I first heard of the incubators at Coney Island in a fiction book I was reading. That book took place at Coney Island and kept talking about the incubator attraction. I had to look it up. That is where I found out about the amazing Dr. Couney and his side show attraction of premature infants in incubators. I had to learn more. That is where I found this book. The story of Couney is astounding. Here was a man who loved babies and believed in saving as many as he could. Since hospitals at that time didn't usually bother with preemies, they were either sent to Couney or the parents decided to take them to him. If not, they were set to survive on their own in which they didn't tend to make it. At the attraction Couney would charge visitors to see this amazing feat of saving infants. The money then went to the incubators, wet nurses and staff. Along with his wife and the head nurse, many babies were saved.
As for this book in general. It was sorely put together. The timeline went all over the place and made it very confusing. The author would go on rants about things that weren't even necessary. She also covered a lot of people that could have very well stayed out of the story. Unfortunately, the book did not do as much justice for Couney and his staff as it should have. The one good thing was there were lots of interesting pictures peppered throughout the book.

Share/Like this Review?