LIGHT AND AIR

LIGHT AND AIR by Mindy Nichols Wendell

 This was a very clear choice to add to my TOP PICKS of 2026 collection!

LIGHT AND AIR is a beautifully written historical fiction book about a family who deals with the effects of tuberculosis during a time when there was very little to fight against it. The moving story is set in 1935 against the backdrop of rural western New York at a sanatorium called J.N. Adam Tuberculosis Hospital which really existed. Very little was known about how to fight the disease that attacked the lungs and caused a harsh cough that often produced blood. What was known was that lots of time spent in the sunshine along with cool air to breathe made a difference for many suffering from the illness.

Both Halle and her mother are diagnosed with the dreaded disease. They are both quickly sent off to J.N. Adam Tuberculosis Hospital to try and recover from the physically wasting disease that steals the breath and strength of those afflicted by it. Separated at the hospital, Halle is put in a building that houses children while her mother is placed in a building designed for the care of adults. Daily subjected to the bright sunshine and cool air temperatures, Halle slowly begins to recover, but for some reason her mother does not. Halle thinks she might know the reason why and begins to formulate a plan to help her out.

HEADS UP- This story is extremely heartwarming, but there is a lot of sadness as well. I don't want to spoil anything, but tuberculosis at this time in history was not an easy disease to beat.