Voices in the Sanitorium by Amy Lynn Walsh Blog Tour Book Review

About the Book

Book: Voices in the Sanitorium

Author: Amy Lynn Walsh

Genre: Historical Mystery, Women’s Fiction

(This is not horror or paranormal.  Readers will have no trouble falling asleep after reading this!)

Release Date: October, 2022

Relocating from Manhattan, teenage Aislyn must adjust to life near the abandoned West Mountain Sanitarium. One night, Aislyn joins new friends in the old ruins — and seems to return home with a different personality. Not long after Aislyn purchases a diary written almost a century ago by Bridget, a young patient recovering from tuberculosis on the sanitorium grounds, strange things begin to happen.

Click here to get your copy!

My Review

This novel explores an issue many teens face, moving to a new place and having to make new friends. Aislyn does not handle the situation well. Walsh adds to that plot idea by placing Aislyn and her family next to an old tuberculosis facility. The possibility of mysterious happenings are introduced. There is a clear presentation within the novel, however, of what the Bible says about supposed ghosts and things similar.

I thought the novel was going to be for teens since high school junior Aislyn is a prominent character. But the focus turned out to be more on her mother and how she came to understand what was happening to Aislyn and the meaning of it all. Walsh's writing style, such as descriptions, is much more suited to adults than youth. I like to learn when I read fiction and in this case there was lots of information about how tuberculosis was treated decades ago.

While the issues with Aislyn are worked out, it is quite complex, shown by the length of the denouement. This is a novel for readers who like ones featuring insight into the past through a dual time style plot with an old and revealing diary.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

 

About the Author

Amy Walsh writes historical and contemporary romance, mysteries, speculative fiction, and women’s fiction.  She  is a 5th-grade writing teacher in an urban public school.  Amy and her husband, Patrick, have three children. Amy considers herself greatly blessed in the roles God has given her as an earthling, including aspiring wordsmith, teacher of youngsters, nature appreciator, tea aficionado, avid dessert fan, book fanatic, lover of family and friends, and Christ follower.

More from Amy

Mam’s Apple Cinnamon Scones with Maple Cinnamon Glaze

These are the scones Katherine’s mother makes the morning their new friend Cadence comes for an Irish tea.  This time of fellowship marks a turning point in the plot of Voices in the Sanitorium.

The dough:

2 3/4 cups flour

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 stick of softened butter

1 diced small apple

3/4 cup cinnamon chips (optional)

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup applesauce

For best results, follow the steps below.  However, if you are as busy as Katherine is with four children and a thriving Irish textile business, you can just melt the butter in the microwave and throw all the ingredients together at once, and these scones will still be delicious.

• In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, and cinnamon.
• Mix in the butter just until the mixture is crumbly
• Stir in the chopped apple and cinnamon chips.
• Mix the eggs, vanilla, and applesauce in another bowl, then add these to the dry ingredients.
• Make sure you have parchment paper or have floured your baking sheet.
• Drop scoops of the dough onto the baking sheet. (about ¼ cup scoops)
• Bake for 20 minutes at 425 degrees or until golden brown

Notes:

If pressed for time, Mam just makes drop scones.  When guests are coming, she forms the dough into a circle about ¾ inch high, cuts the dough into pie pieces on the parchment paper, then gently pulls the pieces apart and uses her fingers to form them into perfect isosceles triangles.

Sometimes Mam puts the dough into the freezer after forming it on the baking pan.  She says freezing dough for a half hour makes them softer.  Katherine has never noticed a difference.

Glaze:

• 1 ½ cup powdered sugar,
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3 tablespoons melted butter
• 3/4 teaspoon vanilla
• 4 ½ Tablespoons maple syrup

If the glaze needs to be thickened, add more powdered sugar.  If it is too thick, add more syrup, cream, or milk.  You can put it in the microwave for about fifteen seconds if it starts to get firm while you wait for the scones to come out of the oven.

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I received a complimentary egalley of this book through Celebrate Lit. My comments are an independent and honest review. The rest of the copy of this post was provided by Celebrate Lit.

(My star ratings: 5-I love it, 4-I like it, 3-It's OK, 2-I don't like it, 1-I hate it.)