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Summary
Summary
Evvy Hoffmeister is thirteen years old when her family brings her to Loon Lake Sanatorium to get cured of tuberculosis (TB). Evvy is frightened by her new surroundings; the rules to abide are harsh and the nurses equally rigid. But Evvy soon falls into step with the other girls in her ward. There's Sarah, quiet but thoughtful; Pearl, who adores Hollywood glamour; and Dina, whose harshness conceals a deep strength. Together, the girls brave the difficult daily routines. Set in 1940 at a time of political unrest throughout the U.S. and Europe, this thought-provoking novel sheds light on a much-feared worldwide illness. Hundreds of thousands of people died each year of TB, and many ill children were sent away to sanatoriums to hopefully recover.
This is a masterful novel--both eloquent and moving--that gives voice to those who fought hard to overcome the illness.
Author Notes
Marsha Hayles is the author of several books for young children. Breathing Room is her first novel. She lives in Pittsford, New York, with her family.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
Set in 1940 at a sanitarium in Loon Lake, Minn., this first novel from picture-book author Hayles (Bunion Burt) is an evocative piece of historical fiction. Thirteen-year-old Evvy Hoffmeister has tuberculosis and feels abandoned by her family when she's sent to the sanitarium to be cured. The cold nurses, strict rules, mind-numbing routines, and endless bed rest are dispiriting for Evvy and her roommates: kind Beverly, glamorous Pearl, and defensive Dena. "Trying to stay alive at Loon Lake felt like it was killing me already," says Evvy. Nonetheless, the girls find strength in each other and discover creative ways to bring cheer. Evvy bonds with a new roommate and a warm nurse, but the beginning of war in Europe and the constant deaths in the institution keep the patients under a dark cloud. Evvy's strong, emphatic narration gives voice to her resentment, isolation, and determination. Hayles's sympathetic characters and detailed account is complemented by historical documents and photos throughout. Readers will feel plunged into the book's intimate-claustrophobic, even-setting and immersed in Evvy's daily struggles. Ages 10-14. Agent: Tracey Adams, Adams Literary. (June) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
Horn Book Review
"A little mystery was better than a lot of boring," thinks thirteen-year-old Evvy Hoffmeister when in May 1940 she is sent to Loon Lake Sanatorium to recover from tuberculosis. This philosophy takes Hayles's first novel far, making a perfect read for those not yet ready for Martha Brooks's emotionally dense Queen of Hearts (rev. 7/11). Although Evvy is at first horribly lonely in the sanatorium, her natural inquisitiveness gradually overcomes her fear and isolation, creating an evenly paced story in which Evvy learns about people and about herself against the backdrop of sanatorium life. While daily life seems to move slowly, Hayles reminds us that change is constant. The war in Europe casts its shadow: Evvy's roommate Sarah hides her Jewish roots, Evvy herself faces cruel comments about her German name, and the inmates argue about whether America should join the war. Their most immediate concern, however, is getting discharged rather than "going home" (i.e., dying of the disease). Hayles's commitment to covering the whole range of possible backgrounds, treatments, and fates for the sanatorium patients (one undergoes a thoracoplasty; another dies of a massive hemorrhage; in a third, TB spreads to her brain; etc.) makes the story seem somewhat contrived, but Hayles succeeds admirably in showing, rather than telling, Evvy's character and growth. The title Breathing Room becomes all the more apt as Evvy both wins back her lungs and becomes her own person. ariel baker-gibbs (c) Copyright 2012. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Booklist Review
Tuberculosis still scourged the nation in 1940, and sanatoriums such as the fictional Loon Lake facility in Hayles' first novel were established to quarantine patients and treat the illness. Shortly after Evelyn arrives there, she tries to put on a brave face, holding back tears. My head hurt with questions. Really, all of me hurt, worse than ever before. I had to close my eyes. Trying to stay alive at Loon Lake felt like it was killing me already. Eventually, she grows more comfortable with the new routines and forges friendships. Hayles provides a fascinating glimpse into the medical technology of the day, such as the pneumothorax to blow air into the chest or surgical rib removal to ease pressure on the lungs. The unique setting provides a backdrop to a well-crafted, believable story complete with happy moments and camaraderie interspersed with a daily reality of anxiety and loss. Despite a well-founded fear of how the disease could cut short her future, Evie evokes a completely normal-sounding teen trying to make sense of the world. Photos and other illustrations enhance the narrative.--O'Malley, Anne Copyright 2010 Booklist
School Library Journal Review
Gr 5-8-Evvy Hoffmeister, 13, arrives at Loon Lake Sanatorium in Minnesota in the early 1940s in hopes of being cured of tuberculosis. She is confined to bed rest in a ward with three other adolescent girls, Beverly, Pearl, and Dena. Evvy misses her family, especially her twin brother, but adjusts to life at Loon Lake, a complex of buildings almost as vividly depicted as the staff and patients it houses. Stony Nurse Marshall, dubbed Old Eagle Eye by Dena, assigns privileges when the girls cough up less bloody sputum and show signs of improving health. Yet death is always close at hand, and Pearl, who had the privilege of leaving the sanatorium for a day, returns happily with gifts of decorated paper fans for her friends, only to die in the hallway from "throwing a ruby," a hemorrhage. Many archaic medical treatments are used on the patients, including thoracoplasty, the removal of a rib to allow a lung to collapse and heal. Sarah, a new patient, becomes Evvy's friend and shares the secret that she is Jewish. With awareness of World War II being fought in Europe, a staff member insults Evvy because of her German surname. She is a resilient and perceptive character who will not be defined by her illness. This powerful novel, illustrated with contemporary objects and documents, portrays an illness that is unfortunately making a comeback. A moving and well-wrought story.-Susan W. Hunter, Riverside Middle School, Springfield, VT (c) Copyright 2012. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Excerpts
Excerpts
Breathing Room CHAPTER 1 Leaving (May 1940) FATHER JERKED THE CAR to the side of the road and stopped. "Are you okay, Evvy?" he asked, turning in his seat to look at me. I pitched my head back, gasping for air between coughs. Breathe! a voice inside me screamed. I dropped the Loon Lake brochure. A blast of heavy, moist air shot up from my lungs and exploded into the handkerchief I'd grabbed and pressed against my lips. But I could breathe again. "I'm okay, Father," I said, though my voice crackled as if it had just been hatched and never used before. "Really I am." He sank back down into his seat and grabbed the steering wheel. "Ya got Francy?" he asked, glancing at me in the rearview mirror, worry in his eyes. I lifted my stuffed bear to show him. Thirteen was too old to be holding on to a teddy bear--at least, that's what Mother thought. I was glad Father didn't feel that way. "Then get some rest, Puddlejump," Father said, using the nickname he'd given me when I was a little girl. "And don't worry, we'll be there soon." As if that could make me feel any better. He put the car in gear, and the two of us were off again, driving to Loon Lake--or Loony Lake, as my twin brother, Abe, had already renamed it--a sanatorium where sick and contagious people like me went to get better. At least, that was the hope. When I knew Father wasn't looking, I opened my hand. The damp handkerchief unfolded just enough so I could see the streaks of blood across it. It wasn't the first time I'd coughed up blood. But I'd never told anybody, not even Abe. I was too afraid. Did this blood mean I was going to die? Copyright (c) 2012 by Marsha Hayles Excerpted from Breathing Room by Marsha Hayles All rights reserved by the original copyright owners. Excerpts are provided for display purposes only and may not be reproduced, reprinted or distributed without the written permission of the publisher.
