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The Orphan Collector
Instant New York Times Bestseller
From the internationally bestselling author of What She Left Behind comes a gripping and powerful tale of upheaval—a heartbreaking saga of resilience and hope perfect for fans of Beatriz Williams and Kristin Hannah—set in Philadelphia during the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreak—the deadly pandemic that went on to infect one-third of the world’s population…
“Readers will not be able to help making comparisons to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how little has changed since 1918. Wiseman has written a touching tale of loss, survival, and perseverance with some light fantastical elements. Highly recommended.”
—Booklist
“An immersive historical tale with chilling twists and turns. Beautifully told and richly imagined.”
—Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of America’s First Daughter
In the fall of 1918, thirteen-year-old German immigrant Pia Lange longs to be far from Philadelphia’s overcrowded slums and the anti-immigrant sentiment that compelled her father to enlist in the U.S. Army. But as her city celebrates the end of war, an even more urgent threat arrives: the Spanish flu. Funeral crepe and quarantine signs appear on doors as victims drop dead in the streets and desperate survivors wear white masks to ward off illness. When food runs out in the cramped tenement she calls home, Pia must venture alone into the quarantined city in search of supplies, leaving her baby brothers behind.
Bernice Groves has become lost in grief and bitterness since her baby died from the Spanish flu. Watching Pia leave her brothers alone, Bernice makes a shocking, life-altering decision. It becomes her sinister mission to tear families apart when they’re at their most vulnerable, planning to transform the city’s orphans and immigrant children into what she feels are “true Americans.”
Waking in a makeshift hospital days after collapsing in the street, Pia is frantic to return home. Instead, she is taken to St. Vincent’s Orphan Asylum – the first step in a long and arduous journey. As Bernice plots to keep the truth hidden at any cost in the months and years that follow, Pia must confront her own shame and fear, risking everything to see justice – and love – triumph at last. Powerful, harrowing, and ultimately exultant, The Orphan Collector is a story of love, resilience, and the lengths we will go to protect those who need us most.
“Wiseman’s writing is superb, and her descriptions of life during the Spanish Flu epidemic are chilling. Well-researched and impossible to put down, this is an emotional tug-of-war played out brilliantly on the pages and in readers’ hearts.”
—The Historical Novels Review, EDITOR’S CHOICE
“Wiseman’s depiction of the horrifying spread of the Spanish flu is eerily reminiscent of the present day and resonates with realistic depictions of suffering, particularly among the poorer immigrant population.”
—Publishers Weekly (Boxed Review)
“Reading the novel in the time of COVID-19 adds an even greater resonance, and horror, to the description of the fatal spread of that 1918 flu.”
—Kirkus Review
“An emotional roller coaster…I felt Pia’s strength, courage, guilt, and grief come through the pages clear as day.”
—The Seattle Book Review
From the internationally bestselling author of What She Left Behind comes a gripping and powerful tale of upheaval—a heartbreaking saga of resilience and hope perfect for fans of Beatriz Williams and Kristin Hannah—set in Philadelphia during the 1918 Spanish Flu outbreak—the deadly pandemic that went on to infect one-third of the world’s population…
“Readers will not be able to help making comparisons to the COVID-19 pandemic, and how little has changed since 1918. Wiseman has written a touching tale of loss, survival, and perseverance with some light fantastical elements. Highly recommended.”
—Booklist
“An immersive historical tale with chilling twists and turns. Beautifully told and richly imagined.”
—Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of America’s First Daughter
In the fall of 1918, thirteen-year-old German immigrant Pia Lange longs to be far from Philadelphia’s overcrowded slums and the anti-immigrant sentiment that compelled her father to enlist in the U.S. Army. But as her city celebrates the end of war, an even more urgent threat arrives: the Spanish flu. Funeral crepe and quarantine signs appear on doors as victims drop dead in the streets and desperate survivors wear white masks to ward off illness. When food runs out in the cramped tenement she calls home, Pia must venture alone into the quarantined city in search of supplies, leaving her baby brothers behind.
Bernice Groves has become lost in grief and bitterness since her baby died from the Spanish flu. Watching Pia leave her brothers alone, Bernice makes a shocking, life-altering decision. It becomes her sinister mission to tear families apart when they’re at their most vulnerable, planning to transform the city’s orphans and immigrant children into what she feels are “true Americans.”
Waking in a makeshift hospital days after collapsing in the street, Pia is frantic to return home. Instead, she is taken to St. Vincent’s Orphan Asylum – the first step in a long and arduous journey. As Bernice plots to keep the truth hidden at any cost in the months and years that follow, Pia must confront her own shame and fear, risking everything to see justice – and love – triumph at last. Powerful, harrowing, and ultimately exultant, The Orphan Collector is a story of love, resilience, and the lengths we will go to protect those who need us most.
“Wiseman’s writing is superb, and her descriptions of life during the Spanish Flu epidemic are chilling. Well-researched and impossible to put down, this is an emotional tug-of-war played out brilliantly on the pages and in readers’ hearts.”
—The Historical Novels Review, EDITOR’S CHOICE
“Wiseman’s depiction of the horrifying spread of the Spanish flu is eerily reminiscent of the present day and resonates with realistic depictions of suffering, particularly among the poorer immigrant population.”
—Publishers Weekly (Boxed Review)
“Reading the novel in the time of COVID-19 adds an even greater resonance, and horror, to the description of the fatal spread of that 1918 flu.”
—Kirkus Review
“An emotional roller coaster…I felt Pia’s strength, courage, guilt, and grief come through the pages clear as day.”
—The Seattle Book Review
402 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 28, 2020
About the author
Ellen Marie Wiseman
11 books4,587 followersA first-generation German American, Ellen Marie Wiseman discovered her love of reading and writing while attending first grade in one of the last one-room schoolhouses in NYS. She is a New York Times Bestselling author whose novels have been translated into twenty languages. Her debut novel, THE PLUM TREE, is loosely based on her mother’s stories about growing up in Germany during the chaos of WWII. THE PLUM TREE received much praise for its depiction of WWII and was named by Bookbub as One of Thirteen Books To Read if You Loved ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE. Ellen’s second novel, WHAT SHE LEFT BEHIND, was named a Huffington Post Best Books of Summer 2015. Her third novel, COAL RIVER, was called "one of the most "unputdownable" books of 2015" by The Historical Novel Review. Her fourth novel, THE LIFE SHE WAS GIVEN, was named A GREAT GROUP READS Selection of the Women’s National Book Association and National Reading Group Month, and a Goodreads Best of the Month for July. Her newest novel, THE ORPHAN COLLECTOR, comes out on August 4th, 2020. Ellen lives on the shores of Lake Ontario with her husband and two spoiled Shih-tzus, Izzy and Bella. When she’s not busy writing, she loves spending time with her children and grandchildren. Find Ellen on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/EllenMarieWisemanAuthor
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,258 reviews
August 11, 2020
3.5 stars.
I had a feeling that a book about the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 wasn’t going to be an easy one to read during the current pandemic and that may be why I put off reading it. It was definitely difficult, not just because some things sounded eerily familiar, but because most of the story is pretty bleak and there are some pretty gruesome scenes. Wiseman Paints this bleak picture of the impact of the Spanish Flu epidemic in Philadelphia, in particular on an impoverished neighborhood where many immigrants live. The focus of the story is on a young German immigrant girl, Pia, who out of desperation to find food for her baby brothers, leaves them in their apartment alone. Every possible thing goes wrong that one could imagine. Pia falls ill with the flu before she can get back to her twin brothers and they are gone when she is able to return. There’s another character who acts out of desperation, a desperation that comes from another place, one tinged with cruelty. Pia’s journey over the years is a sad one, filled with suspense and a mystery to solve as she never gives up on her search for her brothers.
