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4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
This book was uncomfortable to read. While I felt bad for Pia, reading about the other woman was creepy.
It was interesting to read about the spanish flu epidemic in America and compare it to the current Covid epidemic America. Also noting that the immigration and ethnic/racist issues sadly have not changed over all of these years. The sadness this young girl must have endured, feeling quilty all of those years, the hardship she endured (all completely unnecessary if people just weren't so cruel) and the evilness of Bernice was appalling and heartbreaking. So many families and children treated so terrible. The Hudson's and Finn were the light at the end of the tunnel.
Enjoyed learning about the 1918 Spanish flu. Found myself routing for the main character Pia but also found her to be a bit too good and unrealistic. Many of the characters were not realistic - like Bernice. However reading about the 1918 flu with COVID still here was very interesting.
I really enjoyed this book! It was a great historical novel and suspenseful. I read a lot of reviews on here that claim that these events are exaggerated or unrealistic. Those of us who read a lot of historical nonfiction know that Wiseman was drawing from actual events! There have been plenty of instances of women, some infamous, who have stolen and sold babies. Orphanages were horrible places that had no funding, and no matter who ran them, children were often mistreated. Families were ripped apart during the flu, the war, and the resulting depression. I mean, all you have to do is watch an episode of Unsolved Mysteries to see how often this kind of stuff happened to the poor. And many people were incredibly xenophobic back then, mostly because they believed their own livelihoods were threatened by immigrants. I was impressed by how Wiseman wove all of this together to make such s compelling story.
It dragged a little. I was hoping for more around the effects of the flu on society generally. I am making this observation fresh from the COVID 19 pandemic.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
If you want a much better book with a similar plot, read “Before we were Yours” by Lisa Wingate!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pandemic/Epidemic
Moderate: Xenophobia, Kidnapping
I actually had a hard time finishing this book, I was so angry and upset at the author's descriptions of incredibly unfair systems that people had to deal with. The two main characters are a thirteen-year-old German immigrant named Pia whose father is away at war and her mother dies of the Spanish Flu leaving her to care for her two twin brothers. The other main character is Bernice, a racist awful woman who winds up taking the twins when Pia goes out to find food for the twins. As the story progressed Bernice begins a personal crusade to rid the city of immigrant children. The horrors of the flu epidemic and the subhuman conditions that most immigrants faced was hard to read at times. Although Pia eventually meets decent people, the society that Wiseman describes is horrific.
A Rollercoaster of emotions and descriptive novel! I even got mad at a fictional character and couldn't put the book down..Lord what this book did to me! Transported me and felt I was there! I cannot express how vividly this book was for me as a very visual person.
I picked up this book for a long train ride and it kept me occupied, but left me underwhelmed. The story line was good, the characters made me feel for them, and the scenes were vivid enough that I thought "This should be a movie." However, I wish there had been more Philadelphia flavor and I wish the characters had more nuance. The book read like a YA novel, to be honest.
When I was first offered this book, the coronavirus was barely a blip on the news. I don’t think I ever imagined how Covid 19 would affect our lives months later and continue to do so. I will be honest. I was hesitant to pick this book up, thinking it would hit close to home, but then I remembered that I’ve read other books by Wiseman. They are all sensitively told, and I got started with it. I think the historical time period of 1918 Philadelphia distinguishes it from what we experiencing now; however, the similarities were not lost on me. Make sure to swipe to see the fun and creative swag.
Pia is a German immigrant living with her family in Philadelphia. Her father joined the army in hopes of proving his loyalty in the face anti-German sentiment at the time. The Spanish flu is rapidly spreading through the streets of Philadelphia, and Pia and her siblings are starving. When she returns home, her siblings are gone, taken by someone who wants to make them into “true Americans.”
The Orphan Collector is a heartwrenching story. Bernice, the character involved in sinister actions, is a villain to match all villains. This is a book about family and love versus hate, and it has touches of mystery and romance. Pia is a character to cherish and champion, and overall, I enjoyed this beautifully-written book.
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Pia is a German immigrant living with her family in Philadelphia. Her father joined the army in hopes of proving his loyalty in the face anti-German sentiment at the time. The Spanish flu is rapidly spreading through the streets of Philadelphia, and Pia and her siblings are starving. When she returns home, her siblings are gone, taken by someone who wants to make them into “true Americans.”
The Orphan Collector is a heartwrenching story. Bernice, the character involved in sinister actions, is a villain to match all villains. This is a book about family and love versus hate, and it has touches of mystery and romance. Pia is a character to cherish and champion, and overall, I enjoyed this beautifully-written book.
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader