinks she should get her family doctor to check it. While examining her finger, the doctor notices a small patch of pale skin on her hand, he recommends she immediately see a dermatologist, at the County General Hospital and Dr Sullivan checks all of the skin on her body and runs some tests. She has no idea what’s wrong with her, she notices the staff act oddly around her, to protect her husband’s fame she uses another name and she calls herself Mrs. Pauline Marvin. The next day Dr Sullivan gets the results of her tests, she has leprosy and her life changes with the diagnosis.

Mirielle's transported to a leper hospital Carville in the Louisiana countryside, people with leprosy live here and receive medical treatment. She can’t believe she’s been ordered to stay in such a place, it’s primitive and she’s also expected to work. Mirielle tries to keep her distance from her fellow patients, it’s impossible while working in the various clinics, at first Mirielle's repulsed and horrified by what she sees and smells while helping the nuns and doctors treat people. Mirielle changes, slowly it dawns on her that she’s no different to the other residents, she makes friends and becomes involved in the social activities. Leprosy didn’t discriminate, it affected people of all ages, including children and from all walks of life. She misses Charlie, her daughters, as time goes on she never knows if she will ever see them again and it’s hard for her to stay positive.

The Second Life of Mirielle West is a story about a woman coming to terms with having a disease that had a huge stigma associated with it, the people inflicted were locked up, lost their right to freedom, and many were shunned by their families and friends. The characters in the book are wonderful and I liked, Irene, Frank, Sister Verena and young Polly. Mirielle's transformed and she changes into a kind, compassionate, caring, thoughtful and inspirational person.
I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, one of the best books I have read this year and five stars from me.

Amanda Skenadore is one of those rare authors can captive you from the very first sentence. Add to that the very original setting of a leprosy hospital in Louisiana (which I didn't know about) and the fact that this book is based on a true story, well I was plain hooked! To be a mother and a wife and have caught an incurable disease that slowly consumes you - to know you will never have a normal life again, all tour dreams dashed, and them to have the courage this woman had to make the best of everything, it was so inspiring. Wonderfully written and researched, this author is one of my top recommendations alwayd!!!

The Second Life of Mirielle West was a very interesting book that is based on the people that inhabit a leper colonies in Louisiana. Included among the people with leprosy is Mirielle West, the wife of a Hollywood star. Leaving her wealthy, pampered life in Los Angeles and being transported to a leper colony with almost no notice was a huge shock and begins Mirielle's journey of life with leprosy.

The amount of research done by author Amanda Skenandore was very evident in all the little details that were given about the leper colony. Details covered many things - people's attitudes toward lepers, the various treatments, trials of potential cures, the way the disease affected people differently, and the desperation caused by the way they were housed and treated.

The characters were well written as were the descriptions of the location, the facility, and the many issues the patients faced.

There is a section in the back of this book that gives information on where to find out further information on this topic. I thought that was a good thing to include because I know I had questions and wanted to know more about leper colonies after reading this book.

I'm not a huge historical fiction fan, but this pulled me in right away and kept me wanting more the entire time I read. It's hard to say that a book about such a difficult subject was good or enjoyable, but it was enjoyable and very educational also. If you enjoy historical fiction or have the slightest curiosity about leper colonies after reading this review, pick up The Second Life of Mirielle West and dive in.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for providing an ARC at my request. All thoughts are my own.

#AmandaSkenandore
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I received this from Netgalley.com.

Socialite Mirielle West diagnosed with leprosy and is exiled to Carville Hospital in rural Louisiana.

It's important to know the history and information about this disease and how society saw the people who were ill. This story was an okay read but the characters are portrayed in a rather one-dimensional picture.