The story has a number of facets. It’s a depiction of a time and place where immigrants are not seen in the best light. It’s a historical look at a pandemic that ravaged so many lives. It’s a coming of age story of a resilient girl,a character to be remembered. While Wiseman says that the specifics of the story are imagined, it reminded me in a way of Before We Were Yours, which is based on true events. In her notes, Wiseman lists her sources and the novel appears to be very well researched. I have read several of Wiseman’s books and she doesn’t shy away from the difficult, the cruel, sometimes the gritty side of life and always taps into the emotional with characters that we can feel for. A little off of my rating of 4 stars because there were times when I felt it got a little melodramatic, but I rounded up because I had tears in my eyes when I read the last pages. Had to round up.
I received a copy of this book from Kensington Books through
NetGalley and Edelweiss.
I had a feeling that a book about the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 wasn’t going to be an easy one to read during the current pandemic and that may be why I put off reading it. It was definitely difficult, not just because some things sounded eerily familiar, but because most of the story is pretty bleak and there are some pretty gruesome scenes. Wiseman Paints this bleak picture of the impact of the Spanish Flu epidemic in Philadelphia, in particular on an impoverished neighborhood where many immigrants live. The focus of the story is on a young German immigrant girl, Pia, who out of desperation to find food for her baby brothers, leaves them in their apartment alone. Every possible thing goes wrong that one could imagine. Pia falls ill with the flu before she can get back to her twin brothers and they are gone when she is able to return. There’s another character who acts out of desperation, a desperation that comes from another place, one tinged with cruelty. Pia’s journey over the years is a sad one, filled with suspense and a mystery to solve as she never gives up on her search for her brothers.
The story has a number of facets. It’s a depiction of a time and place where immigrants are not seen in the best light. It’s a historical look at a pandemic that ravaged so many lives. It’s a coming of age story of a resilient girl,a character to be remembered. While Wiseman says that the specifics of the story are imagined, it reminded me in a way of Before We Were Yours, which is based on true events. In her notes, Wiseman lists her sources and the novel appears to be very well researched. I have read several of Wiseman’s books and she doesn’t shy away from the difficult, the cruel, sometimes the gritty side of life and always taps into the emotional with characters that we can feel for. A little off of my rating of 4 stars because there were times when I felt it got a little melodramatic, but I rounded up because I had tears in my eyes when I read the last pages. Had to round up.
I received a copy of this book from Kensington Books through
NetGalley and Edelweiss.
November 17, 2019
FULL REVIEW NOW UP!
As I write this review, I'm in awe. In awe of this novel, of Ms. Wiseman's writing, and of this story. First, however, let me back up.
It starts with a simple itch in the throat. Suddenly you get a cough. But it's not a regular cough, no. It starts in the bottom of your belly and tears through your chest. Suddenly your hacking. Struggling for air. The next thing you know, your skin is turning a bluish-purple. Then you are dead.
I'm referring to the deadly, catastrophic Spanish Influenza of 1918. There were murmurings of this sickness, yet life went went on. The Liberty Loan Parade was a much anticipated affair. While it was well-known that subways and crowded areas carried the most risk for infection, This event was not to be canceled or missed, despite warnings from the city's health director in the Philadelphia Inquirer. This pandemic ravaged Philadelphia, Pennsylvania immediately following the Liberty Loan Parade, where overwhelming crowds gathered in Center City to cheer and celebrate their veterans. Pia, 13, and her mother found themselves swept up in the excitement of the day. Or at least Pia tried to feign excitement.Brushing up against strangers always triggered a curious sensation within her, something that brought her feelings of great shame. She always wanted to be normal, but wasn't. Finn was the one friend she could count on and confide in. With a host of worries and anxieties, Pia wanted to leave the parade and escape to the safety of their modest apartment, where she could cuddle her infant twin brothers.
After the parade, crepes appeared on what seemed like every door knob. Grey signified the death of an elder, black a middle aged adult, and white for the most innocent of the population. Fear gripped Pia and her mother. While her mother struggled to maintain a courageous, brave face, Pia couldn't help but notice the fear that was beginning to seep inside of their home. However, Fear wasn't the only trespasser. . .
Prepare yourself for my gushworthy statements in. . .
The The Orphan Collector was brilliance personified. In the beginning of the review I mentioned I was in awe of this novel. After I read every book by Ms. Wiseman, I have a mixture of intense emotions. You may relate to this. I have a feeling of immense gratitude for the written word, followed by a crushing sense of impending doom. As a reader, I'm acutely aware of this struggle. The pursuit of that one perfect book that triggers the type of feelings that every reader so desperately yearns. The novels that take your breath away. That remind you why it is you love to read and continue to read. And I'm pleased to say that The Orphan Collector will remain one of those *special* books forever.
Many thanks to Kensington for providing me with a galley in return for an honest review
As I write this review, I'm in awe. In awe of this novel, of Ms. Wiseman's writing, and of this story. First, however, let me back up.
It starts with a simple itch in the throat. Suddenly you get a cough. But it's not a regular cough, no. It starts in the bottom of your belly and tears through your chest. Suddenly your hacking. Struggling for air. The next thing you know, your skin is turning a bluish-purple. Then you are dead.
I'm referring to the deadly, catastrophic Spanish Influenza of 1918. There were murmurings of this sickness, yet life went went on. The Liberty Loan Parade was a much anticipated affair. While it was well-known that subways and crowded areas carried the most risk for infection, This event was not to be canceled or missed, despite warnings from the city's health director in the Philadelphia Inquirer. This pandemic ravaged Philadelphia, Pennsylvania immediately following the Liberty Loan Parade, where overwhelming crowds gathered in Center City to cheer and celebrate their veterans. Pia, 13, and her mother found themselves swept up in the excitement of the day. Or at least Pia tried to feign excitement.Brushing up against strangers always triggered a curious sensation within her, something that brought her feelings of great shame. She always wanted to be normal, but wasn't. Finn was the one friend she could count on and confide in. With a host of worries and anxieties, Pia wanted to leave the parade and escape to the safety of their modest apartment, where she could cuddle her infant twin brothers.
After the parade, crepes appeared on what seemed like every door knob. Grey signified the death of an elder, black a middle aged adult, and white for the most innocent of the population. Fear gripped Pia and her mother. While her mother struggled to maintain a courageous, brave face, Pia couldn't help but notice the fear that was beginning to seep inside of their home. However, Fear wasn't the only trespasser. . .
Prepare yourself for my gushworthy statements in. . .
The The Orphan Collector was brilliance personified. In the beginning of the review I mentioned I was in awe of this novel. After I read every book by Ms. Wiseman, I have a mixture of intense emotions. You may relate to this. I have a feeling of immense gratitude for the written word, followed by a crushing sense of impending doom. As a reader, I'm acutely aware of this struggle. The pursuit of that one perfect book that triggers the type of feelings that every reader so desperately yearns. The novels that take your breath away. That remind you why it is you love to read and continue to read. And I'm pleased to say that The Orphan Collector will remain one of those *special* books forever.
Many thanks to Kensington for providing me with a galley in return for an honest review
September 22, 2020
When I was first offered this book, the coronavirus was barely a blip on the news. I don’t think I ever imagined how Covid 19 would affect our lives months later and continue to do so. I will be honest. I was hesitant to pick this book up, thinking it would hit close to home, but then I remembered that I’ve read other books by Wiseman. They are all sensitively told, and I got started with it. I think the historical time period of 1918 Philadelphia distinguishes it from what we experiencing now; however, the similarities were not lost on me. Make sure to swipe to see the fun and creative swag.
Pia is a German immigrant living with her family in Philadelphia. Her father joined the army in hopes of proving his loyalty in the face anti-German sentiment at the time. The Spanish flu is rapidly spreading through the streets of Philadelphia, and Pia and her siblings are starving. When she returns home, her siblings are gone, taken by someone who wants to make them into “true Americans.”
The Orphan Collector is a heartwrenching story. Bernice, the character involved in sinister actions, is a villain to match all villains. This is a book about family and love versus hate, and it has touches of mystery and romance. Pia is a character to cherish and champion, and overall, I enjoyed this beautifully-written book.
