As Bright as Heaven

Beautifully poignant and beautifully written, As Bright As Heaven deals with one families trials and heartache during during a harsh time in American history. One ripe with a war ending and a deadly disease on the cusp of infecting millions and leaving almost everyone affected by both.

Starting in 1918 and spanning the length of 8 years we get to meet the Brights who from the very first chapter are dealing with a loss no family should have to go through.

This was a beautiful story told through the Bright women of what it means to survive, move on and to overcome the devastating heartache of not only death but of loss and despair.

These four women, each with a unique voice, grow and become stronger as the story progresses and you can't help but admire how they tackle everything that stands in their way and their ability to still smile and most of all, love.

One fans of the time period and historical fans in general don't want to miss out on.

Wow.....Have your tissues ready because you will feel all the feels. ‘As Bright as Heaven’ is storytelling at its best. This is the first book that I have read by Susan Meisser, but it certainly won’t be the last. When I started ‘As Bright as Heaven’, I had no idea about the plot or the setting. I was surprised to discover that much of the story takes places in a funeral home during the Spanish Flu Epidemic in 1918. I’ve never read a book with the setting of a funeral home, or about the Spanish Flu for that matter. I found the funeral home setting kind of odd at first but it then it quickly becomes part of the story and the author brings out all the good that is done at a funeral home. I enjoyed how the family embraced life and work on the funeral home and made it their own.
The author does an excellent job at making characters come alive for the reader. You share in their decisions and feel their heartbreak.
The author gives the reader a lot to think about concerning death as well as fate. Highly emotional book, well worth reading.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All Opinions are my Own.

I generally like historical fiction. I’m finding myself reading it a lot more. But I LOVED this book and found it to be a page-turner, even. This is Meissner’s best book so far. It hit all the emotions and I couldn’t get enough.

This is a story of the Bright family, Thomas and Pauline and their three daughters, who move from Quakertown, Pennsylvania, to Philadelphia so Thomas can help his uncle run his mortuary. But the the Spanish Flu hits. This was an epidemic I knew nothing about and was beyond fascinated by the amount of people it affected and how quickly it did its damage.

I think you’ll enjoy this read if you liked the HBO show Six Feet Under or the movie My Girl starring Anna Chlumsky. The daughters who narrate it all have an innocence to them at the beginning that gets lost more and more as their world changes.

Hard to believe my first book out of the year was a 5 star read but I truly loved the characters and the story.

Set in Philadelphia in 1918 at the beginning of the Great War, this is the story of the Bright family; Thomas, Pauline, Evelyn, Maggie and Willa have recently buried their baby son and brother Henry. The Brights move to Philadelphia where Thomas is to become an apprentice (and heir) to his uncle Fred's undertaker and funeral home business. Their dream of a better life is interrupted by the Spanish Flu epidemic that claims too many lives to count.

The author chose the four female members of the Bright family as alternating narrators and each revealed a distinct personality. I felt most connected to Evelyn as I felt her to be the strongest member of the family.

This is a beautifully written story of a little known epidemic in United States history. I would highly recommend this for anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

I received an advanced readers copy of this book; all opinions are my own.

As Bright as Heaven is just that: bright, shimmering, and so fresh it almost catches your breath, like a clear, cold day. Multiple narrators' voices draw the reader into early 20th Century Philadelphia, just before the onset of the Spanish Flu epidemic. What seemed like a new start for one family would instead test their health, resilience, and the new life they are building as America's involvement in WWI brings an epidemic to her shores. Shifting attitudes about death, illness, public health, and German-Americans are explored through the eyes of a mother and her three daughters, family members of the local undertaker, during a time of great social upheaval. At no time does Susan Meissner's writing get in the way of the narrative, but instead leads the reader effortlessly through the war, the epidemic, and one family's struggles to a resolution that is nearly as bright as the beginning.

Full disclosure: I received an Advance copy from the publisher.

I absolutely loved this book! It wasn't too long ago that I read my first book by Susan Meissner and I have read everything I could get my hands on since then.

