What a book to be reading during the covid-19 pandemic. The story in The Orphan Collector is set during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918. We are in Philadelphia, celebrating the ending of World War 1 with a big parade. Our heroine, Pia Lange, attends the parade with her mother and twin brothers. She would rather have stayed home in their two room apartment. Shortly after the parade, people start dying from the flu. Even Pia's mother dies, setting up her biggest problem. They start to run out of food. Pia puts her baby brothers in a cubby to keep them safe while she's gone looking for food. That may not have been the best choice, but it appears there was no crib to confine them and you can't leave babies loose when they're alone. Leaving them alone possibly wasn't a great idea either, but Pia is only 13. While she's out looking for foor, Pia falls ill. When she recovers, she finds nearly a week has passed. She is sure her brothers are dead and it's all her fault.
Stories with heroines need to have villains also. In this story, our villain is Bernice. Bernice has lost her son to the flu and she blames the immigrants for overworking the doctors so that they didn't have time to save her son. She happens to see Pia leave on her food seeking trip. She decides to check on Pia's mother, who she hasn't seen in a while. Ta Pia's apartment, Bernice finds the twins with no adult supervision, and takes them home with her. The ease that she could do that gives her the idea that she can remove other children from their immigrant parents. Her idea is that this way she can turn these children into "real Americans".
In this manner we set up the conflict. Pia just wants to keep her family, such as it has been reduced to, together. Bernice is willing to separate children from their parents and send them to new homes to create new families. This is played out in an environment where children are being orphaned at a rapid rate.
I found the historical elements of the story quite compelling. What a time to have lived through, where two small rooms was considered enough for a family of 6 or 10. The details made for a vivid background. I was completely involved with the book while I read it. While I wouldn't call it unputdownable, it was engrossing.
Stories with heroines need to have villains also. In this story, our villain is Bernice. Bernice has lost her son to the flu and she blames the immigrants for overworking the doctors so that they didn't have time to save her son. She happens to see Pia leave on her food seeking trip. She decides to check on Pia's mother, who she hasn't seen in a while. Ta Pia's apartment, Bernice finds the twins with no adult supervision, and takes them home with her. The ease that she could do that gives her the idea that she can remove other children from their immigrant parents. Her idea is that this way she can turn these children into "real Americans".
In this manner we set up the conflict. Pia just wants to keep her family, such as it has been reduced to, together. Bernice is willing to separate children from their parents and send them to new homes to create new families. This is played out in an environment where children are being orphaned at a rapid rate.
I found the historical elements of the story quite compelling. What a time to have lived through, where two small rooms was considered enough for a family of 6 or 10. The details made for a vivid background. I was completely involved with the book while I read it. While I wouldn't call it unputdownable, it was engrossing.