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
Pia is a German immigrant living with her family in Philadelphia. Her father joined the army in hopes of proving his loyalty in the face anti-German sentiment at the time. The Spanish flu is rapidly spreading through the streets of Philadelphia, and Pia and her siblings are starving. When she returns home, her siblings are gone, taken by someone who wants to make them into “true Americans.”
The Orphan Collector is a heartwrenching story. Bernice, the character involved in sinister actions, is a villain to match all villains. This is a book about family and love versus hate, and it has touches of mystery and romance. Pia is a character to cherish and champion, and overall, I enjoyed this beautifully-written book.
I received a gifted copy. All opinions are my own.
Many of my reviews can also be found on my blog: www.jennifertarheelreader.com and instagram: www.instagram.com/tarheelreader
May 1, 2023
It must be me. I encourage readers to read other reviews because there are many rave reviews.
I listened to it on audiotape and it was a DNF for me.
I really liked the setting in 1918 during the Spanish Flu and the similarities with the recent COVID pandemic. However, the character development and pace were a challenge for me. It moved really slow.
I listened to it on audiotape and it was a DNF for me.
I really liked the setting in 1918 during the Spanish Flu and the similarities with the recent COVID pandemic. However, the character development and pace were a challenge for me. It moved really slow.
December 29, 2020
3.5 stars
Have you read a book that you just weren't digging but couldn't put it down? Well, if you have, then you know what I am talking about here.
The story starts off in Sept 1918 after crowds of people gather at a parade in Philadelphia, spreading the Spanish flu, and people are dying. It's hard to believe so many years later, we are in a similar situation, with a pandemic and people are gathering in groups, and people are dying.
At first, I avoided this one due to the heartbreaking storyline with the Spanish flu, but this one was not what I expected. I loved the emotional pull to the story surrounding 13-year-old Pia, who is left alone to care for her baby brothers after her mother dies from the flu. She is a strong character, and her journey throughout the story is an extraordinary one and I thought this part of the story was well done. I was turning the pages as fast as I could to see how that journey played out for her.
The story takes on a suspenseful, thriller element to it with Bernice's character, who is created from the author's imagination. The story becomes complicated, overwhelming, and a little too much for me to buy into with her sinister mission. I began to lose that emotional pull I was feeling towards the story.
I think if I had known going into this one, it had that thriller element to the story, I would have liked it more.
I received a copy from the publisher on NG.
Have you read a book that you just weren't digging but couldn't put it down? Well, if you have, then you know what I am talking about here.
The story starts off in Sept 1918 after crowds of people gather at a parade in Philadelphia, spreading the Spanish flu, and people are dying. It's hard to believe so many years later, we are in a similar situation, with a pandemic and people are gathering in groups, and people are dying.
At first, I avoided this one due to the heartbreaking storyline with the Spanish flu, but this one was not what I expected. I loved the emotional pull to the story surrounding 13-year-old Pia, who is left alone to care for her baby brothers after her mother dies from the flu. She is a strong character, and her journey throughout the story is an extraordinary one and I thought this part of the story was well done. I was turning the pages as fast as I could to see how that journey played out for her.
The story takes on a suspenseful, thriller element to it with Bernice's character, who is created from the author's imagination. The story becomes complicated, overwhelming, and a little too much for me to buy into with her sinister mission. I began to lose that emotional pull I was feeling towards the story.
I think if I had known going into this one, it had that thriller element to the story, I would have liked it more.
I received a copy from the publisher on NG.
Read
January 27, 2020I can’t wait for everyone to meet Pia Lange, a young immigrant living in the slums of Philadelphia who loses her mother during the deadly Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 and is left to take care of her twin baby brothers until her father returns from the war. When they run out of supplies, Pia must leave her brothers alone to search the quarantined city for food, with no idea they will be gone when she returns…
August 21, 2020
I love a good historical orphan tale, but this book was not one. Set during the pandemic of 1918 I had high hopes for this novel. My primary issue with the book is the really flat characters-so exaggerated (Cruel Nuns, Benevolent Doctor, Scheming woman with severe Xenophobia) and the unrealistic turn of events when the primary character is released from the orphanage.
September 24, 2020
Hands down the best historical fiction book I've read this year! I have no idea how it is that I had not heard of this book or of Ellen Marie Wiseman until a friend sent me a copy of it. It is such a timely read for 2020 in so many ways, and for as bad as things appear in regard to the current pandemic and racial inequality, it pales in comparison to the Spanish flu of 1918, and the mind-blowing racial profiling of all immigrants referenced throughout this book. There are some eerie similarities to the 2020 pandemic noted, but 1918 was a very different time and a very different pandemic.
The book setting is Philadelphia, 1918, and the streets are crowded with over 200,000 people lined up to see the Liberty Loan Parade. 13-year-old Pia does not want to go to the parade with her mother and infant twin brothers, as Pia is a loner, who doesn't deal well with human touch. Pia and her parents are German immigrants though, and her father is currently serving in the US army, but there is still a very strong sentiment against Germans, so her mother tells her that they must go to the parade to show their patriotism. The crowds are relatively unaware that the spanish flu is already rapidly spreading among them, and many of them would take sick and die within days. Soon after the parade, Pia's mother is one of those who dies from the flu, and Pia is left to take care of her infant brothers. While Pia is struggling to feed her brothers, her neighbor, Bernice, is mourning the death of her infant son. When Pia makes a difficult and life-changing choice, it will haunt her forever, and the story continues with a heartbreaking search, in which the lives of Pia and Bernice continue to intersect and collide.
Throughout the book, my heart was in my throat, as I followed this emotional tale of loss, heartache, and hope. Wiseman's compelling writing fully immersed me in the world of the early 1900's, and her characters are so well-portrayed. Despite the tragic circumstances Pia faced again and again, her courage and resiliency never faltered. I don't ever remember loving and hating as many characters with such a passion as I experienced in this book. Wiseman also shares notes at the end that are well-worth the read. It is obvious much work and research went into this book.
This is one of those books that will have you thinking about it long after finishing the last page, as it is an exceptional, beautiful tale of such a dark time. I cannot recommend it enough - all the stars!
The book setting is Philadelphia, 1918, and the streets are crowded with over 200,000 people lined up to see the Liberty Loan Parade. 13-year-old Pia does not want to go to the parade with her mother and infant twin brothers, as Pia is a loner, who doesn't deal well with human touch. Pia and her parents are German immigrants though, and her father is currently serving in the US army, but there is still a very strong sentiment against Germans, so her mother tells her that they must go to the parade to show their patriotism. The crowds are relatively unaware that the spanish flu is already rapidly spreading among them, and many of them would take sick and die within days. Soon after the parade, Pia's mother is one of those who dies from the flu, and Pia is left to take care of her infant brothers. While Pia is struggling to feed her brothers, her neighbor, Bernice, is mourning the death of her infant son. When Pia makes a difficult and life-changing choice, it will haunt her forever, and the story continues with a heartbreaking search, in which the lives of Pia and Bernice continue to intersect and collide.
Throughout the book, my heart was in my throat, as I followed this emotional tale of loss, heartache, and hope. Wiseman's compelling writing fully immersed me in the world of the early 1900's, and her characters are so well-portrayed. Despite the tragic circumstances Pia faced again and again, her courage and resiliency never faltered. I don't ever remember loving and hating as many characters with such a passion as I experienced in this book. Wiseman also shares notes at the end that are well-worth the read. It is obvious much work and research went into this book.
This is one of those books that will have you thinking about it long after finishing the last page, as it is an exceptional, beautiful tale of such a dark time. I cannot recommend it enough - all the stars!
October 28, 2020
Although this historic fiction of an adolescent's survival in Philadelphia during the 1918 pandemic started with a captivating intensity teeming with notable facts, it quickly devolved into an implausibly maudlin melodrama.
Characters are all portrayed as either pure evil or impossibly beneficent do-gooders. And while Pia Lange's efforts to reunite with her briefly separated twin brothers is initially heartbreaking, the inclusion of evil orphanage nuns and a mentally unbalanced racist neighbor quickly soured this reader's enjoyment of a book that should have been an inspiring account of this terrifying era.