This book is a story about family. It is about love and loss. It is about the different ways people live with the losses they have suffered in their lives. There are many different kinds of love and they are all equally important. Some people lose one love only to discover that they are later presented with the opportunity to love again.

The characters in AS BRIGHT AS HEAVEN touched my heart with their vulnerability and genuine flaws and I could identify with them. I wanted to offer them comfort and friendship and advice.

There are few books set during the time period of WWI and the flu epidemic. I was very interested in learning about it.

If you love historical fiction, you will definitely enjoy this book.

The Bright family move from the farm to Philadelphia, where Thomas, the husband, is to become an undertaker. The book alternates between Pauline, the mother, and their daughters, Evelyn, Maggie and Willa. With an outbreak of Spanish flu, their new life is suddenly transformed beyond all belief. When Maggie and Pauline visit the sick to hand out food, Maggie finds a baby and a dying girl in one of the houses. Taking the baby, Maggie pretends that he was alone and that she can't remember where he was found.

This was a well written and engaging book. Each point of view was interesting and added to the story. Well paced, the book spanned multiple years, showing how the flu epidemic changed and shaped their lives. I love historical fiction and this is one of the better ones that I've read. Overall, highly recommended.

Susan Meissner is a master at storytelling and this book didn't disappoint. She keeps finding unique stories to tell about topics I don't know much about. The characters are highlighted in each chapter, and you can't help but fall in love with them. Pauline and her husband decide to move their three girls to Philadelphia to help create a better life for the family. Willa is the baby and is very headstrong and has an explosive temper at times. Maggie is the middle child and is problem solver who helps her family through many tragedies even though some are brought on by her.

The family sees more lose than the average person in 1918 and beyond due to the Spanish flu and WWI. They handle it in completely different ways, but discover ways that work for them in order to keep their sanity.

I received an advance review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I just love Susan Meissner's stories. And while I especially love her dual timeline stories, this latest book, a straight historical, was beautiful and moving. Maybe my favorite of hers so far.

In 1918, the Bright family seeks a better life in Philadelphia as the father is offered a job with his uncle's undertaking business. That is a transition in itself and then the flu breaks out in conjunction with the first World War and thousands lose their lives in a span of weeks. The Bright family has a front row seat to the devastation as bodies pile up in their house, and the flu does not leave them personally untouched.

I learned so much about the flu epidemic of 100 years ago, and I was inspired by the fictional stories of people who survived.

As Bright as Heaven shows us what beauty can be found in the midst of tragedy.

The year is 1918, the town is Philadelphia. The story revolves around the Bright family, newly relocated to Philadelphia from Quakertown to take over a family undertaking business. As men are headed off to fight in World War 1 the nation is hit with a devastating plague. That plague was called the Spanish Influenza. This is Meissner’s best work to date, in my opinion. I was enraptured with this story and couldn’t stop turning the pages. Fall in love with the Bright family. Read their story told in the alternating voices of a mother and her three daughters as they journey through a time of life that many of us know little about. What a beautifully written story rich in history, filled with a cast of characters that you won’t soon forget and a perfect ending! Thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the free review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

From the first page, I was drawn into this novel because of the immense amount of detail used. Meissner wonderfully showed the scenes and made it so easy to relate to the characters. I felt like I was in the Bright family while reading this novel, which always means the author did a fantastic job with it.

During this novel, I could feel the emotions of the characters. I was experiencing their pain, joy, trauma, and love right along with them. I like how each main woman in this novel gets their own chapters. It made it so they all could be complexly developed that led to wanting to read more about each of the women. I was engrossed in each story and found that by highlighting each woman that their issues were able to be explored more deeply.

I really enjoyed how Meissner wrote about a time in history that isn't in a lot of novels I read. It helped me get out of my comfort zone. It was different from my normal historical fiction, which is what made it so enjoyable.

