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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.
Genre: Historical
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.
Genre: Historical
Praise for this book
"It is strange that a book with death as its theme should be so life-affirming and uplifting. Told from multiple points of view in gorgeously rich prose, this is a story that will haunt the reader long after it is finished." - Rhys Bowen
"Meissner brings a ravaged Philadelphia dramatically to life amidst a terrible virus. Her masterful portrayal of the Bright family makes her novel sing: with hope, love, and gentle forgiveness." - Fiona Davis
"Beautifully written and vividly imagined, As Bright as Heaven is a mesmerizing portrayal of the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918. This is a novel which will linger long in the memory." - Hazel Gaynor
"As Bright as Heaven explores the heart of a historic but universal family." - Karen Harper
"Original and vivid." - Pam Jenoff
"A somber, gripping tale illuminated with hope." - Kate Quinn
"Susan Meissner brings the 1918 flu pandemic vividly to life in a mesmerizing tale." - Lauren Willig
"From the unthinkable tragedy of the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic to the glittering speakeasies of the roaring twenties, Susan Meissner delivers a story of one family's heartbreak and hope. Strong, resilient, and determined to make their way in a changing world, Meissner's characters step off the page and into history." - Lisa Wingate
"Meissner brings a ravaged Philadelphia dramatically to life amidst a terrible virus. Her masterful portrayal of the Bright family makes her novel sing: with hope, love, and gentle forgiveness." - Fiona Davis
"Beautifully written and vividly imagined, As Bright as Heaven is a mesmerizing portrayal of the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918. This is a novel which will linger long in the memory." - Hazel Gaynor
"As Bright as Heaven explores the heart of a historic but universal family." - Karen Harper
"Original and vivid." - Pam Jenoff
"A somber, gripping tale illuminated with hope." - Kate Quinn
"Susan Meissner brings the 1918 flu pandemic vividly to life in a mesmerizing tale." - Lauren Willig
"From the unthinkable tragedy of the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic to the glittering speakeasies of the roaring twenties, Susan Meissner delivers a story of one family's heartbreak and hope. Strong, resilient, and determined to make their way in a changing world, Meissner's characters step off the page and into history." - Lisa Wingate
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