Characters are all portrayed as either pure evil or impossibly beneficent do-gooders. And while Pia Lange's efforts to reunite with her briefly separated twin brothers is initially heartbreaking, the inclusion of evil orphanage nuns and a mentally unbalanced racist neighbor quickly soured this reader's enjoyment of a book that should have been an inspiring account of this terrifying era.
Read
November 8, 2019In the fall of 1918, thirteen-year-old German immigrant Pia Lange longs to be far from Philadelphia’s overcrowded streets and slums, and from the anti-German sentiment that compelled her father to enlist in the U.S. Army, hoping to prove his loyalty. But an even more urgent threat has arrived. Spanish influenza is spreading through the city. Soon, dead and dying are everywhere. With no food at home, Pia must venture out in search of supplies, leaving her infant twin brothers alone . . .
Since her baby died days ago, Bernice Groves has been lost in grief and bitterness. If doctors hadn’t been so busy tending to hordes of immigrants, perhaps they could have saved her son. When Bernice sees Pia leaving her tenement across the way, she is buoyed by a shocking, life-altering decision that leads her on a sinister mission: to transform the city’s orphans and immigrant children into what she feels are “true Americans.”
As Pia navigates the city’s somber neighborhoods, she cannot know that her brothers won’t be home when she returns. And it will be a long and arduous journey to learn what happened—even as Bernice plots to keep the truth hidden at any cost. Only with persistence, and the courage to face her own shame and fear, will Pia put the pieces together and find the strength to risk everything to see justice at last.
Since her baby died days ago, Bernice Groves has been lost in grief and bitterness. If doctors hadn’t been so busy tending to hordes of immigrants, perhaps they could have saved her son. When Bernice sees Pia leaving her tenement across the way, she is buoyed by a shocking, life-altering decision that leads her on a sinister mission: to transform the city’s orphans and immigrant children into what she feels are “true Americans.”
As Pia navigates the city’s somber neighborhoods, she cannot know that her brothers won’t be home when she returns. And it will be a long and arduous journey to learn what happened—even as Bernice plots to keep the truth hidden at any cost. Only with persistence, and the courage to face her own shame and fear, will Pia put the pieces together and find the strength to risk everything to see justice at last.
December 28, 2023
reading this felt like a chore
the idea was there, but i was hardly invested
the idea was there, but i was hardly invested
January 23, 2021
This story did not work for me. The grieving mother who kidnaps the twin babies of her neighbor, murders a visiting nurse, is consumed with hatred for immigrants during a flu epidemic, who then takes on the persona of the dead nurse, so she can kidnap immigrant children to hand over to the cruel sadistic nuns that run the orphanages. It was so over the the top that it distracted me and the story lost credibility.
Shelved as 'dnf'
August 19, 2020Got up to 30% and no can do with this one. When one of the main characters puts rat poisoning into the tea of a visiting nurse that did it for me. It was “deadful.”
I can say that I am going to do a bit of reserach into the Spanish flu so I gues I can say this book was not all bad. 🙄
I can say that I am going to do a bit of reserach into the Spanish flu so I gues I can say this book was not all bad. 🙄
March 26, 2020
I am such a fan of Ellen Marie Wiseman's writing that I will read her books without even checking the synopses anymore. I just know they'll be great. This time around, I didn't check the synopsis before adding The Orphan Collector to my TBR pile, only to pick it up around the same time as the Coronavirus was starting to make its way around the US. Talk about a timely read!
This is Ellen's best novel to date! While we're complaining about being stuck at home with our kids for the next couple of months, it's sobering to read about the living conditions back in 1918 while the Spanish Flu was in full force and people were struggling to survive and feed their families. I had no idea how bad the disease truly was until now. My heart went out to Pia throughout the story, especially over the guilt she was feeling regarding her baby brothers. I really wanted to see something good happen for her.
While I felt bad for Bernice's situation initially, she turned out to be a horrible person and Ellen did a great job writing her as a villain. We get to see her perspective at times, but later it tapers off to just show how everyone else sees her (those who think highly of her and those who have been hurt by her actions).
Ellen made great use of descriptions and characterizations to bring this novel to life. It was such an interesting and thoughtful story that was difficult to put down! I only hope that by the time of its release in late July, our lives will be back to normal.
Movie casting suggestions:
Pia (early teens): Oona Laurence
Pia (late teens): Eliza Scanlen
Bernice: Harley Quinn Smith
Dr. Hudson: Spencer Treat Clark
Mrs. Hudson: Rose McIver
Finn: Levi Miller
Mother Joe: Frances McDormand
This is Ellen's best novel to date! While we're complaining about being stuck at home with our kids for the next couple of months, it's sobering to read about the living conditions back in 1918 while the Spanish Flu was in full force and people were struggling to survive and feed their families. I had no idea how bad the disease truly was until now. My heart went out to Pia throughout the story, especially over the guilt she was feeling regarding her baby brothers. I really wanted to see something good happen for her.
While I felt bad for Bernice's situation initially, she turned out to be a horrible person and Ellen did a great job writing her as a villain. We get to see her perspective at times, but later it tapers off to just show how everyone else sees her (those who think highly of her and those who have been hurt by her actions).
Ellen made great use of descriptions and characterizations to bring this novel to life. It was such an interesting and thoughtful story that was difficult to put down! I only hope that by the time of its release in late July, our lives will be back to normal.
Movie casting suggestions:
Pia (early teens): Oona Laurence
Pia (late teens): Eliza Scanlen
Bernice: Harley Quinn Smith
Dr. Hudson: Spencer Treat Clark
Mrs. Hudson: Rose McIver
Finn: Levi Miller
Mother Joe: Frances McDormand
July 27, 2020
It’s 1918, and the Spanish flu is running rampant. Family members are passing away right in front of their loved ones' eyes, food is scarce, and the living conditions in the tenement and slums are deplorable.
The flu took Pia’s mother, and then Pia is left with the care of her twin infant brothers since her father was fighting in the war. Pia was doing well until she needed to leave the house to find food. She didn't take her brothers because they would be too much to carry, but she wouldn’t be gone long.
We then meet Bernice. Bernice is a distraught mother in another building whose baby had passed away from the flu and who saw Pia leaving without her twin brothers and decided she would take them for her own.
We follow Pia as she struggles with her life and the guilt about leaving her brothers. You will feel sorry for Pia.
You will not feel sorry for Bernice because of her deceitful, unethical, uncaring ways.
Ms. Wiseman's description of the plight of the people of Philadelphia during the pandemic is exceptional. You will feel every emotion the characters are feeling.
THE ORPHAN COLLECTOR is an outstanding novel that touches on human empathy as well as people taking advantage of others.
You will see the similarities to the pandemic of 2020 but hope something good happens to Pia.
THE ORPHAN COLLECTOR is heart wrenching but will have you glued to the pages as well as have you wondering what evil deed Bernice will do next.
A highly recommended book for historical fiction and suspense fans. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The flu took Pia’s mother, and then Pia is left with the care of her twin infant brothers since her father was fighting in the war. Pia was doing well until she needed to leave the house to find food. She didn't take her brothers because they would be too much to carry, but she wouldn’t be gone long.
We then meet Bernice. Bernice is a distraught mother in another building whose baby had passed away from the flu and who saw Pia leaving without her twin brothers and decided she would take them for her own.
We follow Pia as she struggles with her life and the guilt about leaving her brothers. You will feel sorry for Pia.
You will not feel sorry for Bernice because of her deceitful, unethical, uncaring ways.
Ms. Wiseman's description of the plight of the people of Philadelphia during the pandemic is exceptional. You will feel every emotion the characters are feeling.
THE ORPHAN COLLECTOR is an outstanding novel that touches on human empathy as well as people taking advantage of others.
You will see the similarities to the pandemic of 2020 but hope something good happens to Pia.
THE ORPHAN COLLECTOR is heart wrenching but will have you glued to the pages as well as have you wondering what evil deed Bernice will do next.
