A relevant and suspenseful story of the 1918 influenza epidemic

The Orphan Collector begins with the Liberty Loan Parade in the city of Philadelphia in 1918. Pia, a 13 year-old German immigrant attends the parade with her mother and twin baby brothers, while her father fights in the war overseas. Her mother subsequently succumbs to influenza which has been ravaging the city. Pia attempts to survive with her brothers in their apartment until their food runs out. She leaves to get food, intending to be gone only a short time, while the babies remain in the apartment. Pia falls ill with the flu and is taken to a church. When Pia leaves, her neighbor Bernice Groves, who has recently lost her own baby to the flu, decides to take Pia's brothers.
The story focuses on Pia's long journey to find her brothers, through her recovery from the flu, her stay at an orphanage and at a family's home. The parallel story is that of the bigoted and xenophobic Bernice who commits heinous acts with regard to the city's immigrant children.
The Orphan Collector is well-written, emotional and suspenseful. The characters are created with depth and complexity. The story is so relevant to today's pandemic in terms of the loss and devastation caused by the virus, compounded b social injustice and poverty. The themes of prejudice and xenophobia are also echoed in today's events. The Orphan Collector is a must-read.