2.75☆

Socialite Mirielle West is living the high life in 1920's Los Angeles. She is married to a movie star, and they have two little girls. She spends her days attending parties and shopping. Life would be idyllic if her son had not died tragically a couple of years earlier. Mirielle is battling depression and a serious drinking problem when she is diagnosed with leprosy. At the time, there was a social stigma attached to anyone with leprosy. People with the disease are whisked away to colonies where they languish while waiting for either a cure or death. Refusing to believe that she even has the disease, Mirielle is in for a huge shock. She is transported to rural Louisiana in a boxcar and then locked away in Carville. The hospital seems more like a prison, and Mirielle makes little effort to bond with her fellow patients. In fact, she is so rude to the other patients and the staff than many of them take an instant dislike to her. Once she accepts that she is stuck at Carville for the long haul, Mirielle begins working in the infirmary and the pharmacy—though the only reason she does this is because she had herself convinced that she can singlehandedly find the cure for leprosy. Mirielle is in for many rude awakenings at Carville, and it takes her a long time before she finally bonds with the other patients and creates a new life for herself.

While Mirielle West is a fictional character, the Carville Leprosarium is a real place. Amanda Skenandore brings the leprosy colony/hospital to life, and depicts the patients and staff with empathy—it was not easy to have leprosy or treat the sufferers. Mirielle is not always the most likable or sympathetic character. If it wasn't for the disease and the tragic loss of her son, there would be very little that is sympathetic about he. She is stuck on herself and doesn't care about anyone but herself. It takes her a long time to bond with the other patients and begin doing anything positive in regard to making anyone's staff at Carville any more pleasant. Even when she does do something helpful or nice, she really only does it for her own benefit. Her callousness and narcissism can be off-putting not only to the other patients but to the reader as well. The longer she is stuck at Carville and the more she bonds with some of the other patients, the more Mirielle grows as a person. Overall, THE SECOND LIFE OF MIRIELLE WEST is an interesting and thought provoking novel.

This book exemplifies all that historical fiction can do. Who among recreational readers knows about the Louisiana leprosy hospital Carville? Skenandore brings knowledge of this slice of history to readers with a complex main character who is hard to love. Mirielle West is not one who will endear herself to readers. Yes, she suffers a heart wrenching tragedy that sets her on a path of depression and alcoholism, but at her core Mirielle is entirely self-absorbed. She remains entirely flippant throughout the early stages of her leprosy diagnosis. Even once she arrives at Carville she doesn't understand the scope of her situation. Skenandore uses Mirielle's viewpoint to showcase the various aspects of the disease itself and society's reaction to it. Mirielle might not be given the second chance at the life she wanted, but she does embrace the path that opens up for her. This is a book that readers will enjoy for its uniqueness of content and the diversity of characters that Skenandore brings together. A truly remarkable story.

This is a fantastic historical fiction about a real leprosy hospital. I really enjoyed this book and it prompted me to do further research about the hospital. Truly fascinating and heartbreaking. A wonderful book for fans of medical historical novels.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital ARC. All opinions are completely my own.

This was a nice work of historical fiction that highlighted a time and story that is less often told (especially relative to the quantity of WWII fiction). I hope to see more historical fiction from this author.

How happy was I to get this title, The Second Life of Mirielle West, This topic, leprosy and the housing facility for them in Louisiana. I never even knew this existed on the mainland soil, and it was heart-rendering. I found myself going online to look at the history of leprosy, this facility, and more. Mirielle was a mother, and also the wife of a Hollywood silent movie star, but she fell victim to this disease. Her quarantine helped her see that her shining life might not have brought out the best in her, and despite this huge affliction, there can be a bright side to even the worst situation. I'd give this more than 5 stars as possible. Thank you to Net Galley and Kensington Books for an e-ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

The Second Life of Mirielle West opens your eyes to the little-known history of Leprosy in the United States during the 1920s. How the patients were treated, by doctors and society on a whole, is frightening, horrific, and downright deplorable. This book takes hold of your heart and does not let go until you gently shut the cover, tears streaming down your face. I admit the last chapter completely undid me. Amanda Skenandore is able to pull the reader into the 1920s, you can taste the gin, feel the rumble of the train, and feel the anxiety of the unknown.

Mirielle West leads a privileged life! A mansion on the California coast, mountains of money, a closet full of fabulous gowns, the perfect family, and her handsome actor husband. Behind all this grandeur there is a glimmer of sadness, a past that is not mentioned, a loss that can only be numbed by countless cocktails. When she calls her doctor to check on a burn, he discovers a patch of skin. He sends her to the hospital immediately. Suddenly Mirielle is being whisked away in a cattle car. Never able to say goodbye to her children, she is left frantic. She cannot possibly have Leprosy, it is just a spot. She is taken to Carville Hospital in Louisiana and is locked into a community that is under watch 24 hours a day, and no one is allowed to leave. Fearing that the rest of the population will get this incurable disease.

