As Evie and Maggie experience love and loss, they are also resilient, courageous in the face of challenges, and make many difficult decisions and choices. As their father leaves to fulfill his war-time responsibilities and the Flu begins to ravage Philadelphia and affect their family, the girls are forced to take on adult-sized responsibilities and concerns. Fifteen and twelve when the story opens, Evie is the oldest sister, smart, inquisitive, and a reader, while Maggie is feisty, opinionated, good-hearted, fearless, and determined. In As Bright As Heaven, Evelyn (Evie) and Maggie Bright are the two older sisters and they become memorable characters with unique personalities and different strengths and weaknesses. We are living the historical fiction stories of the future. Not too different from the inspiring stories we hear today on the news involving COVID-19 heroes. Historical fiction is my favorite genre because in the stories we find ordinary people doing extraordinary things under difficult circumstances. Amazon Rating (early reviews): 4.7 Stars Meet Two Sisters, Evelyn and Maggie Bright Told from four perspectives (mother and the three daughters), it’s a story of survival, making difficult choices, facing challenges, and finding hope.

As Pauline Bright and her husband pursue their dream of giving their three daughters a chance at a better life in the big city of Philadelphia, the Flu Pandemic and the Great War greatly impact their lives and rearrange their priorities. Three events coincide in this story: the Bright family moves to Philadelphia in 1918 for a fresh start, many men go off to fight in the Great War, and the Flu spreads in America. ***This post contains Amazon affiliate links As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner I hope I’ll be forgiven for joining the meme mid-month….I couldn’t wait until the first Friday of another month to bring your attention to this relevant read! Also….the Kindle version is $3.99 today!

So even though it’s not the first Friday of the month, I’m joining Kerry Chat About Books to share my review of As Bright As Heaven that was first published in February of 2018. It’s amazing that what I read two years ago about a pandemic that happened one hundred years ago is relevant today! I’ve also enjoyed The Secret Library’s Book Review Blog posts for #flashbackfriday. Under lockdown orders due to COVID-19, I’ve thought many times of Susan Meissner’s book As Bright As Heaven which is about the 1918 Flu Pandemic.

Book as bright as heaven