Addison Armstrong is a new author to watch! A debut author who can combine sympathetic characters, early care of premature infants, the after effects of WWII, feminism, and a strong plot is a gem.

Goodreads describes this novel as a cross between The Orphan Train and Before We Were Yours. While I do believe fans of those two titles would enjoy THE LIGHT OF LUNA PARK, I also feel that this story has a flavor all unto itself. I also felt that Armstrong's attention to detail was astonishing and accurate. To write historical fiction well a writer needs to be well versed in the history of the time period. I definitely feel that Armstrong did her research. This novel was well researched and just as well written. Highly recommended!

This was a fascinating story and so well-written. I never knew about Coney Island and the first incubators for premature babies. It's a poignant story about mothers and what they will do to protect. Highly recommended.

This book of historical fiction is based on an interesting subject I knew nothing about until reading.

However this unfortunately didn’t hold my interest very well. The dueling storylines between Althea and Stella were okay, but I was disappointed that I didn’t learn much about the historical side of the plot until much later in the story. In the beginning I was left wondering why a medical staff with incubators for babies was at Coney Island and not in a hospital.

This just wasn’t for me I suppose.

I absolutely loved this book. Self-sacrifice is the name of the game. It is an attention keeper from the first to the last page. This is the first book I have read by this author and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

As a mother self sacrifice is the name of the game. Preemies as side show freaks was news to me, but the heart of this historical fiction is a mother's love.

Three months after her mother’s death, Stella uncovers old secrets and discovers she is more like her mother than she had ever thought.

I loved this book. A great story that touched my heart. Highly recommend to those seeking out a great mother daughter story with some history. Wonderful!

What a moving story about the sacrifices a mother makes in the name of love! As a mother myself, I felt this theme in my bones as I read this poignant book. The narrative unfolded smoothly and the characters were realistic and fully developed. I loved every page of this impressive debut!

Thank you to NetGalley and G. P. Putnam's Sons for access to this arc.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.. I loved this book; it was a very emotional journey across dual times lines. And reading about the challenges that these women had to face was both heartwarming and heartbreaking. The decisions that had to be made by both of them, more so Althea, were complicated and posed moral dilemmas on what the right thing would be.

This book takes place across several decades. If I would describe this book in one sentence it would be as follows: The love child between Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate and The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue. You develop and emotional connection with the characters and there the difficult positions each of the women find themselves. I will definitely be adding this collection to our public library as well as my personal one.

What a beautiful story of love and sacrifice and perseverance. As the mother of an adopted daughter, I felt a special connection to Althea. I understood the choices she made for her daughter, and how those choices, while viewed by others as sacrifices, were done unhaltingly as a part of motherhood. I'm so impressed that this is a debut novel, and I look forward to Addison Armstrong's future novels. Althea and Stella are two characters who will stay with me for a long time.

A special thank you to the author, publisher, and Netgalley for the chance to read an early copy of The Light of Luna Park for a fair and honest review.

My thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
Historical fiction can teach us much about things we never questioned or why things are or even events that have been lost to time. Addison Armstrong in The Light of Luna Park shows a part of Coney Island history that I knew nothing about, or even thought could be. Combined with a strong female character who faces all the chauvinism and claptrap that woman had to (have to) deal with with a strong righteous spirit that bends but does not break. Add in a family not of blood but of choice and love you have a wonderful story that reminds a person of why books can lift you up and remind you of how wonderful the world can be. A truly enjoyable story.

This historical fiction novel is a beautiful balance between the heartbreaking (and simultaneously miraculous) story of premature babies on Coney Island and the selflessness of a mother's love. Taking place from two different perspectives in two different time periods, this book takes you on a journey of difficult decisions and critical realizations.

This well-researched book is a fascinating tale about the depths that nurses, mothers, and good hearted humans will go to to fight for what is right.

Do not sleep on this book, it was worth every minute spent reading!!

What a phenomenal book!

The Light of Luna Park was a captivating story following two timelines of mother and daughter as they each grappled with societies that identify groups of individuals who can be cast aside. The parallels between the two stories helped to emphasize the impact one individual can make but also the emotional impact such a journey can have for the individual and those around them. I couldn't help but become attached to the characters as they experienced the joys and sorrows of their life based on their choices. In addition, The Light of Luna Park shed a light on a piece of history that is hardly mentioned or known about, crafting a deep interest to learn more about throughout the story. The connection between historical fiction, family, and sacrifice created a well-rounded story that any reader could find a connection too.

Overall, The Light of Luna Park was a beautifully written story that I couldn't put down and I would highly recommend to read!

I loved this book! Once I started reading it, I could not put it down. The book tells the story of two women in different time periods. Althea Anderson is a nurse in training who wants to try to save the premature babies she sees on her obstetrics rotation. She reads about the incubator babies at Luna Park in Coney Island but can't get anyone to listen to her ideas. Stella Wright is a newlywed teacher whose mother recently passed away. She has just quit a job she loves and is struggling in her marriage when she finds a letter in her mother's things that change everything she thought she knew about her parents. This was such a quick easy read but the writing was fantastic. You really got a feel for the angst these women feel over the decisions that they make. Love of family is evident throughout the book as well as the sacrifices one is willing to make for those they love.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an electronic advanced copy in exchange for a review.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Interesting book! I had no idea about the history of incubators at Coney Island. I enjoyed this book, but I thought Althea was a little too selfless. She missed out on basically her entire life, except being Stella's mother. I completely get that was the point of the book, but I guess it just felt a little too far-fetched to me.

Great story about how far you will go for someone. I love historical fiction and this story did not disappoint. The characters are heartwarming and you get attached to them.

4.5 out of 5 stars

What a lovely debut novel from Addison Armstrong. It started off a little slow for me but then it hooked me and I couldn’t put it down.

Stella Wright is mourning the loss of her mother, struggling to educate children’s whose disabilities are deemed undesirable by society and trying to figure out how to handle a WWII veteran husband suffering from PTSD. After a fight with her husband, she flees to New York City to begin clearing out her mother’s empty apartment. What she finds turns her world upside down and she sets out on an adventure of not only self discovery but of her mother too.

Althea Anderson is studying to be a nurse at Bellevue. She’s currently in her obstetrics rotation and heart breakingly has to watch premature babies die before they even get a chance to live. When she discovers that a doctor has set up a ward at Luna Park with incubators for such babies, she tries to convince the doctor she is working with to send the infants there but he refuses. So...she takes matters into her own hands and “kidnaps” a baby in hopes of saving her. Her love for this child dictates every decision she makes going forward.

Being a historical fiction novel, I did turn to google a few times to learn a bit more about Luna Park and Dr Couney who is credited for saving thousands of children’s lives. It’s a fascinating moment in history and when a historical fiction novel encourages me to seek out more information, I consider that a major win. So I have to thank NetGalley & Addison Armstrong for allowing me to read this in advance. It was a great way to kick off my 2021 reading challenge!