Does life ever get better, especially with constant stumbling blocks that only morph into bigger challenges? Carol, the protagonist of The Moments Between Dreams by Judith F. Brenner, is a stay-at-home mom of Ellie and Tommy. Ellie falls sick and is diagnosed with polio, which unfortunately damages her limbs. She requires lots of medication, physical therapy, and medical appointments. Besides that, Carol is married to a husband who is barely home to help with the situation, and when he is, he finds pleasure in beating her up whenever she tries to speak her mind. With the passing of her mother Babcia, she loses her only source of strength. How does she move forward from this? She must decide whether to succumb or hold her head high despite life's tragedies.

What I liked about The Moments Between Dreams by Judith F. Brenner is that it creates awareness about the polio virus and its impact on the victims and their families. The pain and trauma the victims and family members endure from all the medication and surgery can be unbearable. The medical bills strain the family finances and throw them into a state of confusion, especially because they cannot pay for basic amenities. The discrimination the victim has to endure, such as stigmatization by other kids who don't want to play with her, damages her social life. The school no longer wants to be held responsible if anything happens to their child. These consequences not only affect the victims of polio but all other long-term diseases. I recommend this novel to readers to create awareness and help them understand the condition of patients who suffer from polio and to accept and help where they can. I also recommend it to readers who enjoy historical family fiction.

The Moments Between Dreams: A Novel by Judith F. Brenner is a historical work that unravels in the early 1940s on Chicago’s southwest side. Carol Wozniak is a young Polish-American housewife with two children and an abusive husband. In the summer of 1943, she took her children Tom and Ellie to swim in a public pool. Some days later, Ellie was diagnosed with polio and was paralyzed from the neck down. Making her situation worst, her husband Joe was drafted into the US Navy when the Second World War broke out. At a time when very few women drove cars and were dependent on men for many things, Carol’s situation was overwhelming. This book narrates Carol’s tumultuous journey as she struggled to provide for her children and deal with her husband’s abuse.

Judith F. Brenner’s The Moments Between Dreams is a trip back in time to the 1940s and 1950s. The polio vaccine was not available then, and the United States suffered from outbreaks of the disease. Well researched and informative, it also focuses on domestic violence as the author takes us inside Carol’s life behind closed doors. Ellie’s struggle with polio is rich with vivid details, and it is an eye-opener. Readers should also find it easy to empathize with Carol as she finds the courage and strength to deal with her situation. A lot of things have changed since then but there are still women trapped in abusive relationships, so the theme is still relevant. Highly recommended!