Every so often, a book comes along that you know will stick with you for the rest of your life. This is easily one of those books for me. Every time I had to put it down to do real life things - like work - I would start counting down the minute until I could read it again. Bravo to Susan Meissner for creating this masterpiece!

I am always astounded by the research that goes into a historical fiction novel; it is no different with Ms. Meissner’s latest. She takes us into the Spanish Flu epidemic of 1918 through the eyes of an undertaker and his family. They move from Quakertown, PA to Philadelphia just months before the outbreak and are still reeling from their own personal loss when tragedy strikes the city. We are told of family events through the eyes of the daughters; Evie, Maggie and Willa. Plus their mother, Pauline. We see each of them struggle with their own heartbreak and loss and see who they grow up to be.

As Bright As Heaven is a story of insurmountable loss, love, hope and finding what makes you happy even as you are coming out of darkness.

AS BRIGHT AS HEAVEN by Susan Meissner is a beautiful piece of historical fiction that captures the fight and courage of all those parents and children living under the shadow of WWI and the Spanish Flu. I adore everything I have read by Meissner and picked this book up without any knowledge of the content. It was like a scary but beautifully wrapped present with the perfect number of surprises within and the right amount of detail. The novel follows Pauline and her three children named Evelyn, Maggie, and Willa. They move with their father to Philadelphia after the loss of their infant son/brother to work in a mortuary. Meissner captures the grief cycle in the parents and children as they cope with the loss of their brother/son and the impact to their community and family when the flu hits.

While the writing in this novel is fantastic, it's the choice to follow children at specific ages through this plague that is truly genius for me. To see these big events through the eyes of a child, teenager, and young adult, along with the mother, was very impactful and thought-provoking. It was just an amazing read that I would recommend to anyone and everyone.

I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I could not put this one down. Taking place during the Great War, As Bright as Heaven follows the Bright family as they move from the country to bustling Philadelphia just in time to experience the pandemic known as the Spanish Flu. As Thomas learns the family business, the flu begins to affect the family in more way than they could possibly imagine, and will continue to do so well into adulthood of all of their children.

As Bright as Heaven was beautifully written and it brought to light things I didn’t previously know. I personally love when a novel touches on something I have little knowledge on, because it then prompts me to research and learn more. Meissner has once again written something wonderful.

I received an advanced edition of this book. All opinions are mine alone.

[I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.]

Rating: 4/5 stars
Genre: Historical Fiction
Features: Human tragedy, dealing with death and loss, family, love, mankind's resilience

ARCs can be very hit and miss, but this one was definitely a hit! The story follows the women in the Bright family and rotates between the perspectives of the three daughters and the mother. It reminds me of Poisonwood Bible for that reason. The oldest Bright child is mature and intelligent, the middle daughter is strong-willed and determined, and the youngest is more artistic and rebellious. (It also pleasantly brought to mind Little Women, and the sisters Meg, Jo, and Amy.)

The book starts off with the Bright family losing their youngest, an infant baby boy, and moving to Philadelphia for the father to join the family business as undertaker. The family all lives in the house attached the the funeral home, providing a unique perspective into the horrors and harrowing tragedy of the Spanish flu. I'll be honest; I knew embarrassingly little about the Spanish flu before reading this novel. I had no idea how devastating it was. And I think that's what makes this book so beautiful: in a near-apocalyptic world of a fatal illness, people still choose what's good even when it's hard. The mother, for instance, chooses to go feed the sick even if it means catching the flu. She is strong for others--her family and even strangers--even when she's weak. And she's fiercely protective of her daughters: "I do not fear Death for myself, but I will not allow its cold fingers to touch my girls. Not even in a slow caress. They are mine, I whisper."

The tragedy makes the characters re-evaluate their priorities and their humanity, and those who survive the flu have to learn to live after such great loss. How do you rebuild and move forward after so much sorrow? The tragedy shapes each character, and I enjoyed watching them grow through the experience and struggle with difficult choices, and seeing how their stories develop and intertwine: "We only see a little bit of our stories at a time, and the hard parts remind us too harshly that we're fragile and flawed. But . . . your story isn't all hard parts. Some of it is incredibly beautiful."