A highly recommended book for historical fiction and suspense fans. 5/5
This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
September 13, 2020
Thirteen year old Pia Lange and her family moved from rural Pennsylvania to Philadelphia. As German immigrants in 1918, prejudice is not uncommon. Pia's father is off fighting in WWI and Pia, her mother and infant twin brothers live in the tenaments, barely scraping by. When the city is hit with the Spanish Flu, people are dying by the thousands. When Pia's mother dies, Pia does her best to care for her brothers, but their food supply quickly dwindles. When Pia must go out in search of food, she makes the difficult decision to leave the babies behind. Sadly, Pia falls ill herself while out and is brought to a make shift hospital in a local church. From there the nuns refuse to let her go home, sending her instead to St. Vincent's Orphan Asylum, a cold and cruel institution where discipline outweighs kindness.
Bernice, grieving the loss of her husband and infant son sees Pia leave her home. She then makes a life altering decision that will change all their lives unalterably.
Pia spends years searching for her brothers, carrying the weight of guilt and shame wherever she went. Will they ever be reunited?
A heart wrenching coming of age story that was deeply emotional and touching.
It was interesting to see the many parallels between the epidemic in 1918 and what is happening now in the midst of the COVID outbreak.
Bernice, grieving the loss of her husband and infant son sees Pia leave her home. She then makes a life altering decision that will change all their lives unalterably.
Pia spends years searching for her brothers, carrying the weight of guilt and shame wherever she went. Will they ever be reunited?
A heart wrenching coming of age story that was deeply emotional and touching.
It was interesting to see the many parallels between the epidemic in 1918 and what is happening now in the midst of the COVID outbreak.
August 21, 2020
Thanks to Edelweiss, Ellen Marie Wiseman and Kensington Publishing for my copy of: The Orphan Collector.
Philadelphia 1918, Pia Lange attended the Liberty Loan Parade with her mother Amelia and she didn’t want to go as she hated big crowds and being too close to people. The family had no idea the Spanish influenza was about unleash its fury in Philadelphia, they called it the purple plague, and you could be perfectly fine in the morning and dead by nightfall. The flu was highly contagious with so many people living in packed squalid buildings, combined with poor sanitation and it spread very quickly. Within days the city was totally overwhelmed, thousands of people had died or were dying, hospitals were full, children orphaned and the city established a visiting Nurse Society. Women from the Red Cross or registered nurses checked apartment blocks, knocking on doors, assessing the sick and organizing to have dead corpses collected.
Pia’s father Karl had recently joined the U.S. army, he’s a German immigrant and he wanted to fight in WW I for his new country. He left behind his wife, daughter, and twin baby son’s Oliver and Maxwell. When Amelia suddenly dies, Pia does her best to look after her baby brothers; she runs out of supplies and she ventures out in search of food. Pia has no idea living nearby is Bernice Groves a bitter horrible and nasty woman who has just lost her baby son Wallis, she also hates immigrants and when she sees Pia leaving she goes to the Lange’s apartment and takes the twin boys.
Pia collapses in the street, she wakes up days later in some kind of medical facility, she tries to explain about her baby brothers being home alone and no one will listen. This is the beginning of Pia’s quest to find her brothers and no matter what hurdles are put in her way. Pia is horrified by the choices she made by leaving her baby brothers alone; she’s ashamed of what she did, scared, being a child herself she had no rights and before she knows it she’s living in an orphanage.
Pia never gives up, she is determined to find her brothers, eventually she’s given the chance to leave the orphanage she not sure if she’s going to be mistreated again and she’s very nervous. She works as a nanny for Dr and Mrs. Hudson, two of the kindest people, eventually they and her friend Finn help her to try and find her brothers. They also uncover and illegal adoption ring, children being send on the orphan train west and they desperately try to find Oliver and Maxwell.
I enjoyed The Orphan Collector, at times it seemed a little predictable but overall it was a timely book to read, considering the current situation with Covid 19 and I gave it four stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Amazon Australia, Edelweiss, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.
https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
Philadelphia 1918, Pia Lange attended the Liberty Loan Parade with her mother Amelia and she didn’t want to go as she hated big crowds and being too close to people. The family had no idea the Spanish influenza was about unleash its fury in Philadelphia, they called it the purple plague, and you could be perfectly fine in the morning and dead by nightfall. The flu was highly contagious with so many people living in packed squalid buildings, combined with poor sanitation and it spread very quickly. Within days the city was totally overwhelmed, thousands of people had died or were dying, hospitals were full, children orphaned and the city established a visiting Nurse Society. Women from the Red Cross or registered nurses checked apartment blocks, knocking on doors, assessing the sick and organizing to have dead corpses collected.
Pia’s father Karl had recently joined the U.S. army, he’s a German immigrant and he wanted to fight in WW I for his new country. He left behind his wife, daughter, and twin baby son’s Oliver and Maxwell. When Amelia suddenly dies, Pia does her best to look after her baby brothers; she runs out of supplies and she ventures out in search of food. Pia has no idea living nearby is Bernice Groves a bitter horrible and nasty woman who has just lost her baby son Wallis, she also hates immigrants and when she sees Pia leaving she goes to the Lange’s apartment and takes the twin boys.
Pia collapses in the street, she wakes up days later in some kind of medical facility, she tries to explain about her baby brothers being home alone and no one will listen. This is the beginning of Pia’s quest to find her brothers and no matter what hurdles are put in her way. Pia is horrified by the choices she made by leaving her baby brothers alone; she’s ashamed of what she did, scared, being a child herself she had no rights and before she knows it she’s living in an orphanage.
Pia never gives up, she is determined to find her brothers, eventually she’s given the chance to leave the orphanage she not sure if she’s going to be mistreated again and she’s very nervous. She works as a nanny for Dr and Mrs. Hudson, two of the kindest people, eventually they and her friend Finn help her to try and find her brothers. They also uncover and illegal adoption ring, children being send on the orphan train west and they desperately try to find Oliver and Maxwell.
I enjoyed The Orphan Collector, at times it seemed a little predictable but overall it was a timely book to read, considering the current situation with Covid 19 and I gave it four stars. I have shared my review on Goodreads, Amazon Australia, Edelweiss, Kobo, Twitter and my blog.
https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
November 5, 2020
Ellen Marie Wiseman sets this one down in the midst of the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic. It leans in a little close for comfort nowadays. The parallels make us sit up and take notice. Heaven help us, we don't necessarily have to go back in time to know, sometimes first-hand, the devastation personally and worldly, of the impact of such a thing.
The Orphan Collector is weaved with the threads of survival and stamina. As we enter into this storyline, we will be surrounded by individuals armed with nothing but each other. Home remedies were the first line of defense and the first line of helplessness. Immigrants gathered in overcrowded apartments sharing what little they had. Language barriers forced them into silence.
Pia Lange, just thirteen years old, will come face to face with the aftermath of the Flu. Her father, a German immigrant, has enlisted in the War in order to be accepted into this new country of America. She and her mother are trying to make a life in their tiny apartment with four month old twin brothers. But it's not long before her mother succumbs to the ravages of the Flu. Pia tries to take care of the twins on her own. She leaves them in a cupboard as she searches desperately for food in the neighborhood. When she returns, the twins are gone.
Taking to the streets in search of them, Pia is picked up and sent to an orphanage. Wiseman knows how to set the stage for rock bottom. Pia lives with the guilt of what she did. But soon she's sent to live with a family needing someone for childcare. It is here that Pia's life will be elevated to a whole different level. We'll soon meet an individual with a crafty mind and a blackened heart. You'll cringe when her name appears.
The Orphan Collector is filled with the resilience of the human spirit. It will readily remind us of those who came before us battling a health scourge with little or nothing.....and somehow they survived. It's a remarkable story of determination against all odds. A work of fiction teaming with the sharpness of reality.
The Orphan Collector is weaved with the threads of survival and stamina. As we enter into this storyline, we will be surrounded by individuals armed with nothing but each other. Home remedies were the first line of defense and the first line of helplessness. Immigrants gathered in overcrowded apartments sharing what little they had. Language barriers forced them into silence.