4.5 stars

What an amazing book. This is the second book by Meissner that I have enjoyed. Her book The Secrets of a Charmed Life was an amazing audiobook. So I was thrilled to receive an ARC of her newest book, As Bright as Heaven.

This is an intimate look at how one family deals with loss, death, and war. There are four alternating points of view. At times, this book gutted me. I haven't had an ugly cry since reading The Nightingale. Grab your tissues because you will need them.

" We only see a little bit of our stories at a time, and he hard parts remind us too harshly that we're fragile and flawed. But it isn't all hard. Your story isn't all hard parts. Some of it is incredibly beautiful."

I received an advance review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Check out the full review at Kritters Ramblings

It is 1918 Philadelphia and this family moves from the country to the city for an opportunity that could change their life greatly for the better. They will become the local undertaker and operate and live in a funeral home. With three daughters and a recently deceased baby son, this family is in need of a change of scenery.

One of the things that made me adore this book was that all three sisters and the mother narrated this book. Divided in small chapters, even the youngest was given an opportunity to tell the story from her point of view. I love when there are multiple narrators, but taking it to the next level and giving space to a young child was just fun.

I could not put this one down. Taking place during the Great War, As Bright as Heaven follows the Bright family as they move from the country to bustling Philadelphia just in time to experience the pandemic known as the Spanish Flu. As Thomas learns the family business, the flu begins to affect the family in more way than they could possibly imagine, and will continue to do so well into adulthood of all of their children.

As Bright as Heaven was beautifully written and it brought to light things I didn’t previously know. I personally love when a novel touches on something I have little knowledge on, because it then prompts me to research and learn more. Meissner has once again written something wonderful.

I received an advanced edition of this book. All opinions are mine alone.

Another fantastic read from Susan Meissner- 4.5 stars! I have enjoyed all of her books.

This story takes place in Philadelphia in 1918 in the midst of the Spanish Flu epidemic. It was shocking to hear of the effects of the flu on every single person...young, old, poor, rich...it was devastating.

The story of the Bright family who leave their small town and head to Philly for a better life. After losing her baby son (not to the flu) Polly (Pauline) her husband and her daughters Evelyn, Maggie, and Willa head to their Uncle's funeral palor for Tom to learn the business. The girls adjust to living in a funeral home and all that goes with it just as the flu hits and changes all of their lives. They take in a baby that has lost it's family and cherish it as their own. This baby is the hope they need for the future.

This is a story of a family that is shattered and rebuilds itself through heartache and pain to see the journey of each daughter and how their struggles shape their lives.

A thoroughly engrossing story of the Bright family and the tragedies of losing a child, WWI, and the Spanish Flu epidemic. I loved the three daughters, Evie, Maggie,and Willa. All had unique personalities and the story highlighted their strengths and weaknesses and at the same gave us insight into their family. It's wonderful when a book can transport you to another era and you lose yourself. I truly forgot it was 2017 at times. I felt like I was there in Philadelphia taken over by the horrific epidemic. a sort of silent observer. I even enjoyed the special peek at the workings of the funeral parlor where Mr. Bright works along side his uncle. A perfect read for any lover of historical fiction. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Bookish First for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner is a powerfully evocative novel that just swept me away. As I read this book, I realized I couldn't put it down. The characters jumped off the page and this achingly beautiful story took hold of my heart and wouldn't let go. As I drew to the close of this story, I longed for more. I wasn't ready to say good-bye but I found the end of this book came all too soon. I so enjoyed this book, I know I will revisit it time and again.

I most definitely recommend Bright as Heaven!

I received this book for free. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are my own. Thank you to Ms. Meissner, Berkely Publishing as well as Netgalley for the opportunity to read/review this book.

Susan Meissner knows how to write character driven stories that capture your heart from the beginning. As with her other books she takes a particularly devastating time in history and weaves a story that is both rich in history and raw in emotion. I am sure I learned about the Spanish Flu Epidemic in history, but nothing could've prepared me for emotional ride of this book.

I am thankful for author's like Ms. Meissner who write about things that happened in history, putting skin on, making it real not just lines in a history text book.

