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“Wiseman shows how humans are capable of great cruelty but also great compassion in this ultimately uplifting, compelling read.” – Shelf Awareness
“Especially resonant.” – Good Housekeeping, 25 Best Historical Fiction Books
“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 for all collections.” – Booklist
“The Orphan Collector is an immersive historical tale with chilling twists and turns. Set during the Spanish Flu epidemic in Philadelphia, this atmospheric novel explores the depravity to which some will sink in adversity, but it also illuminates the strength of family bonds and the resilience of the human heart. Beautifully told and richly imagined.”—Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of America’s First Daughter
“Ellen Marie Wiseman has done it again: masterfully recreated a time of crisis in American history—rendering the flu epidemic of 1918 to reveal its devastating impact on families and, most especially, children, who too often endure the egregious actions of amoral adults. The Orphan Collector is a story that relentlessly pursues those intent on committing evil deeds and those who have the courage to defy them. A breathtaking examination of family and social systems.”—Jessica Keener, author of Strangers in Budapest
“Wiseman's blistering moving and profound novel, set against the devastating backdrop of the 1918 Spanish flu, hones in on an extraordinary exploration of the plight of immigrants, as two very different women grapple with finding, keeping, and changing their place in the world. Absolutely amazing.”—Caroline Leavitt, New York Times bestselling author of With or Without You
“A meticulously researched historical novel that unfolds with the pace of a thriller, The Orphan Collector features a main character, a 13-year-old daughter of German immigrants named Pia Lange, who grabs a reader heart and soul. As the flu epidemic hits Philadelphia with savage fury in 1918, Pia's world becomes a nightmare and she uses every ounce of intelligence, resilience, and instinct to not only protect her family but also stay alive. You will be riveted by this story up to the very last page.”—Nancy Bilyeau, author of Dreamland
“Wiseman’s writing is superb, and her descriptions of life during the Spanish Flu epidemic are chilling. In Pia, Wiseman has created a character that will draw in readers with her courage and resilience. In Bernice, we find the darker side of American attitudes toward immigrants prevalent during the early 1900s. She is truly despicable character, yet horrifyingly beguiling. 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 chronicles the devastation the 1918 flu pandemic wrought on a German immigrant family in Philadelphia…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. Historical fiction fans will appreciate Pia and her pluck and determination to survive.”—Publishers Weekly (Boxed Review)
“Wiseman’s novel raises relevant issues about what it means to be an American and about the forms that anti-American sentiment can take in times of crisis…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. The pathos inspired by the sheer scale and indiscriminate nature of pandemic death is almost overwhelming, especially given current events.”—Kirkus Reviews
“The author masterfully conveys empathy for the characters…an emotional roller coaster that was eerily similar to today’s events. I felt Pia’s strength, courage, guilt, and grief come through the pages clear as day.”—The Seattle Book Review
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4.2 out of 5
84.00% of customers are satisfied
5.0 out of 5 stars 5 stars for a fairly accurate historical novel close to my heart
(function() { P.when('cr-A', 'ready').execute(function(A) { if(typeof A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel === 'function') { A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel('review_text_read_more', 'Read more of this review', 'Read less of this review'); } }); })(); .review-text-read-more-expander:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #2162a1; outline-offset: 2px; border-radius: 5px; } My father was born in 1917. He was the youngest of 7. His father was a switchman on the Santa Fe local lines in Missouri, Arkansas and Oklahoma. His mother had come from Minnesota originally and mother/father lived in a converted boxcar; it was really pretty nice, merely allowing the trainworkers to travel where needed.My birth gradmother contracted and died from the Spanish Flu in the 3rd wave. She died in the vicinity of Vinita, Oklahoma where she buried. My father, his sister and the younger 2 of his 4 brothers were abandoned in the boxcar when his father and the two older boys took off. Dad, my aunt and the other 2 boys were sent to the state home in Pryor, Oklahoma. The older 2 aged out, while my Dad and his sister were adopted by a country doctor.I know names, dates and places as well as what happened with all of the siblings and my birth grandfather. I see no reason to tell any more in this review. My Dad was only 3 when adopted but his sister was a little older and never wanted to talk about the orphanage or any of the older 4. Dad knew and met all of them.The Spanish flu pandemic did strange things to all of those involved. It was a unique period in history bridging the gap between the old West and early USA development with WWI thrown in the middle. I heard stories from all of the family on both sides over the years. Both families were reasonably large, as was wont the time. It's unique.
