The story vacillates from 1926 and 1951. In 1926, Althea is finishing up her studies to be a nurse and is on the obstetrics shift. After witnessing the birth of a premature baby who is left to die in the hospital, she takes action after a second premature baby is born. Secretly, she takes the newborn struggling to live to the least likely place, but in reality the only place, where this child has a chance to survive. A doctor has set up incubators at Luna Park, Coney Island, for these babies to be cared for by himself and by nurses. To pay for this venture, people are charged a fee to see these tiny infants. Dismissed and scorned by the medical profession as just another freak show attraction, this doctor is nevertheless saving lives. And Althea in essence sacrifices her own life to save this newborn. In 1951, Stella is a teacher of special-needs children, at that time called handicapped children. She and her class are regulated to the basement, without an elevator for those in wheelchairs, without necessary school supplies, and without any support from the administration. Their day is shorter than a normal school day, and they are isolated from everyone else. When Stella finally demands some basic supplies for her kids on the threat of quitting mid-year, it doesn’t go well for her. Both these strong female protagonists fight for what they believe are injustices, but they go about it in different ways to achieve their goals. This compelling and well written story, based on true occurrences, is one of sacrifice and of hard decisions, but mostly, it is a story of a mother’s love for her child, and the love a teacher has for children who cannot speak for themselves. ( )

4 stars for the idea and historical background; 3 stars for execution. The story is excellent but the author's writing style was often repetitive in turns of phrase and with the main characters mulling the same problems over and over. The book raises but doesn't delve too deeply into medical ethics and looks a little harder at discrimination against women, especially career-minded women in the 1920s and 1950s. Mostly enjoyable but could have been more tightly written. ( )

The Light of Luna Park, the debut novel from Addison Armstrong, pulls in history, family turmoil, and parenthood. It pulls in the emotional journey of discovering that everything we know of ourselves may not be true. It pulls in the ethical dilemmas of the preemies dying in the hospitals and of a nurse and the decision she makes to save a life. A compelling first book. I look forward to reading more from Addison Armstrong.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2022/12/the-light-of-luna-park.html

Reviewed for NetGalley. ( )

In 1926, Nurse Althea reads about an incubator hospital on Coney Island. The hospital has a great success rate with premature babies, but is also a viewed as little better than a carnival act. When she is faced with the death of another preemie, she overrides the parents decision and takes the baby girl to Coney Island. While the parents believe the baby died, Nurse Althea visits Coney Island almost daily, hoping to take a live, thriving baby back to her parents. In 1951, Stella dealing with the loss of her mother, a husband with ptsd, and the loss of her job, decides to go through her mother's house. When she discovers a letter, she begins to question who she is, and who her mother is.

I enjoyed reading Althea's timeframe and point of view. I felt that Stella's timeframe and point of view were completely unnecessary. Stella seemed to bog down the story and take away from the plotline. Overall, 3 out of 5 stars. ( )

Based on true events in regard to Dr Martin Couney who saved hundreds of premature babies thanks to his forward thinking and his miraculous incubators, "The Light of Luna Park" was a terrific read. I was invested from the first page. Alternating between 1926 and 1950, the reader follows the journey of two women in search of the truth. Both Althea and Stella were compassionate, strong women who willingly bucked the expectations society put on them.

At first, I found Stella's story a bit boring but, as she packs up her mother's home, she uncovers secrets that display the courage, sacrifice and strength she demonstrated as a younger woman. Soon I was invested in both women's stories.

There were also some lovely men in this novel including Stella's husband, Jack, Doctor Marin Couney and Charlie, Althea's love interest.

"The Light of Luna Park" was an impressive debut and I found the treatment of premature babies on Coney Island fascinating when mainstream doctors at the time thought they were being kind by letting these precious little ones die at birth. A wonderful read about motherhood, family and choices. Loved it! ( )