Whether you are a fan of historical fiction or not, this is a book about overcoming adversity, and finding hope in the darkness, something we all can relate to. It is a definite must read!

This book is historical fiction set in Philadelphia in the early 1900s.
From the first page, this book pulled me in. I loved reading from each character's perspective of what was happening to each of them.
I did not know that much about Spanish flu, and had no idea it was such a factor in the lives of Americans and especially Philadelphia.
I felt the author really made me feel in the story and become a part of their world in Philadelphia in that time period.
This is a novel about overcoming tragedy, hardship and even death to loved ones. It will tug at your heartstrings and you will shed a tear as you come to love each of the characters and cheer for them. I could not put this book down and did not want it to end.

It was with great anticipation that I began to read this new book by Susan Meissner - one of my favorite authors! As our country continued to suffer under the effects of a vicious flu season, the subject matter couldn't have been more timely. The story of the Bright family and their journey from a home they were accustomed to into the bustling town of Philadelphia in 1918 brings to life the trials and heartache and perseverance of a mother and father and their daughters Evelyn, Maggie and Willa. From an uncle that houses them in his funeral home business to a horrible Spanish Flu outbreak that touches them all, the reader is pulled into their lives through Susan's unique ability to use words to tell a meaningful story. You pray, you cry and you applaud as the Bright family and those who they befriend survive and go on to live and love again. Highly recommend this book and all of Susan Meissner's books.

“Life is wonderful and beautiful but oh, how hard it can be.”
This is a story of a family and how they were affected by the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918. I don't want to give too much of the story away, but I can tell you that it made me cry and I have decided to read all of the author's previous books. She can really write!

The characters in the book are realistic and never sugar coated. They do make mistakes but then doesn't everyone?

I highly recommend this book and can tell you that the audible version is wonderful. Each character has a different voice so it is very easy to differentiate between them. I borrowed this book from my local library.

This novel begins in 1918 during the confluence of the Great War and the Spanish flu. It centers around the Bright family who left the tobacco fields when the father, Tom, is asked to assist his uncle in running a mortuary in Philadelphia where the family will live. The Brights' only son died as an infant leaving his parents and three sisters bereft. The experiences of the family members are seen in first-person accounts in alternating chapters. The unexpected advent of a foster son is shrouded in a mystery known only to the middle daughter, Maggie. They name him Alex and he brings joy to their lives. The mystery of his arrival at their home will have haunting repercussions. Tragedy strikes the family during the flu epidemic; however, the next eight years bring changes to the daughters' lives that ultimately end in happiness.

I am in the minority in not giving this book a higher rating, but I found that an interesting premise turned into a stereotypical happily-ever-after ending that lacked credibility. For me, it simply lacked a depth of emotion that would have made it memorable.

Having read and loved several of Susan Meissner's books, I was anxious to read this new one and was not disappointed. It's a little ironic that we are currently at the peak of the seasonal flu and I'm reading about the great 1918 outbreak of the Spanish flu that killed millions of people. Told in heartbreaking detail, this beautifully written story revolves around a family struggling to survive in Philadelphia during the epidemic and World War I and the devastating impact in the years after. Before reading this, I had very limited knowledge of the Spanish flu and how devastating it was. I always enjoy learning something new from my reading. If you are a fan of historical fiction, don't miss this stunning book.

I was provided an advance galley copy of this book to read for an honest review (from net galley.com). I have read all of Meissner's books, and I find that her work just gets better with every new release! This one had me involved from the first page, and I did not want it to end. Meissner's ability to write such engaging fiction, drawing from historical events, adds to the overall depth and substance of the pieces, and certainly the character development. You will become involved with the characters very early in this book Be sure to start reading this book when you have the time to read it from start to finish because I predict you will have difficulty putting it down! This would be an excellent book for a book club and should stimulate wonderful discussion. I intend to purchase several copies of this book as gifts for my bibliophile friends.

