Hayles, Marsha. Breathing Room.

Hayles, Marsha.   Breathing Room.   Macmillan/Henry Holt    244p  $17.99      978-0-8050-8961-5 ms/hs       E-BN        Historical fiction

Evvy (Evelyn) does not know what to expect when her father leaves her at a Minnesota sanatorium that treats all ages of tuberculosis patients in the 1940s. Evvy is placed in the teenage wing of the facility in a room with five other girls.  The girls navigate the treatments, form friendships, suffer loss and exude hope, maturing in the process.  There are flashes of humor, flights of fantasy imagining what it would be like to be a movie star in Gone with the Wind, and witty conversations written on scraps of paper, since the girls are supposed to rest their voices and lungs.  Boredom, while often present, is relieved by illicit adventures on the grounds of the facility as Evvy grows stronger.  The outside world is brought into the novel with historical newspaper clippings about the Dionne quints and the war in Europe, as well as photos of items found in TB hospitals in the 1940s.  Set in an era of American history that is not often covered in fiction books, this novel seems like a diary of real events.  Evvy will stay with the reader long after the book has been finished.  It is also a great read-aloud that will have listeners begging for the reader to continue.  There is a detailed historical afterword as well as explanations of the photos in the book, which provide accurate historical information to supplement the novel.  This one is strongly recommended for middle- and high-school libraries needing strong historical novels based on fact about the TB epidemic in the United States in the 1940s.  With excellent narration, character development and a plot that zips right along, this one is a winner.

Historical fiction, Tuberculosis – Fiction                  -- Lois McNicol