Pia Lange, just thirteen years old, will come face to face with the aftermath of the Flu. Her father, a German immigrant, has enlisted in the War in order to be accepted into this new country of America. She and her mother are trying to make a life in their tiny apartment with four month old twin brothers. But it's not long before her mother succumbs to the ravages of the Flu. Pia tries to take care of the twins on her own. She leaves them in a cupboard as she searches desperately for food in the neighborhood. When she returns, the twins are gone.
Taking to the streets in search of them, Pia is picked up and sent to an orphanage. Wiseman knows how to set the stage for rock bottom. Pia lives with the guilt of what she did. But soon she's sent to live with a family needing someone for childcare. It is here that Pia's life will be elevated to a whole different level. We'll soon meet an individual with a crafty mind and a blackened heart. You'll cringe when her name appears.
The Orphan Collector is filled with the resilience of the human spirit. It will readily remind us of those who came before us battling a health scourge with little or nothing.....and somehow they survived. It's a remarkable story of determination against all odds. A work of fiction teaming with the sharpness of reality.
August 6, 2023
I don't know what to say about this one. It was immensely depressing and infuriating and somehow seemed a bit pointless. I was interested in a book that dealt with the Spanish Influenza, as it wasn't something I had read a lot about in fiction.
After the author's note, I think I liked it even less. There was an immense amount of issues that were real without adding to the fire in the creation. Then there is the weird sci-fi paranormal gift that is only explored in a small section of the book.
I am sure there were experiences in the orphanages like those described, and I don't doubt any of the prejudice that existed. Some events in the novel were a bit TOO convenient for plot movement.
I did like Pia as a character, but I wish there was more depth to her growth and the ancillary characters.
The marketing of this book set it up for failure as it all fell short. I didn't see many of the similarities described between this and Covid. That seemed like a buzzword to try to sell it.
I had to put it down a few times and return to it. It was so miserable at times that I didn't want to keep reading.
2.75 rounded up to 3 stars.
After the author's note, I think I liked it even less. There was an immense amount of issues that were real without adding to the fire in the creation. Then there is the weird sci-fi paranormal gift that is only explored in a small section of the book.
I am sure there were experiences in the orphanages like those described, and I don't doubt any of the prejudice that existed. Some events in the novel were a bit TOO convenient for plot movement.
I did like Pia as a character, but I wish there was more depth to her growth and the ancillary characters.
The marketing of this book set it up for failure as it all fell short. I didn't see many of the similarities described between this and Covid. That seemed like a buzzword to try to sell it.
I had to put it down a few times and return to it. It was so miserable at times that I didn't want to keep reading.
2.75 rounded up to 3 stars.
December 20, 2020
First off, I won this as a goodreads giveaway. Thank you Kensington Books.
This story is a bit of a tear jerker so be prepared. Also, after reading this I’ll never look at Orphan Trains the same way again.
What was mostly interesting is that I was reading about a 20th Century Pandemic while being in the midst of a 21st Century Pandemic. An it’s ironic reading about history repeating itself while living it. It shows how far we haven’t come when a major public health crisis hits.
This story is a bit of a tear jerker so be prepared. Also, after reading this I’ll never look at Orphan Trains the same way again.
What was mostly interesting is that I was reading about a 20th Century Pandemic while being in the midst of a 21st Century Pandemic. An it’s ironic reading about history repeating itself while living it. It shows how far we haven’t come when a major public health crisis hits.
June 20, 2020
One Child's Moving and Heartfelt Story During the Spanish Flu Epidemic
I have read several of Ellen Marie Wiseman's books over the years, so when I saw that she had written a new book I knew that I just had to own it and read it. Although it took an extraordinarily long time for this book to be delivered to my home, it was well worth the wait. Ellen Marie Wiseman's new book, The Orphan Collector, captured my attention from the very beginning. I could not put this book down.
The timing of this novel could not have been more coincidental. It coincided with the outbreak of the Coronavirus in the United States and worldwide. Although I heard the Coronavirus being compared to the Spanish Flu, I did not know a lot about the Spanish Flu and that time in our history. It was surely a very sad and devastating time. The way the Spanish flu attacked children, adults, families, babies and life in general will break your heart. The characters in The Orphan Collector were brilliantly developed and made a lasting impression on me. If you enjoy reading historical fiction that is well researched, The Orphan Collector will not disappoint. In my opinion, The Orphan Collector was Ellen Marie Wiseman's best book that I have read.
Pia Lange was a thirteen year old girl when the Spanish Flu struck in September of 1918. She was living in the city of Philadelphia in the Fifth Ward. She was very poor. Pia lived with her Mutti (mother) and two twin baby brothers, Oliver and Maxwell or Ollie and Max for short. Her Vater (father) had enlisted in the army and was off fighting in the war. Pia's family had immigrated to the United States from Germany when she was a four year old girl. Since the war began, German-American citizens were not looked on kindly. Some companies even stopped employing Germans. Pia's Mutti lost her job at a textile mill as a result. With all the anti-German feelings Mutti tried very hard not to speak any German words in public. They did not have a lot of friends as a result. Everyone was wary of anyone from Germany that were now living in the United States.
When Mutti heard about the Liberty Loan parade she was determined to attend. She knew she could not afford to buy Liberty loans or to give a donation to the Red Cross so this was the best way she could show her patriotism. Over 200,000 people gathered for the parade on that fateful day in 1918. Everyone was there to support the troops, buy war bonds and show their patriotism. The mayor had been warned to cancel the parade but he paid no mind to the warnings. The day before the parade it was reported that over 200 people had been admitted to the hospitals. Pia was gifted with the ability to detect illness. She was able to tell when someone was sick just by touching them. As Pia came into contact with several people during the parade she could sense that something was very wrong. Little did she know that her life would be altered drastically as a result of attending that parade.
As tragedy hit Pia's family, Pia was forced to make extremely difficult decisions. The flu had taken Mutti's life. Mutti was dead. Ollie and Max were now dependent upon Pia for their care and survival. As their food dwindled and became non-existent, Pia had to decide if she should leave the apartment to look for food or wait for someone to come and help them. She was afraid the twins would starve. Her mind was made up. She would leave the twins in the apartment and go to find food. Her bravery, determination, resourcefulness and intuition were commendable. Pia had to make decisions that no thirteen year old child should have been forced to make. After finding and deciding on a safe place to leave Ollie and Max in their apartment, Pia set off to find food for them. Her plan was for her not to be out of the apartment for any significant length of time. She did not want to leave her brothers for longer than she had to. She was feeling guilty as it was for leaving her brothers in the cubby in her parent's bedroom. Pia knew that they would be safe there but she didn't like leaving them there. She had no choice.
As kind, caring and accepting as Pia's Mutti had been, Pia's neighbor Bernice Groves was the exact opposite. Bernice was a twenty year old woman who had recently lost her husband in the war and tragically lost her infant son, Wallis, to the flu. Bernice lived on the same street as Pia but in a different building. She grieved for her son to the extent that she thought about ending her own life. Bernice's life was dominated by extreme prejudice. She could not tolerate the idea of so many poor immigrant families living in America and taking jobs away from "real" Americans. This hatred and bigotry led Bernice to do so many unspeakable things throughout the book. Bernice had no redeeming qualities.
The Orphan Collector told the story of how so many children became orphaned during the Spanish flu epidemic. The orphans were not always treated so kindly. Many ended up in orphanages but others were sent on Orphan Trains to the west to live and work on farms. So many people struggled to feed their families and tried desperately to avoid the hands of the deadly flu. I learned so much about this time in our history.