The flu epidemic of 1918 occurred during World War I devastating impact on families is told through the many characters that pass through the door of Uncle Fred’s funeral home. This is a tale of missed opportunities, sadness, and consequences. The setting is accurate to the period. My favorite line in the book comes near the end, “I guess all of us are just doing the best we can with what life hands us”.

I received this book through a Goodreads giveaway. Although encouraged, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

First of all, thank you to BookishFirst and @berkleypub for the advanced copy I won. I was anxious to read this one as soon as I read a little piece of it.

This story takes place in Philadelphia during the Spanish flu outbreak of 1918. Not something I knew much about but Susan Meissner made you feel like you were there. Her descriptions made you see it and when out in my daily life, when I heard coughing I flinched as I was living this book.

This is a story of hope, love and surviving tragedy. You first meet the Bright family as they suffer a tragic loss and decide to go live with an uncle in the city. The dad is to learn the undertaking trade. The three daughters aren't so sure about this but they adjust along with mom and life starts OK until the flu hits. You can picture how awful it was and what everyone endured. The story does move on from there and they adjust to live again and to loving.

One of the parts that stayed with me is a reference to how we are like butterflies and on earth for only a brilliant moment. I loved that sentiment.

Look this book up and give it a read. You will be touched.

I received an advance review copy from NetGalley. This story will take your breath away with its emotional voice. Heart breaking, vivid and will have you sniffling at certain points so definitely have those tissues ready. Heck just curl up in your favorite chair with a throw over your knees as you savor this masterpiece of a story. I felt as if I was with them all along. I love when I feel that I have climbed into the story to be part of their lives for a short period of time. That is the sign of a very well told story. Unputdownable and must belong in your library now. Happy reading!

Today is the day! "As Bright as Heaven" is released! I am grateful to have been given an opportunity to read this new novel from Susan Meissner in advance of its publication date, thanks to Penguin Random House and Bookish First!

As a fan of historical fiction and family sagas told from varying perspectives, I found the book to be an enjoyable read. The subject matter, a family new to Philadelpha, coping with the outbreak of the Spanish Flu epidemic, is a heavy subject, but the author writes in a very approachable manner which should appeal to a wide variety of readers.

I can easily see this book being optioned for a screenplay and I would love to see how it would come alive in film. Some of the minor issues I had were related to character development, and I think that an adaptation would be forced to wrestle with some of these issues.

I loved getting to know the four points of view of the Bright family women and girls. Pauline, the family matriarch, and her three daughters, Evie, Maggie, and Willa. I believe that the story could have been enriched by possibly eliminating the point of view of the youngest child, Willa, and adding the perspective of Pauline's husband or Uncle Fred, who opened his home to the family initially, drawing them to Philadelphia in the first place for the purpose of training the girls' father in the art of mortuary science. Willa evolved as she got older and later served an interesting role in introducing the era of prohibition into the novel, but honestly, this seems like a loose direction intended to perhaps create an opening for a follow up novel on the lives of the three girls' transition to adulthood.

In addition, I wanted to love Maggie and Pauline, too, and I certainly was rooting for them throughout the novel, but their motivation behind actions and lack of self awareness as to what drove them to make certain decisions could be frustrating. Were Pauline and Maggie's pull toward helping in the morgue meant to indicate that they are tragic figures? Why couldn't they just speak their truths? Perhaps these are questions that Meissner intentionally left open ended as a way to explore the gray area of moving through uncertainty and tragedy, but I had a hard time coming to terms with what made them tick and why they took the risks they did.

Further, there was a lot of blind faith in asking the reader to come along with Maggie's love for Jamie when there is no development of that relationship once they are older and little understanding of what really cinched the transition from youthful puppy love to full blown adult adoration. I found a similar thread in the story line with Evie and Conrad. I don't doubt these character's capacity to love those that they do, but I want to see more about the how and why of it, especially with the ground laid earlier in the novel regarding the loving and natural relationship between the girls' parents.

