Historical fiction can be a tough genre, because sometimes the most compelling stories come out of the greatest tragedies. This book tells the story of a family greatly affected by the Spanish Influenza pandemic of 1918. The Brights have relocated to Philadelphia after the loss of their infant son, and have moved in with an uncle who runs a funeral home. The combination of wartime and the influenza outbreak while living in a funeral home means that the family is grappling with loss and death on an increasingly regular basis. When the outbreak strikes close to home, they experience both incredible grief and the importance of carrying on as a new baby joins their family.
Finding out what happens to the Bright family (the story is told primarily through the perspectives of the three daughters, Evelyn, Maggie, and Willa) over the course of the years before, during, and after the Great War and the influenza pandemic was a great pleasure. This book combines both great character development (something that can be challenging in a multi-narrator story) and a plot that keeps you riveted to the page. Right along with them, my heart broke and was restored, over and over again. This is a time in history I'm woefully uneducated on, and getting to learn about it through the Brights was a wonderful opportunity.
Finding out what happens to the Bright family (the story is told primarily through the perspectives of the three daughters, Evelyn, Maggie, and Willa) over the course of the years before, during, and after the Great War and the influenza pandemic was a great pleasure. This book combines both great character development (something that can be challenging in a multi-narrator story) and a plot that keeps you riveted to the page. Right along with them, my heart broke and was restored, over and over again. This is a time in history I'm woefully uneducated on, and getting to learn about it through the Brights was a wonderful opportunity.