As Bright as Heaven
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 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.
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 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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Community Reviews
I enjoyed this novel. It started a little slow for me, but once I met the three girls featured in the family I was drawn into their story. I liked the multi-narrative plot that allowed the reader to have a secret look inside each young woman and consider the varied perspectives on the events as they unfolded. I volleyed back and forth for who was my favorite character, and in the end, I believe they each had valuable merit, I couldn't decide on only one girl for the "top spot."
The historical context of both the war and the flu epidemic of the early 1900s created a fairly tense background throughout. The fear these people must have lived with all the time - terrifying...if the war didn't kill you, the flu would. I cannot begin to fathom how morale maintained during this event in history.
My only struggle, and I don't know that it's really a struggle, was the narrative felt redundant at times. Some of this, I'm sure, was necessary given the varying points of view, but it seemed to me that this was only effective when viewing a single situation through different perspectives. I found, at times, the same situation was repeated in multiple chapters by the same character and it made for some labored reading - there were times I skimmed because this character already talked about this. But other than that - I think the book was solid and I enjoyed reading it.
I've added her other novels to my "want to read" shelf on Goodreads because I enjoyed the way she told the story.
A solid 🍷🍷🍷🍷 from me.
Susan Meissner is a multi-published author, speaker, and writing workshop leader with a background in community journalism. Her novels include As Bright as Heaven, starred review in Library Journal; A Bridge Across the Ocean; Secrets of Charmed Life, Goodreads finalist for Best Historical Fiction 2015; and A Fall of Marigolds, Booklist’s Top Ten Women’s Fiction titles for 2014. A California native, she attended Point Loma Nazarene University. Susan is a pastor’s wife and a mother of four young adults. Visit Susan at her website: http://susanlmeissner.com on Twitter at @SusanMeissner or at facebook.com/susan.meissner.
The historical context of both the war and the flu epidemic of the early 1900s created a fairly tense background throughout. The fear these people must have lived with all the time - terrifying...if the war didn't kill you, the flu would. I cannot begin to fathom how morale maintained during this event in history.
My only struggle, and I don't know that it's really a struggle, was the narrative felt redundant at times. Some of this, I'm sure, was necessary given the varying points of view, but it seemed to me that this was only effective when viewing a single situation through different perspectives. I found, at times, the same situation was repeated in multiple chapters by the same character and it made for some labored reading - there were times I skimmed because this character already talked about this. But other than that - I think the book was solid and I enjoyed reading it.
I've added her other novels to my "want to read" shelf on Goodreads because I enjoyed the way she told the story.
A solid 🍷🍷🍷🍷 from me.
Susan Meissner is a multi-published author, speaker, and writing workshop leader with a background in community journalism. Her novels include As Bright as Heaven, starred review in Library Journal; A Bridge Across the Ocean; Secrets of Charmed Life, Goodreads finalist for Best Historical Fiction 2015; and A Fall of Marigolds, Booklist’s Top Ten Women’s Fiction titles for 2014. A California native, she attended Point Loma Nazarene University. Susan is a pastor’s wife and a mother of four young adults. Visit Susan at her website: http://susanlmeissner.com on Twitter at @SusanMeissner or at facebook.com/susan.meissner.
3.5 stars. This has been on my TBR shelf for awhile and in light of our current pandemic I was very interested to read a historical novel set in the 1918 flu. I really didn’t have any knowledge of it so I enjoyed getting a taste of what it would have been like to live through it. The last third of the book were a bit too predictable.
I enjoyed this book but things were tied up a little too nearly for my taste. A quick enjoyable book none the less.
Set during WWI and the Spanish Flu pandemic, involves a family that moves from central PA to Philadelphia. The father gets an opportunity to join his wealthy uncle's mortuary business. The story is told by the mother and 3 daughters. Philadelphia is hit very hard with the number of residents killed by the flu. One daughter finds a baby in a home when they are sent on a errand to deliver supplies to the poor section of the city. The mother is dead but she lies that she was the only person in this home. They raise the baby as their own. We follow Evie, Maggie, and Willa as they grow up during this time of trouble and loss. Many interwoven details that come to light and connect early parts of the story by the ending.
The backdrop of this story was the Spanish Flu of 1918, set in a family of sisters and their parents as they navigate many changes around them. The Brite family inherit an uncle’s funeral home in WW1 Philadelphia, with many deaths coming to their door. And a baby who comes to live them in the turmoil. I stayed up all night reading this fascinating story, highly recommend.
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