This is such a good book. We had older family members that would tell us about the 1918 pandemic from their early childhood memories. This book painted a vivid picture of the horrors of the influenza outbreak and its impact on families and children.

This is *The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman* - a New York Times Bestseller.

Here is a summary in English:

*The Story:*

It is *Fall 1918, Philadelphia*. World War I is ending, but a new enemy has arrived: the *Spanish Flu*. It is one of the deadliest pandemics in history, and it is killing thousands. People are dropping dead in the streets, wearing white masks, and putting quarantine signs on their doors.

The main character is *Pia Lange*, a 13-year-old German immigrant girl. She lives in a small, crowded tenement in the slums with her mother and her infant twin brothers, Max and Ollie. Her father is fighting in Europe with the U.S. Army - he enlisted to prove that Germans can be loyal Americans, because of strong anti-German sentiment.

When the flu hits Philadelphia hard after a big parade, Pia's mother dies from the flu. Pia is left alone to take care of her baby brothers. After a few days, they run out of food.