She was left with her twin brothers who were infants. Her father was off to war and her mother succumbed to the flu. The main character is Pia Lange, a 13 year old girl, daughter of German immigrants. That chapter, that set the stage, had so many similarities to what is happening today it was eerie. The first chapter felt like I was transported from 2020 and Covid 19 back to 1918 and Spanish Influenza. I can honestly still picture it in my head weeks later, and trust me when I say it is not a pretty sight.Such a timely book, it’s hard to believe that it was written well over a year ago. The way she describes the toll this flu took on people’s bodies…. Ellen does not hold back on describing the ways in which those affected by the Spanish Flu suffered. I will say, though, if you have a light stomach, this might not be a book for you (at least not at the beginning). The Orphan Collector was ultimately a great book and I’m glad I didn’t let my distaste for Bernice stop me from getting to the end. So much so that I almost stopped listening to the book because Bernice made me so upset! However, don’t let her stop you from reading this page-turner! Ellen Marie Wiseman does a phenomenal job depicting this character. That being said, she is a terrible, terrible human (in my not-so-humble opinion). I mean, I completely understand her heartache at losing her husband and her baby boy to the Spanish Flu.
I don’t even know where to begin with this witch of a woman. Her story alone is what kept me hanging on until the end of the book, needing to know if she ever finds her baby brothers (sorry, no spoilers here, folks). I felt like she was forced to grow up so quickly and she handled it with grace. As a young girl during this time, I found her story so inspiring as she perseveres through unimaginable conditions and life experiences, from losing her mother, to contracting and surviving the flu, and overcoming it all. Once I got past the initial shock of how history repeats itself, I was drawn into the story of Pia as she navigated this dreadful time. Can I just say how surreal it was to read about how over 100 years ago there was a massive epidemic in which people were dying so rapidly, businesses shut down, and the hospitals were overran. First and foremost, the story takes place during the Spanish Influenza. The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman was such a captivating read (or in my case, listen).
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