Wednesday, July 4, 2018

Novels with Nell: As Bright as Heaven

Happy Fourth of July! I hope that y'all have fun plans to celebrate. I am grabbing a flight this morning to head to the beach and couldn't be more excited for a quick vacation. One essential for me when it comes to heading on vacation, especially one to the beach, is a good book. This trip I couldn't quite narrow down which books I wanted to bring so I ended up bringing 4 different ones. In my defense, I'm almost finished with one of them and I have a tendency to fly through books at the beach. We don't have wifi at our beach house which gives me the perfect excuse to read extra. 



When Nell and I were catching up this past weekend, I had to ask if she had read any good books recently. As Bright As Hope was the one she started to describe to me which perfectly fit her favorite genre, historical fiction. If you're looking for a good read as you prepare for vacation or plan to sit why the pool, this may be your pick! 

As Bright as Heaven

By: Susan Meissner

If you like Little Women, you should read this book! It covers the time period of about a decade, from WWI and the Spanish flu into the 1920’s, allowing you to see how the characters carry on after such challenging times. The family bond and determined spirit of the Brights is reminiscent of the March family of Little Women. Also, it’s hard to say how accurate historical fiction is when describing a time period, but it was interesting (and chilling) to imagine life during a flu pandemic. It made me question how, even with 100 years of medical advancements, we would handle a crisis like that. Tragedy, triumph, romance, and a plot twist, this book has it all and was hard to put down!

“From the acclaimed author of A Bridge Across the Ocean and The Last Year of the War comes a new novel set in Philadelphia during the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918, which tells 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.”

I hope that y'all have a happy Fourth!

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