Books Riddled with Disease. A guest post by Susan Meissner.

RHYS BOWEN: 

I think the flu is on everyone's mind these days. I don't remember a flu season when I was more concerned that my nearest and dearest stayed healthy. One of my friends recently died of complications from influenza so I am well aware how deadly it can be. But not nearly as deadly as the great epidemic of 1918. The ironic coincidence is that I'm also bringing this topic into the WWI book that I am currently writing so it was very much on my mind when I was sent this book by Susan Meissner to blurb.  What a stunning, harrowing novel, giving a vivid picture of what the flu epidemic meant in the United States--something I didn't even realize until now. So I'm happy to host Susan today, the week of the publication of As Bright as Heaven.

SUSAN MEISSNER: When I decided to write a novel set during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, I figured I would learn a thing or two about what it is like to struggle in a time of war when the enemy is a tiny virus you can’t even see. I figured I would likewise learn quite a bit about the disease we call influenza and how it can morph into a relentless killer. What came as a surprise was coming to a deeper appreciation for the gift that is life and the odd truth that it is death itself – the fact that we’re mortal – that makes life so precious. If our days were not numbered, it would not matter how we spent them nor would we value life like we do. Writing about a killing disease gave me a greater sense of gratitude for being able to wake up every day surrounded by the people I love and who love me.

Fifty million people died from Spanish Flu; it’s arguably the deadliest disease ever recorded, with the Black Death of medieval times perhaps being the lone competitor for that terrible title. There’s a whole lot of humanity wrapped up in a number that large. And that’s what makes this historical event far more than just a historical event.

I set my novel, As Bright As Heaven in Philadelphia, one of the hardest hit American cities during the 1918 pandemic. The husband and father of the Bright family is a newly hired undertaker. He’s a good and gentle man, but he can’t protect his family from the killing flu that falls over Philly like a dark cloud. His wife and their three daughters – ages 15, 13, and 7 – narrate the book in alternating chapters. Even though they all live in the same house, by virtue of their ages and temperaments, we see four perspectives of what it was like to witness and experience the deadliest pandemic ever.

As this new book of mine is released out into the wild I am reminded of other novels I’ve read where disease figured in heavily and made for an emotionally-engaging story that I simply could not forget. If you read mine and like it, then I know you will love these:

Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. Brooks is one of my most favorite authors; I will read any book she writes. I’ve read this one three times even though I have loads of other books scattered all over the house still waiting to be read the first time. This novel was inspired by the true story of the small village of Eyam in England, during a year of plague in 1666. Although where the plague came from is still a mystery, the townspeople’s decision to quarantine themselves to stop the spread of the disease vaulted them into the annals of history. Brooks imagined what it might have been like to live within what became known as the Plague Village, in that tiny cosmos where the best and worst of human nature showed itself.

Moloka’I by Alan Brennert. If you know anything about the island of Moloka’i you know it was the turn-of-the-century Hawaiian colony for those diagnosed with the nightmare disease known as leprosy. In this story, Rachel is just a child when a sore that won't heal rips her away from her family and deposits her on an island of exiles few ever leave. Her story isn't a tale about disease, but rather the resiliency of the human spirit. And it is a compelling tale, to say the least. Unforgettable.

The Stand by Stephen King. It’s been a long time since I’ve read this book – two decades at least – but it remains my favorite of the King books I’ve been brave enough to read. This post-apocalyptic tome is a peek into what we could become when the world is stripped of nearly all its people because of a killing flu and with it, the rules and order that keep us from degrading into brutes bent only on survival. This one is not about monsters and the macabre, although horrific things happen; it’s first and foremost a book about people. The characters are richly drawn and that’s what drives this book, not scare tactics.

Life After Life by Kate Atkinson. This one probably won’t show up anyone else’s list of books set against a backdrop of disease, but I list it because there’s a section on the Spanish Flu pandemic that is particularly memorable because of how pervasive this flu was – hence my own take on it – and how inescapable it was. The rest of the book is masterful, too. It’s been called “darkly comic, startlingly poignant, and utterly original.” It won’t be like any other book you’ve ever read, I can pretty much assure you of that. It’s about a girl/woman named Ursula Todd who keeps getting a do-over. Again and again and again. Life after life after life. I’ve read it three times.

So there you have it. Four amazing books riddled with disease, five if you count mine. Would love to hear what your favorites are.

RHYS: Susan will be offering a signed copy to one lucky commenter today! Stay well and safe everyone. Wash your hands a lot. I'm going to be wearing a mask on my next plane flight!
And Susan has asked me to pass along that she won't be able to respond to comments much as she's traveling on book all day