Thirteen year old Pia Lange has many wishes. She wishes her father were back from the war. She wishes they were living somewhere other than in the overcrowded Shunk Alley area of Philadelphia. She wishes she didn't experience physical pain every time most people touched her. She wishes her German heritage was something she could be proud of, instead of something she has to try to hide. When the Spanish flu epidemic arrives in Philadelphia, all those wishes suddenly don't seem to matter anymore. Suddenly, Pia is fighting for her own survival while also caring for her infant twin brothers in a city ravaged by disease.
Bernice Groves has seen her life shattered by the epidemic. Her own infant son succumbed to the flu and all Bernice can think of is how she can join him as her life means nothing without him in it. Then Bernice sees Pia leaving the apartment without her brothers. She makes a decision at that moment that will have far reaching consequences for not only her own life, but many others.
The Orphan Collector was well researched and vividly written so you could truly envision what the characters experienced. As I was reading, I had to frequently remind myself that I was reading a historical fiction novel and not a novel set in present day. So many things were eerily familiar from the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic with what we are currently experiencing during this COVID-19 pandemic. At times, that made for interesting and compelling reading and honestly at other times, it was overload for me.
Bernice Groves is truly one of the most evil characters I can remember reading about, even more so than some characters in horror or murder mystery novels. The author did an excellent job of creating a character that not only do you want to hate, but one that you simply detest. I couldn't help but be shocked at some of the actions she takes during the novel.
I received this book courtesy of Kensington Publishing Corp. in exchange for an honest review.
Bernice Groves has seen her life shattered by the epidemic. Her own infant son succumbed to the flu and all Bernice can think of is how she can join him as her life means nothing without him in it. Then Bernice sees Pia leaving the apartment without her brothers. She makes a decision at that moment that will have far reaching consequences for not only her own life, but many others.
The Orphan Collector was well researched and vividly written so you could truly envision what the characters experienced. As I was reading, I had to frequently remind myself that I was reading a historical fiction novel and not a novel set in present day. So many things were eerily familiar from the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic with what we are currently experiencing during this COVID-19 pandemic. At times, that made for interesting and compelling reading and honestly at other times, it was overload for me.
Bernice Groves is truly one of the most evil characters I can remember reading about, even more so than some characters in horror or murder mystery novels. The author did an excellent job of creating a character that not only do you want to hate, but one that you simply detest. I couldn't help but be shocked at some of the actions she takes during the novel.
I received this book courtesy of Kensington Publishing Corp. in exchange for an honest review.
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