4.0 out of 5 stars You'll Feel For Pia
In her acknowledgments, Wiseman says she was just finishing THE ORPHAN COLLECTOR when, ironically, another pandemic descended on America. Her book is set in the Spanish flu era as WWI was simultaneously wrecking havoc on our citizenry in the year 1918.The main character is German immigrant Pia Lange. She’s only thirteen but when her mother dies of the flu she’s in charge of her baby twin brothers. She most leave them alone to find food.This is when the villain of the novel, Bernice Groves, shows up. She is a bereaved mother who has lost her baby son Wallis. She’s also been watching Pia and her mother. She also has a thing against immigrants, especially Germans. When Pia leaves the apartment building she’s set on chastising her mother for letting her leave. She finds the mother’s body and hears the babies crying. She finds them hidden in a cubby hole and takes them back to her apartment.Pia is stricken by the flu during her search for food and winds up in a church. When she gets well enough they send her to an orphanage. She begs the sisters to let her go to find her baby brothers. Their response is to put her in solitary confinement. This sounds a lot like the Indian orphanages we hear so much about. I can testify that the nuns were mean (I went to eight years of Catholic school) but not that mean. That’s abuse. Wiseman also has carts driving by the Philadelphia tenements yelling “Send out your Dead” which sounds a whole lot like the Black Plague. I can’t prove that never happened, but it doesn’t sounds right. Pia is also a noble character, but she sure has the “vapors” more than a heroic character like her actually would.The whole book is about how evil Bernice Groves is. She sells babies. She makes sure the mother bonds with the child before she asks for money. She lies about being a nurse who’s helping to place orphan children in the first place. She even pretends to send children on the Orphan Train as happened to Finn, Pia’s friend. Bernice uses an assumed name, Wallis, after the baby she lost.Pia is sent to help care for Dr. and Mrs. Hudson’s children. She works for them for years before she works up the courage to ask them if they’ll help her find her brothers. Finn helps her find out Bernice’s real name.Wiseman must have children. She’s really good at describing the behavior of the Wiseman’s three little girls. She also gives Pia a sixth sense. She knew her mother had the flu before she showed any symptoms. She knew Leo, the Hudson’s baby son, was weaker than he should be.This book is a page turner of sorts, probably because Pia is such a likable character, except when she has the vapors.
5.0 out of 5 stars Realistic trip into the 1900's
This was a very realistic trip back into the early 1900's. The horrors of the Spanish Flu were much worse than Covid in leaving orphans behind. I highly recommend this book except Pia's yearning for her brothers got a bit too much. And as a nurse I laughed at the "Hollywood" description of people dying with blood running from their eyes and mouth - NOT. It wasn't eboli. But I could follow Pia through the orphanage and along her journey to find her brothers.
5.0 out of 5 stars Great story created from the backdrop of a true disaster!!
I've read alot of books but this one really tugged at my heart strings!! Amazing novel!! I've followed the flu pandemic and though I lived through covid the 1918 flu would have been so scary!! The story of Pia going through what she did was incredible and how the Hudsons excepted her as a part of the family was touching!! If I could give more then 5 stars I would !! With Beatrice it makes you wonder how much that could have happened!!
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding Read!!
This book although fiction educated me about this terrible time in our history. Such a great story line with twists and turns.
Tears, so many tears
(function() { P.when('cr-A', 'ready').execute(function(A) { if(typeof A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel === 'function') { A.toggleExpanderAriaLabel('review_text_read_more', 'Read more of this review', 'Read less of this review'); } }); })(); .review-text-read-more-expander:focus-visible { outline: 2px solid #2162a1; outline-offset: 2px; border-radius: 5px; } Struggled to get into this book due to the incredibly dark realities of that time. I grew up in South Africa during the 70’s/80’s and thought I had seen cruelty between human and human, but this was next level.The story got more engaging about half way through and is definitely worth sticking with it and finishing it.
