Set in Philadelphia during the 1918 influenza pandemic, the story follows thirteen-year-old German immigrant Pia Lange. While her mother dies from the virus and her father serves overseas, Pia leaves her twin brothers alone to search for food. In her absence, a grieving mother named Bernice Groves, fueled by xenophobia and personal loss, kidnaps the infants and begins a predatory scheme to "rehome" immigrant children with "true" American families. The narrative tracks Pia’s desperate years spent in orphanages and domestic service as she attempts to locate her stolen siblings.
Historical fiction enthusiasts interested in the early twentieth century find a detailed simulation of urban life during a public health crisis. Readers gain a perspective on the intersection of widespread disease and systemic prejudice, specifically the targeting of immigrant communities. The book provides an account of the early American foster care system and the exploitation of vulnerable populations. A reader finishes the book with a specific understanding of how panic and grief can be weaponized to justify social engineering and the destruction of displaced families.
- Published
- 2020
- Language
- EN