When Mirielle first arrives she acts entitled, snobby, better than everyone else, and self-centered. After some time, Mirielle finally begins to float back down to earth. She starts working in the clinic, slowly begins to open up, and blossom. She finds her strength and determination to meet this disease head on. She grows up and finally finds friends that completely understand her. You will find yourself cheering, crying, pulling for these amazingly written characters. The types of characters that stay with you, and who you will think of when you need strength to find your way through a challenging situation.

This book will shatter you, while building you back up. You will be anxious, sweaty, eyes teary as you tear through every page. Becoming fully immersed in this incredible tale of survival. Any disease can strike you at any time, just like Hansen's Disease (Leprosy) pulled the rug out from under Mirielle. I heard so many times this past year, that it is the survival of the fittest, only the strong will survive. Little do people know, that it is the strong at heart, the people who will never give up, are the ones who will survive.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the advance copy of this truly fascinating book. I highly recommend it and give it all of the stars! What are you waiting for? Go preorder this book today!

Read if you: Want a riveting historical fiction story about Carville, the mainland's only hospital for those with leprosy (now called Hansen's Disease).

One of my favorite 2020 reads was Carville's Cure by Pam Fessler. (If you enjoyed The Second Life of Mirielle West and haven't read that--read it! It is fabulous--nonfiction at its best.) I'm also from Louisiana, so any Louisiana story immediately catches my eye.

This is moving, enraging, exciting--one of the best things I've read in 2021.

Librarians/booksellers: A must read for your historical fiction fans, especially those looking for women-centered stories and stories set in the United States.

Many thanks to Kensington Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review for The Second Life of Mirielle West
Full feature for this title will be posted at: @cattleboobooks on Instagram!

When I read the synopsis for The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore, I knew I had to read it. This book contains the ingredients I like in historical fiction: based on a true story, a setting of the 1920s, well researched and well written. Plus, that cover is just beautiful!

Here’s what drew me in:

1920s Los Angeles: Socialite Mirielle West’s days are crowded with shopping, luncheons, and prepping for the myriad glittering parties she attends with her actor husband, Charlie. She’s been too busy to even notice the small patch of pale skin on the back of her hand. Other than an occasional over-indulgence in gin and champagne, which helps to numb the pain of recent tragedy, Mirielle is the picture of health. But her doctor insists on more tests, and Mirielle reluctantly agrees.

The diagnosis–leprosy–is devastating and unthinkable. Changing her name to shield Charlie and their two young children, Mirielle is exiled to rural Louisiana for what she hopes will be a swift cure. But the hospital at Carville turns out to be as much a prison as a place of healing. Deaths far outnumber the discharges, and many patients have languished for years. Some are badly afflicted, others relatively unscathed. For all, the disease’s stigma is just as insidious as its physical progress.

At first, Mirielle keeps her distance from other residents, unwilling to accept her new reality. Gradually she begins to find both a community and a purpose at Carville, helping the nurses and doctors while eagerly anticipating her return home. But even that wish is tinged with uncertainty. How can she bridge the divide between the woman, wife, and mother she was, and the stranger she has become? And what price is she willing to pay to protect the ones she loves?

I felt so much compassion and empathy for Mirielle as she is in the hospital for much longer than she first thought for a disease that society scorned. Though this book made me sad at times, I really enjoyed the experience of reading it.

This comes out on July 27.

What a gift to have a window into a sliver of American history that has dissolved into obscurity! In The Second Life of Mirielle West, novelist Amanda Skenandore brings her meticulous research and compassionate prose to the story of a society woman diagnosed with leprosy in the 1920s and sent to a (real life) leper colony in Louisiana. Mirielle must face not only the unshakeable stigma of her disease and her discomfort in her new surroundings, but also separation from her family and regrets from the past. With strong pacing and emotion (yes, I got teary-eyed), Skendandore delivers a compelling story filled with love, loss, and the hopefulness of finding family.