I would have done a few things differently, but I'm the reader, not the author, and despite these nits, I do believe that "As Bright as Heaven" is a worthwhile read for those of us that enjoy historical fiction, women's stories, and family sagas. There is a little bit of noise which obstructs the primary story line, but it does not in any way detract from a satisfying conclusion.

I was thoroughly captivated by the saga of the Bright family. The Bright family moves to Philadelphia to work in the family funeral home. Just as they are settling into their new life, the Spanish flu strikes. Told from the viewpoints of the four Bright females, this story pulled me in from the first sentence. Susan Meissner wrote a beautiful book about finding hope amongst tragedy.

I received an advanced reader's copy from Goodreads. All opinions are my own.

Wow, did this book pack a punch. Stunningly written and the story itself was full of the darkest and lightest moments in life. It is a serious tearjerker but it leaves you full of hope. It's told from four POVs, a mother and her three daughters, over the course of several years. Normally alternating POVs are just not my thing, but the writing in this one was done so well I was seamlessly able to transition from character to character without noticing any interruption. If you love a good historical family saga definitely give this one a try. Thanks very much to the publisher for providing me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved this book from beginning to finish. It got me right in the feels. I laughed, cried, was shocked, scared, and elated sometimes all at the same time. I often read in the early mornings drinking some coffee and many times found myself looking around to envision the characters in the room with me. The story was so well written you could see this story playing like a movie. The historical aspect of this story was spot on for me. As a history person, historical fiction is often my go to genre, but sometimes it is disappointing. This was so not the case.
The family you meet in this story is just like every other family. You can just imagine their struggles were the struggles of many American families during that time. There was loss and gain. There was happy moments, sad moments, and moments you didn't know what to feel there was just too much going on. I would recommend this book to anybody especially if you like historical fiction.

I absolutely adored this book. Ms. Meissner tackles some difficult subject matter here that had me sobbing my heart out at times, but she uses such beautiful language and grace in how she deals with the loss of people we love. I absolutely fell in love with the Bright family. It's my favorite book so far this year. I only gave it four stars, because the ending felt a little rushed, which was disappointing to me.

The story follows the Bright family and their lives after moving to Philadelphia in pursuit of bigger and better things. It takes place during the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic, a dark time in history when a war and the flu claimed millions of lives around the world.

The writing is beautiful and engaging. It's told by four different characters (all female) ranging from young child to adult. I loved getting getting to know these characters and their different perspectives on their daily lives and struggles.

As Bright As Heaven centers around love and loss, survival, family and community, courage and kindness.

This one definitely pulled at my heartstrings and gave me all the feels. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

Just finished this beauty last night and absolutely loved it! Susan Meissner writes an exquisite tale of love & loss commingled with interesting history.
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The Bright family moves to the city of Philadelphia for a better life in the early 1900s, only to encounter a malicious Spanish flu that gives & takes from them more than they could ever expect. One of my favorite books so far this year! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Good story. I am a romantic about this time period in general and I don't know how I got so far in life without realizing how devastating the Spanish Flu was when it hit the United States. I loved the details regarding the flu and how it affected so many lives and families.

I received an advance review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Fabulous read. This story takes place during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic. It is a very emotional story and tells you how dark and depressing time it was. I loved how Susan Meissner had you follow the life of the Bright daughters. I was able to feel every emotion that was conveyed throughout the book. This book will have you in tears, smiling, shaking your head & even elated.

What an incredible book! Such amazing story telling! Beautifully written and easy to follow each person's point of view. Great build up to a heart breaking climax then down again to prepare you for a great ending. This book made me laugh, cry, get mad, feel afraid and have hope. A truly amazing piece of fiction. BRAVO! ?????

The cover of this books drew me in immediately. How eye-catching it is. It makes you wonder what the woman in the picture is all about.

The story starts out when a woman of 3 girls gives birth to a surprisingly quiet, beautiful baby boy. They find out the reason for his subdued, sweet temperament soon. Soon after the family receives an offer to move to the city (during WWII) so the husband could work for and eventually inherit a funeral parlor. As the main character decides whether or not she wants to travel closer to the war-torn city, she contemplates Death.