I came to love the characters of Pia, Finn and Dr. and Mrs. Hudson as I hope you will too after reading The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman. The descriptions throughout the book were detailed and really made this story easy to visualize. The themes in the story were numerous. It explored, above all, the tragedies associated with the Spanish flu, the fate of all the orphaned children, survival, determination, hope, love, kindness, and ultimately never to give up on something you believe in and want so badly. Following Pia along her moving and perilous journey in 1918 made me very emotional. I cried, smiled, laughed, became angry and sad. Ellen Marie Wiseman's writing was well-researched and masterful. This was one of my favorite books I have read this year. The Orphan Collector will be published on July 28, 2020. I highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of The Orphan Collector in a Bookish First raffle using my own points to obtain it. A special thank you to Vida Engstrand, Director of Communications at Kennsington Publishing Corp. for sending me a special boxed edition of this book when the book I won never came, Ellen Marie Wiseman, Kennsington Publishing Corporation and to Bookish First. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
I have read several of Ellen Marie Wiseman's books over the years, so when I saw that she had written a new book I knew that I just had to own it and read it. Although it took an extraordinarily long time for this book to be delivered to my home, it was well worth the wait. Ellen Marie Wiseman's new book, The Orphan Collector, captured my attention from the very beginning. I could not put this book down.
The timing of this novel could not have been more coincidental. It coincided with the outbreak of the Coronavirus in the United States and worldwide. Although I heard the Coronavirus being compared to the Spanish Flu, I did not know a lot about the Spanish Flu and that time in our history. It was surely a very sad and devastating time. The way the Spanish flu attacked children, adults, families, babies and life in general will break your heart. The characters in The Orphan Collector were brilliantly developed and made a lasting impression on me. If you enjoy reading historical fiction that is well researched, The Orphan Collector will not disappoint. In my opinion, The Orphan Collector was Ellen Marie Wiseman's best book that I have read.
Pia Lange was a thirteen year old girl when the Spanish Flu struck in September of 1918. She was living in the city of Philadelphia in the Fifth Ward. She was very poor. Pia lived with her Mutti (mother) and two twin baby brothers, Oliver and Maxwell or Ollie and Max for short. Her Vater (father) had enlisted in the army and was off fighting in the war. Pia's family had immigrated to the United States from Germany when she was a four year old girl. Since the war began, German-American citizens were not looked on kindly. Some companies even stopped employing Germans. Pia's Mutti lost her job at a textile mill as a result. With all the anti-German feelings Mutti tried very hard not to speak any German words in public. They did not have a lot of friends as a result. Everyone was wary of anyone from Germany that were now living in the United States.
When Mutti heard about the Liberty Loan parade she was determined to attend. She knew she could not afford to buy Liberty loans or to give a donation to the Red Cross so this was the best way she could show her patriotism. Over 200,000 people gathered for the parade on that fateful day in 1918. Everyone was there to support the troops, buy war bonds and show their patriotism. The mayor had been warned to cancel the parade but he paid no mind to the warnings. The day before the parade it was reported that over 200 people had been admitted to the hospitals. Pia was gifted with the ability to detect illness. She was able to tell when someone was sick just by touching them. As Pia came into contact with several people during the parade she could sense that something was very wrong. Little did she know that her life would be altered drastically as a result of attending that parade.
As tragedy hit Pia's family, Pia was forced to make extremely difficult decisions. The flu had taken Mutti's life. Mutti was dead. Ollie and Max were now dependent upon Pia for their care and survival. As their food dwindled and became non-existent, Pia had to decide if she should leave the apartment to look for food or wait for someone to come and help them. She was afraid the twins would starve. Her mind was made up. She would leave the twins in the apartment and go to find food. Her bravery, determination, resourcefulness and intuition were commendable. Pia had to make decisions that no thirteen year old child should have been forced to make. After finding and deciding on a safe place to leave Ollie and Max in their apartment, Pia set off to find food for them. Her plan was for her not to be out of the apartment for any significant length of time. She did not want to leave her brothers for longer than she had to. She was feeling guilty as it was for leaving her brothers in the cubby in her parent's bedroom. Pia knew that they would be safe there but she didn't like leaving them there. She had no choice.
As kind, caring and accepting as Pia's Mutti had been, Pia's neighbor Bernice Groves was the exact opposite. Bernice was a twenty year old woman who had recently lost her husband in the war and tragically lost her infant son, Wallis, to the flu. Bernice lived on the same street as Pia but in a different building. She grieved for her son to the extent that she thought about ending her own life. Bernice's life was dominated by extreme prejudice. She could not tolerate the idea of so many poor immigrant families living in America and taking jobs away from "real" Americans. This hatred and bigotry led Bernice to do so many unspeakable things throughout the book. Bernice had no redeeming qualities.
The Orphan Collector told the story of how so many children became orphaned during the Spanish flu epidemic. The orphans were not always treated so kindly. Many ended up in orphanages but others were sent on Orphan Trains to the west to live and work on farms. So many people struggled to feed their families and tried desperately to avoid the hands of the deadly flu. I learned so much about this time in our history.
I came to love the characters of Pia, Finn and Dr. and Mrs. Hudson as I hope you will too after reading The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman. The descriptions throughout the book were detailed and really made this story easy to visualize. The themes in the story were numerous. It explored, above all, the tragedies associated with the Spanish flu, the fate of all the orphaned children, survival, determination, hope, love, kindness, and ultimately never to give up on something you believe in and want so badly. Following Pia along her moving and perilous journey in 1918 made me very emotional. I cried, smiled, laughed, became angry and sad. Ellen Marie Wiseman's writing was well-researched and masterful. This was one of my favorite books I have read this year. The Orphan Collector will be published on July 28, 2020. I highly recommend this book.
I received a complimentary copy of The Orphan Collector in a Bookish First raffle using my own points to obtain it. A special thank you to Vida Engstrand, Director of Communications at Kennsington Publishing Corp. for sending me a special boxed edition of this book when the book I won never came, Ellen Marie Wiseman, Kennsington Publishing Corporation and to Bookish First. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
June 6, 2020
Check out this free sample of THE ORPHAN COLLECTOR on Kindle!!
June 26, 2020
Riveting Story for Current Times
Set in pandemic-stricken Philadelphia in 1918, The Orphan Collector is the story of Pia Lange, the daughter of German immigrants trying to Americanize themselves at a time when Germans were not welcome by many. Her father is off fighting the war in Europe, her mother doing her best to hold the small family together in the city. People are dying all over the city from the Spanish Flu and Pia’s mother does not escape that fate. With no family to turn to, thirteen-year-old Pia is left to take care of her infant twin brothers.
Pia must make the gut-wrenching decision to leave the four-month-old twins in the apartment to go out and scavenge for food. While she is out, she becomes sick and by the time she can return to her home the babies are gone. She is heartbroken and devasted and feels she has let her family down.
A neighbor, Bernice Groves has lost her own child and husband and sees Pia leave the apartment. She is a very bitter woman and blames all immigrants for her misfortune. She decides to do something about it and evolves into the Orphan Collector.
Wiseman’s storytelling is so vivid and thrilling, it takes you to a time you may have heard of before but could have never truly imagined. While reading this book I could not help but compare what was happening then to what is happening now. There are similarities to be sure, but the hardships then were so much more to bear. The author has created such rich characters, especially Pia who must survive somehow. She has lost everyone including her best friend and she suffers greatly, but she perseveres.
Many thanks to the author, Bookish First and the publisher for the chance to read and review this wonderful story that will stay with me for a long time.
Set in pandemic-stricken Philadelphia in 1918, The Orphan Collector is the story of Pia Lange, the daughter of German immigrants trying to Americanize themselves at a time when Germans were not welcome by many. Her father is off fighting the war in Europe, her mother doing her best to hold the small family together in the city. People are dying all over the city from the Spanish Flu and Pia’s mother does not escape that fate. With no family to turn to, thirteen-year-old Pia is left to take care of her infant twin brothers.
Pia must make the gut-wrenching decision to leave the four-month-old twins in the apartment to go out and scavenge for food. While she is out, she becomes sick and by the time she can return to her home the babies are gone. She is heartbroken and devasted and feels she has let her family down.
A neighbor, Bernice Groves has lost her own child and husband and sees Pia leave the apartment. She is a very bitter woman and blames all immigrants for her misfortune. She decides to do something about it and evolves into the Orphan Collector.
