From the acclaimed author of The Last Year of the War comes a novel set during the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, telling the story of a family reborn through loss and love.In 1918, Philadelphia was a city teeming with promise. Even as its young men went off to fight in the Great War, there were opportunities for a fresh start on its cobblestone streets. Into this bustling town, came Pauline … town, came Pauline Bright and her husband, filled with hope that they could now give their three daughters—Evelyn, Maggie, and Willa—a chance at a better life.
But just months after they arrive, the Spanish Flu reaches the shores of America. As the pandemic claims more than twelve thousand victims in their adopted city, they find their lives left with a world that looks nothing like the one they knew. But even as they lose loved ones, they take in a baby orphaned by the disease who becomes their single source of hope. Amidst the tragedy and challenges, they learn what they cannot live without—and what they are willing to do about it.
As Bright as Heaven is the compelling story of a mother and her daughters who find themselves in a harsh world not of their making, which will either crush their resolve to survive or purify it.
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A harrowing look at the 1918-19 Spanish Flu and the many ways it touched one family, As Bright as Heaven is an impeccably researched story of hope and love, loss and what it truly means to be a family. An important story for these unprecedented times we now find ourselves living in!
I enjoyed learning a lot about the 1918 Spanish Flu. The author had a really intriguing twist in the book. Totally out of the blue.
This is my absolute favorite book by Susan Meissner! When I began reading it, I wasn’t sure that I could continue due to the setting being a funeral home. Was I glad that I persevered a bit further until I was absolutely hooked! The characters were insightful and rendered much thought-provoking material. The manner in which the work of an undertaker was handled gave me comfort in hopes that most funeral directors conduct their work in much the same way.
I hadn’t read anything in such depth or detail before about the Spanish flu, so the historical aspect was a big win as well. three cheers for Susan Meissner!
This is the most moving book I’ve read since The Nightingale. The people were real and the time was real—something I knew nothing about—the influenza outbreak that accompanied World War I. It was heartbreaking but also hopeful. A powerful story.
Interesting historical read. I have never read any book on the Spanish Flu. Tragic times but great book.
The story line was slow moving and a little predictable.
This book shows the strength and resilience of the human spirit. It also shows that sometimes events can change the direction of our lives forever. Some people are strong enough to recover and unfortunately some never do. This historical piece of fiction takes place during and after WW1. The outbreak of the Spanish flu has a devastating effect globally and leaves few families unscathed. For many of the characters in this book, it was a very long road to their happy ending and many scars have formed on their hearts. Life isn’t always easy but we keep going.
Beautiful book that kept me intrigued from page one. This book explores loss and grief, life changes and new beginnings, healing and forgiveness. I didn’t know much about the Spanish flu and realized while reading that my grandma was a young girl during the same time frame. The Brights are a loving family who endure much over the years. Like most all of this authors books; your heart will definitely be warmed.
This is about the flu epidemic in 1918 Philadelphia. The family featured had a lot of ups and downs. I loved how the story had twist & turns. It was a great read.
Great historical fiction of the time of the Spanish epidemic.
I finished this book a week ago and I’m still thinking about the family.
I was unaware of the impact of the Spanish influenza epidemic in Philadelphia. The Bright family was very interesting and each member unique.
A good friend told me the hallmark of a good book is one that pulls you in and makes you forget about the world around you. Susan Meissner has that ability and uses it with great success here. When I started the book, I felt Maggie’s character too mature for her age. But as I continued to read, I fell into the rhythm of the different people and grew with them as they did. The girls and mother are wonderfully portrayed, each one with her merits and fragility and flaws that make up the human character. There were so many moments when my heart swelled with love or wanting or contracted with fear or the tension of suspense. But the greatest gems of the story, for me, are the thoughtful, insightful understandings each character has as life plods along, doing what it does in spite of and for us. A mesmerizing story.
I loved this book and this author never disappoints. It moves around the flu epidemic in Philadelphia in WWI. The central characters explore issues of deceit, guilt, remorse and finally it all comes together. Great read!
One of my best books of the year. Absolutely realistic it’s twists and turns keep the readers involvement until the last page. Weaves harrowing pages of America’s history with a realistic story of a regular family that must rise to meet huge challenges. Most readers will not be disappointed when they add this to their reading list.
The year is 1918 when we meet the Bright family. Thomas and Pauline have just lost their infant son to heart failure…and they, along with their three young daughters (Evelyn, Maggie & Willa) are moving to Philadelphia so Thomas can become a partner in his Uncle Fred’s funeral parlor
In As Bright As Heaven we are a part of their story as they quickly are faced with America entering into The Great War at the same time as the plague of the Spanish Flu is devastating all of Philadelphia and, indeed, the whole world. Obviously the subject of death lays heavy throughout the background of this story but more than this, death actually seems to be another main character as their story is revealed.
There is much heartache but also much love and devotion and very unique characters.
My own grandmother lived through this story in Philadelphia of 1918, when her husband and both children succumbed to the Spanish Flu. So I knew I wanted to read this. I was prepared for sadness obviously but could not possibly have been prepared for the total immersion I would feel as I was sucked into their world.
I loved the audio narration so very much with the different narrators bringing each person perfectly to life…and even, in one case, death.
I HIGHLY recommend this story and can’t even give it the amount of “stars” it deserves.
Great characters and story. My only criticism was the ending. I won’t say what I disliked so as not to spoil for others.
After coming across this novel following a family reunion for my grandmother’s 100th birthday celebration, I suggested it to my relatives for a spontaneous book club read. So glad they were all on board, because I learned a bit more of my family history as we shared on FB. It was uncanny how so many details mirrored my grandmother’s early life: setting, characters, plot. She was orphaned as a result of the Spanish flu.
Overall, I truly enjoyed the story with all its highs and lows. So, why not 5 stars? In the first half, I wasn’t a fan of the four different perspectives, as I found it a bit redundant, and the middle of the story was a bit anti-climatic and thus a slower read. However, that being said, I grew to appreciate the different POVs in the second half as the main characters had become adults. I found the different perspectives to be an effective tool to reveal a hidden secret and introduce conflict that affected the entire family. I liked the different personalities of the sisters and how they were shaped by the events of the story: Willa’s internal guilt that made her an outwardly brazen young adult; Maggie’s decisions and passion that made her staunch, steadfast, and loyal; Evie’s logic and ability to apply ethics to situations of others, while the ethics of her own decision could be questioned by some.
I was thoroughly captivated by the saga of the Bright family. The Bright family moves to Philadelphia to work in the family funeral home. Just as they are settling into their new life, the Spanish flu strikes. Told from the viewpoints of the four Bright females, this story pulled me in from the first sentence. Susan Meissner wrote a beautiful book about finding hope amongst tragedy.
As Bright As Heaven provided interesting views of life and death, and made me think about my own beliefs and understandings. I loved the different characters and how each chapter was viewed through different eyes. Writing about a tragedy such as the Spanish Flu is a heavy topic, but the book was not overwhelmingly sad. The ending was unexpected and left the reader with a relative sense of closure. Overall, this was a fantastic read!