The writing style was a but off-putting at first, for me, but I quickly acclimated to the author's style and started to enjoy it.

As Bright As Heaven is Susan Meissner’s very best to date. Her characters, the era, war, plagues, occupations and human frailties are so well researched and described. Well woven webs of how one persons actions impact so many other lives. As Bright As Heaven is a book to keep and read again. I will always look forward to Susan Messiner‘s next Book.

Why read about the Spanish flu and about a family with a funeral home? Surely that would be dreary and depressing. But author Susan Meissner weaves a tale with unforgettable characters who epitomize resiliency, and make the rest of us strive to be as strong and courageous, no matter what the future holds.

I had previously read “A Bridge Across The Ocean” by Ms. Meissner and I was anxious to read this new novel. Wow, it is one of the best books that I have read this year!!! The prose is beautiful and flowing and amongst all of the heartache and physical and emotional difficulties the human spirit shines brightly!

The setting is Philadelphia around 1917 and on. The Bright family, husband Thomas, wife Pauline and their three daughters have just moved to Philadelphia from a poor tobacco town to join Tom’s uncle’s funeral business. The Bright’s have recently lost their young infant son and have decided that a move would be a positive thing for them, a new environment, better education for their girls, a solid well paying job for Tom with the knowledge that he will someday inherit the funeral business from his childless uncle.

The novel is so multi-layered that it’s difficult to do it justice in a review. It is told from multiple perspectives of family members. The war begins to really rage in Europe and soon even Tom, in his 40’s, is called to serve. Not long after their father leaves the Spanish flu begins to spread it’s ugly tentacles across the US, having started in Europe. Many soldiers have died while in service and they also return to the US forts and hospitals and the flu spreads like a wildfire. I didn’t know much about this terrible time but Ms. Meissner has done extensive research and there is a wealth of knowledge here. She helps us see the extent of the human suffering, the victims falling to the disease so quickly, the undertakers and gravediggers can’t work fast enough or provide enough caskets for the dead. In the end it’s told that around 10,000 people in Philadelphia alone died from the flu.

It’s at this time that Pauline and her daughter Maggie volunteer to take food to the sick and Maggie hears the cry of a baby, enters his home and finds his dead mother and what she believes to be his dying sister. She bundles the filthy, untended baby in her coat and returns to her mother. They take in the child and raise it as their own having provided all of the information that they know to the police and other authorities.

The family experiences the horror of the flu as their mother, Pauline, dies. Through the years, as their father returns from the war to care for the children and eventually run the funeral home they experience happiness again.

There are so many interesting stories of the girls, their interests, loves and losses that are all well developed and I felt as though I knew each of the girls. This book made me realize that the flu in the end claimed almost one third of the population in the world, more than all of the soldiers that died in the World Wars. It’s hard to even imagine a devastating disease such as this ever happening again, but there is always that chance that science may not be able to keep up with the ever changing viruses.

I would recommend this book to everyone, there is so much to like about this book. The interesting plot with well researched facts, the well rounded characters believable and incredible and the writing flows like a river. Buy this book, read it and pass it on, it’s that good.

I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through NetGalley, thank you.

Susan Meissner is a favorite author of mine and our book group. We looked forward to the arrival of the newest book, especially on the 100th anniversary of the Spanish flu in Philadelphia. The story was well crafted as a YA account of a child’s, teens’ and mother’s experiences during and after the epidemic. There was a lack of integrity in the behavior of one child, in particular, and that should lead to an interesting discussion of actions and their repercussions.

If you're into early 20th century embalming/funeral technology, this is your book! Halfway through, probably not going to finish,no characters to care about that make me want to stay. Not what I expected

Easy to read yet characters are well-defined and easy to identify with. A good portrayal of the lingering effects of the Spanish Flu and the families it affected. I was caught up in finding out what happened to each of the characters. Historical fiction at its best!