I’ve been a member of the Book of the Month Club for 2 months now and so far I can’t rave enough about the selection I’ve seen. This month was particularly hard to choose from, as I think I would’ve ordered all of them if I didn’t have a limited amount of time to devote to reading. For January I ordered 2 books. Today I’ll be talking about my first read, As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner.
It’s a historical fiction novel that begins in 1918 at the beginning of World War I in Philadelphia. The Brights have moved from their sleepy country town to the big city to take on their great uncle’s funeral home business. Oh yeah, did I also mention that the Brights have just lost their infant boy to a terrible heart condition 6 months prior? Yeah, this is a family that’s been through a lot and now they’re packing up and leaving a life a quiet life they’ve known for the bustling, cramped city of Philadelphia.
Pretty soon what they thought would be a quiet life as funeral home owners turns into chaos in the wake of the Spanish flu epidemic at the height of World War I. Pretty soon, the Brights are faced with even more tragedy than they could’ve ever imagined.
I really enjoy historical fiction, but I’m always hesitant about reading more modern historical fiction just because I don’t know whether or not I’m going to enjoy the story or the writing. I absolutely loved As Bright as Heaven. I think what appealed to me most were the female characters–they were all very intelligent, very independent and strong-willed. The Brights were a family that you couldn’t help but fall in love with.
As of right now, the book is only available through the Book of the Month Club, but will be released everywhere else in February. You can pre-order your copy from Amazon here.
Read As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner If You Enjoy…
- Engaging storytelling and purposeful writing. Meissner is talented and brings her characters to life.
- Historical fiction.
- Smart, independent female lead characters.
Tags
Tear-jerker, Historical Fiction, Female Heroines, Love & Romance