The year is 1918. The county is at war both overseas and at home. The boys are fighting in the trenches in Europe and the citizens on the homefront are battling the deadly Spanish influenza. After her father is taken away to jail for traitorous talk, sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black heads to San Francisco to stay with her aunt. What she finds is an atmosphere of fear, with faces covered in gauze masks and home remedies mean everyone reeks of onions and garlic. Mary Shelley seeks out news of her sweetheart, away at war, to find his brother running a bustling spirit photography business. She doesn’t believe in ghosts, until after an accident, she finds one in her bedroom. Will her skepticism about capturing the spirits of loved ones on film be overpowered by her desire to know the truth about her beloved Stephen?
While this story took place in a time period I enjoy and it piqued my interest about the devastation of influenza in the United States, I didn’t love this book. It was nominated for 2014 Teens’ Top Ten award, so it appears I’m in the minority. I could see this well-researched, historically accurate story paired nicely with some nonfiction titles about the era for teens.
3 out of 5 stars