Wiseman’s storytelling is so vivid and thrilling, it takes you to a time you may have heard of before but could have never truly imagined. While reading this book I could not help but compare what was happening then to what is happening now. There are similarities to be sure, but the hardships then were so much more to bear. The author has created such rich characters, especially Pia who must survive somehow. She has lost everyone including her best friend and she suffers greatly, but she perseveres.
Many thanks to the author, Bookish First and the publisher for the chance to read and review this wonderful story that will stay with me for a long time.
December 19, 2020
I can't even begin to tell you how frightening this book was-it should probably be right up there with Stephen King's best! But don't let that description fool you; while this can be a heartbreaking look into the times -it also shows how caring people can be and has a happy ending -thank goodness!
This was one of the most powerful books that I have read lately. This book deals with the 1918 Spanish Flu in such a realistic manner that it had my stomach tied up in knots. The similarities to Covid 19 and our subsequent waves of the flu is frightening. Then to add more turmoil to this pandemic, we are going to deal with an insane woman (and an uncaring Nun who runs one of the orphanages)) who takes babies and children from orphanages and the streets (especially immigrant children) and has them relocated across the county to 'become good Americans,' never knowing if these babies and children have other families to care for them.
Our protagonist, Pia Lang, just 13 at the time, has to deal with some horrific actions after her mother succumbs to the flu.
This book really resonated with me, especially dealing with what we are 100 years later. Thank god for technology and medical science.
I highly recommend this book and if you do read it, be sure to read the author's notes at the back and skim over some of the discussion questions.
This was one of the most powerful books that I have read lately. This book deals with the 1918 Spanish Flu in such a realistic manner that it had my stomach tied up in knots. The similarities to Covid 19 and our subsequent waves of the flu is frightening. Then to add more turmoil to this pandemic, we are going to deal with an insane woman (and an uncaring Nun who runs one of the orphanages)) who takes babies and children from orphanages and the streets (especially immigrant children) and has them relocated across the county to 'become good Americans,' never knowing if these babies and children have other families to care for them.
Our protagonist, Pia Lang, just 13 at the time, has to deal with some horrific actions after her mother succumbs to the flu.
This book really resonated with me, especially dealing with what we are 100 years later. Thank god for technology and medical science.
I highly recommend this book and if you do read it, be sure to read the author's notes at the back and skim over some of the discussion questions.
November 13, 2020
I really didn’t like this book. It was morbid and far fetched. Somewhere stuck in reality and fantasy but never fully committing to one side. It was long and drawn out and just ridiculous.
January 28, 2021
This is the story of Pia, a young immigrant trying to survive in Philadelphia during the 1918 Spanish flue. Pia is thrown into a horrific orphanage and must make her way home to the younger siblings who desperately need her. A timely and timeless tale of family and survival.
November 9, 2020
The Orphan Collector starts in the fall of 1918 in an overcrowded, impoverished neighborhood in Philadelphia heavily populated by poor immigrants. The Lange family is from Germany and they face extreme anti-German sentiment. To prove their loyalty to America, the father enlists in the Army. The deadly Spanish flu is starting to spread. Thirteen year old Pia Lange, her mother and twin baby brothers attend the large Liberty Loan Parade. Soon after, the rate of deaths escalate.
Pia is left to care for her brothers. While seeking food, the twins are taken by Bernice, a neighbor who has just lost her own baby. She sees herself as rescuing the Lange baby boys from their German roots. Pia is taken to an orphanage while Bernice continues her quest to cleanse young immigrant orphans of their foreign heritage by placing them in the homes of “true Americans.”
The description of the devastation of the Spanish flu is harrowing and all too timely. The plight of Pia will break your heart. She is determined to find her brothers yet she is riddled with guilt over their disappearance. Bernice is pure evil.
This well-written book isn’t easy to read. The period was so bleak that at times it seemed hopeless. But amidst tragedy and heartlessness, the story has kind and caring people who bring humanity into this dark time.
I’m sure The Orphan Collector will stay with me for a long time.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
Pia is left to care for her brothers. While seeking food, the twins are taken by Bernice, a neighbor who has just lost her own baby. She sees herself as rescuing the Lange baby boys from their German roots. Pia is taken to an orphanage while Bernice continues her quest to cleanse young immigrant orphans of their foreign heritage by placing them in the homes of “true Americans.”
The description of the devastation of the Spanish flu is harrowing and all too timely. The plight of Pia will break your heart. She is determined to find her brothers yet she is riddled with guilt over their disappearance. Bernice is pure evil.
This well-written book isn’t easy to read. The period was so bleak that at times it seemed hopeless. But amidst tragedy and heartlessness, the story has kind and caring people who bring humanity into this dark time.
I’m sure The Orphan Collector will stay with me for a long time.
Review posted on MicheleReader.com.
May 18, 2021
With events happening 100 years ago so reminiscent to today's pandemic, this book is about the many orphans coming from that pandemic in Philadelphia in 1918.
Pia Lange is 13 years old, her father off fighting in WWI, her mother at home raising not only Pia, but also her twin baby brothers. When the Spanish Flu hits in 1918, not everyone is safe. When Pia's mother succumbs to the flu, it is up to her to provide for her brothers, any way she can. When Pia also gets the flu, her life changes forever.
This is a story of one girl's determination to find the brothers stolen from her home, being sent to an orphanage never to know if she would be let out, and then sent to live with a family who accepts her for who she is, loves her, and helps her in any way they can. The story kept my interests from the very beginning, especially with the similarities between the pandemic then and now. Great story!
Pia Lange is 13 years old, her father off fighting in WWI, her mother at home raising not only Pia, but also her twin baby brothers. When the Spanish Flu hits in 1918, not everyone is safe. When Pia's mother succumbs to the flu, it is up to her to provide for her brothers, any way she can. When Pia also gets the flu, her life changes forever.
This is a story of one girl's determination to find the brothers stolen from her home, being sent to an orphanage never to know if she would be let out, and then sent to live with a family who accepts her for who she is, loves her, and helps her in any way they can. The story kept my interests from the very beginning, especially with the similarities between the pandemic then and now. Great story!
January 28, 2020
Ellen Marie Wiseman has written a sensational, emotionally intense novel, combining the best of humanity with the worst, amidst a world war and a pandemic of staggering proportions.Pia is 13 when influenza strikes Philadelphia, loving and bright, and with an uncanny ability to detect sickness by sheer touch. She is lonely and poor, but she is lit from within by sheer determination, bravery, and a resourcefulness beyond her years. Bernice is a grieving mother, driven to do the unspeakable, poisoned by prejudice and loss. I experienced a roller coaster of emotions—heartache, relief, dismay, hope, hate and love. Pia is an extraordinary character, grief-stricken and desperate, but finding an inner strength to get her through the most horrible of times—Pia is going to live in my heart for a very long time.
This book is ideal for fans of Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, As Bright As Heaven by Sue Meissner, and The Orphan Train by Christina Baker-Kline.
This book is ideal for fans of Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate, As Bright As Heaven by Sue Meissner, and The Orphan Train by Christina Baker-Kline.
June 22, 2021
What a fantastic read. Fantastic, but hard at times. Set during the Spanish Flu in Philadelphia we follow young Pia who has to care for her infant twin brothers after her mom dies of the flu. A series of circumstances separates her from them and she ends up in an orphanage. Her story was so heartbreaking. I was routing for something good to happen to her, but loved her persistence in the midst of her grief and shame. We also follow Bernice, a woman locked in her own cloud of grief, but makes horrible choices that lead her down a path of greed and bitterness.
I was captivated by the story and thought the descriptions, though slightly graphic at the beginning, really helped draw me into the story. I felt very invested and kept turning pages to see how it would all come together. I felt the ending was ok. I wanted a bit more consequences for some people's actions in the story, but overall enjoyed this book from start to finish.
I was captivated by the story and thought the descriptions, though slightly graphic at the beginning, really helped draw me into the story. I felt very invested and kept turning pages to see how it would all come together. I felt the ending was ok. I wanted a bit more consequences for some people's actions in the story, but overall enjoyed this book from start to finish.
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