The Second Life of Mirielle West, Amanda Skenandore
The Second Life of Mirielle West, Amanda Skenandore
9 Rating(s)
List: $19.99 | Sale: $13.99
Club: $9.99

The Second Life of Mirielle West

Author: Amanda Skenandore

Narrator: Nicole Poole

Unabridged: 12 hr 37 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 07/27/2021


Synopsis

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.

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?

About Amanda Skenandore

Amanda Skenandore is an award-winning author of historical fiction and a registered nurse. Her debut novel, Between Earth and Sky, was a Publishers Marketplace Buzz Books selection and winner of the American Library Association's RUSA Reading List award for Best Historical Fiction of the year. Her third novel, The Second Life of Mirielle West, was the 2023 Silicon Valley Reads selection, an Apple Best Book of the Month, and a Hoopla Book Club Pick. She lives in Las Vegas, Nevada.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Misty Marie on July 22, 2022

Well, I learned some new history from this book. I had no idea that there were leper institutes and people suffering from this disease were forced to live there. This read follows Mirielle West, wife of a famous movie star, who discovers she has leprosy. She is forced to leave her family and reside......more

Goodreads review by Madison on August 07, 2021

The Second Life of Mirielle West by Amanda Skenandore Historical fiction based on a US leper colony. A socialite contracts leprosy and is sent away to a government living facility. The story follows her denial, acceptance, friendships, tragedies and life in the colony. The Epilogue was welcome and sat......more

Goodreads review by Rosh ~catching up slowly~ on September 09, 2021

So many books I’ve read lately have a novel concept but fall short in delivery (or maybe my expectations from such books need to come down.) This is one more to add to that list. The concept in this case: An inside look into the only lepers’ colony in the US. Story: Mirielle West is a stereotypical......more

Goodreads review by Jennifer ~ TarHeelReader on July 24, 2021

I really love Amanda Skenandore’s books. This is her third, and I’ve read all three. Mirielle West is the wife of a silent film star. She is sent into quarantine at a leper colony, the only one in the US. Previously she was in the lap of luxury as a socialite living in the 1920s Hollywood. Mirielle is......more

Goodreads review by Karren on June 24, 2021

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......more