When a tragedy gives rise to opportunity, Pauline Bright, her husband Thomas, and their three daughters end up in Philadelphia. Working along side his uncle in the family mortuary business, Thomas and the rest of the family see first hand the devastation wrought by the Spanish flu of 1918.
Written in the multiple perspective format that is popular with many authors these days, the reader is allowed into the inner thoughts and feelings of the individual narrators. The book was a little disjointed and a bit repetitive because of the writing style, bouncing back and forth between many different characters. The author does a good job of conveying the history of the time period, making it come alive in the eyes of the fictional characters. Because the book takes place mainly in a funeral parlor, it does give a unique view of life. I do wish that the author had given some time to the larger community and the world, as the book really only exists in one corner of the United States. As Bright as Heaven is a novel that I would recommend to readers of historical fiction and I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.
Written in the multiple perspective format that is popular with many authors these days, the reader is allowed into the inner thoughts and feelings of the individual narrators. The book was a little disjointed and a bit repetitive because of the writing style, bouncing back and forth between many different characters. The author does a good job of conveying the history of the time period, making it come alive in the eyes of the fictional characters. Because the book takes place mainly in a funeral parlor, it does give a unique view of life. I do wish that the author had given some time to the larger community and the world, as the book really only exists in one corner of the United States. As Bright as Heaven is a novel that I would recommend to readers of historical fiction and I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.