Comfort

After reading BLUE, I was not disappointed by the sequel, COMFORT. The story of Ann Fay's continued recovery from polio and her devastation was incredibly inspiring. I have read stories about polio before, but this one was different because the disease affected the Honeycutt family so deeply. Ann Fay's difficult choice is relatable with many people's stories today - the choice between caring for yourself and helping your family. When Ann Fay decides to go to Warm Springs, she is greeted by one of the most nourishing and wonderful experiences of her life. My heart leaped as she began to get well. But soon after she begins to heal, she discovers that her family's happiness is in jeopardy. She must put her own wellness aside as she returns home. COMFORT is filled with love and the longing for wellness, and the small, interesting bits make up a completely refreshing novel for older readers. Reviewed by: Jane Kinner

Polio is a challenge that many had to face, but it was just a small part of a bigger problem for Ann Fay. "Comfort" is a sequel to Joyce Moyer Hostetter's previous story about Ann Fay, 'Blue'. Troubled with flare-ups from her polio she finds that the available treatment for her disease will separate her from her family - who seem to need her more than ever. "Comfort" is a moving story of one girl trying to overcome her ailments to better her life.

Ann Fay's story in "Blue" told of the heartrendering effects of polio on one family. In "Comfort" our horizons expand to other problems faced by this family, other children with polio, and all girls as they become aware of themselves and the life around them. Hopefully, all the girls in my family will be introduced to the teen years in such a wholesome way.

Thank you Joyce Hostetter for letting us experience the continuing life story of Ann Fay, who although a fictional character, lives a real life in the pages of your books. Ann Faye has grown & developed without bitterness or self pity. She is a strong and complete person in her own right. and owes much to you for allowing her to emerge. I hope we will get to hear more from her & her family in the future. Ann Faye's life and surroundings in the forties and fifties took me back again to the place she lived & the people she knew. I as well as Ann Fay had polio in 1944 and experienced many of the same emotions & trials she did. If you are a younger person, I can assure you this is the way it was back in those days,and I was comforted to visit that era once again. This may be a book for younger people, but I highly recommend it for all those who lived through those times. Read the book & pass it down along with 'BLUE' to your grandchildren and those who follow.

In this sequel to Hostetter's Blue (2006),we learn of Ann Fay's struggles coming home from the emergency polio hospital in Hickory, NC. It's the summer of 1945 and her father has returned from "Fighting Hitler". Just as Ann Fay's world has changed with her braces and crutches and classmates who don't want to get her polio germs or her call her mean nicknames like "Click", her beloved Daddy is not the same, either. Ann Fay gets to spend part of the next year in the lavish world of Warm Springs, Georgia seeking therapy that strengthens her limbs. But she worries about her father, who jumps at little noises and flares up at family members. The novel is written with the effective voice of a 14 year old, mountain girl. Historical fiction highlights are well researched.