Se me ha hecho largo
Me interesa el tema de la gripe española (de hecho, he leído varios de los libros con los que se documentó la autora) y el tema de los huérfanos que esta dejó en todo el mundo. A priori, el argumento sonaba interesante. Pero se me ha hecho larguísima, para decir que la empecé a leer hace un año y la terminé esta semana, porque varias veces la he dejado durante semanas y la he vuelto a retomar. Y es que no creo que sea una mala novela, para mí habría sido perfecta con una cuarta parte menos de páginas. Sabemos que Pia se siente culpable, no hace falta que nos lo recuerden a cada diez páginas. Sabemos que los orfanatos debían ser (por lo menos algunos) terribles, pero las monjas malvadas oarecen un cliché, para mí se extiende demasiado en esa parte del libro (creo que es el cuarto que me ha sobrado). Redunda en desgracias varias y cosas terribles, una y otra vez, a ratos es tan deprimente que lo tenía que dejar y descansar. Por otra parte, se nota bien documentado, pero, como ejemplo de lo que acabo de decir: parece que era la norma que la gente se fuera desmayando por la calle por la gripe, cuando esa era la excepción, los casos fulminantes de la gripe morían en menos de 48 horas y solían empezar como una gripe normal, no era lo más habitual que estuvieran bien y en minutos colapsaran. Sí que fue una epidemia horrenda -para más rigor y tener una idea global, recomiendo el ensayo "El jinete pálido", de Laura Spinney a quien interese el tema-, pero la autora parece regodearse en todo ese gore. Vaya, para gustos colores, pero este no es el mío. Demasiado negro.
SPANISH FLU VS.COVID 19....a superb story to have you realize the difference.
Again, Ellen Marie Wiseman has brought us to an era that is so difficult for us today to even imagine. We here now think Covid-19 is bad, and, of course it is.....but....go back to 1918 when the world was entirely different, no medications, no proper facilities...and this pandemic of the Spanish Flu really opened my eyes to a difficult situation far worse than what we are experiencing. The story is fabulous....her research amazing....this book took me back to that year, 1918, when my mother was born....and I often wonder how it was like for my family at that time....as Canada was affected too. So please everyone buy and read this book, you will not be sorry....
wonderful story
This story broke my heart seeing children working as coal miners and knowing that this actually happened in the early 1900's.Wiseman takes on another part of US history and making the reader really feel what life was like in this small mining town. This book wasn't an easy read but none of her books are but reading how children were forced to work and the harsh conditions they had to endure instead of being children and learning in a school environment.I loved Emma and the various characters but my only criticism was the ending fell short. It felt rushed and it felt like it didnt fit with the rest of the storyI do recommend completely though
Don't Believe the Hype
This had all the ingredients for a fantastic work of historical fiction. That coupled with the glowing reviews for it is why I picked it up. Having finished it, I don't get it. I don't get what the fuss is about.The Orphan Collector is set in Philadelphia during the 1918 pandemic. It mainly follows Pia, a 13yo German immigrant, who is left to care for her infant twin brothers when her mother dies from the flu and her father is away fighting in the war. Pia must leave her brothers alone one afternoon to find food but she collapses from the flu and wakes up days later. During that time Bernice, a bitter, racist bitch from across the way, who had lost her own child to the pandemic, steals Pia's brothers. The story also follows her from time to time.Riddled with the guilt of not knowing what has happened to her brothers, Pia must go to the orphanage run by brutal nuns and figure out how to find them or find out what happened. At the same time Bernice begins a bizarre evil crusade of her own to rid the city of foreign scum.Don't worry, I haven't even given anything away. That's all just the beginning.Sadly, this book lacked any depth whatsoever. You couldn't drown a flea in its depths. Despite having a very real backdrop of the brutal and terrifying 1918 pandemic, Wiseman manages to concoct a Disney story complete with the innocent but determined ragamuffin protagonist; the eeeevil, racist baby stealing antagonist; filthy orphanages run by cruel nuns; scrappy Irish bestie; and clean, benevolent doctor and wife saviours. Then she throws in a set of coincidental circumstances which rivals the odds of me becoming a billionaire this afternoon.Even worse, she writes these characters so one-dimensionally that they simply become grotesque caricatures. The writing is lacklustre and repetitive. So much so that it was exhausting to read. She does a lot of telling and little showing. It got to the point where I would read that "Pia was feeling guilty about the twins..." and I would simply skip the rest of the paragraph because I had read it before.I think this book lucked out with timing. It was released in early 2020 which coincided with the beginning of our current pandemic and I'm sure that helped the sales and excitement far beyond what was expected or, in my opinion, deserved.
Visit the Kensington Publication date : August 4, 2020 Language : English Print length : 400 pages ISBN-10 : 1496715861 ISBN-13 : 978-1496715869 Item Weight : 12.8 ounces Dimensions : 5.5 x 1.1 x 8.23 inches Best Sellers Rank: #14,039 in Books Store
The Orphan Collector: A Heroic Novel of Survival During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic
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