The perseverance of the human spirit when faced with darkness is truly amazing: "We adjust to [change]. Somehow we figure out a way. We straighten what we can or learn how to like something a little crooked. That's how it is . . . we keep moving, keep breathing, keep opening our eyes every morning, even when the only thing we know for sure is that we've alive."

Overall, this book was stellar: excellent characters, fascinating plot, a sweet romance, and great writing style. I will be looking to read more books by the author.


This book had a number of memorable, beautiful quotes. Here were some of my other favorites:


"This flu is like a black shroud that has been flung across everything that breathes under the canopy of heaven."

"Our humanity is what made what happened to us so terrible. Without it, nothing matters. Nothing is awful. But nothing is amazing either."

If I could give this book 10 stars, I would - it's that good. There is nothing more rewarding than starting a book only to find you hate to put it down or see it end. This is one of those novels and on my list of one of my favorite books ever.
The story (my introduction to this author) revolves around the Bright family in the early 1900's. An opportunity arises to become a partner and future heir to a family funeral home business in the city. Thomas and Pauline move there intending to see life improve for their three daughters, Evelyn, Maggie and Willa. Still reeling from the loss of their son, Henry, this is looked upon as a fresh start for all. Thus, the make their home above the business.
War looms overseas and the Spanish Flu epidemic begins. As the story unfolds, each individual in the family as well as close neighbors confront outside circumstances they can't control while tapping an inner strength they didn't know they possessed.
Ultimately, this story is about the power of love and family. I found myself literally laying awake thinking about this book at night. This novel, under the right director, would make a wonderful movie.
Meissner has created characters that you truly care about with a healthy dose of informative history that I wasn't aware of. This is a beautifully powerful book that will linger with you long after you've finished reading it.
I received an Advance Review Copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

As Bright As Heaven is the latest novel by Susan Meissner which is set in 1918. Pauline and Thomas Bright along with their family are relocating from Quakertown to Philadelphia. Thomas has been offered the opportunity to work with his uncle, Fred Bright and eventually inherit the Bright Funeral Home. Pauline is hoping it will provide a better life for their family (three daughters: Evelyn, Willa and Maggie) and, after losing her six-month-old son, she feels that Death is near her. A few months later, Thomas is drafted and their neighbor’s son, Jamie Sutcliff goes off to training camp. Then the Spanish Flu arrives with a vengeance and thousands are dying. Pauline and Maggie are taking food to those without family to assist them. Maggie is waiting for her mother and hears a baby crying. She finds the infant’s mother dead, and Maggie feels the baby is a replacement for the brother she lost. The Bright family takes in the child and names him Alex. But then Willa becomes ill with the dreaded flu and Pauline is the next to become infected. Amidst sickness and war there is hope with little Alex. The Bright family will need to band together during this difficult time and find a way to move forward.

As Bright As Heaven has a unique point-of-view with the Spanish Flu (instead of focusing on the war). The POV switches between Pauline and the three daughters (told in first person). We get to see life through each of their eyes with each person providing a unique perspective given their ages (Willa is the youngest at 6). It does, though, disrupt the flow of the book (pulls you out of the story). The book is nicely written, but I did find the pace a little slow during the first half of the story. It picks up in the second half as the girls grow older. I thought it was intriguing that Evelyn goes to medical school and is working to become a psychiatrist. This was very unusual for a woman in the 1920s. The characters are well developed, and I appreciated the strong female characters. The author did a good job at portraying the time period, the panic and horror of the Spanish Flu epidemic, how the war affected families, and the changing roles of women in America during the 1920s. As Bright As Heaven has love, sorrow, hope, grief, tragedy, fear and so much more. Get swept back in time in Susan Meisner’s latest novel As Bright As Heaven. Readers who enjoy historical dramas will enjoy reading As Bright As Heaven.

I have to admit, at first, I didn't really feel anything for this family at the beginning. I even considered packing it away. However, the more I read, the more I felt. This family went through a whole bunch of hardships most families face, but they also had the Great War and the Influenza Flu epidemic. The latter really hitting the family and those around them really bad.

I really was moved by this book and thoroughly enjoyed my journey with this family.

By the end of the book, I was actually sorry to see them go. Ending it on a somewhat more happy note really made the tears flow.

An incredible story of a family who loved, lost and lived.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

This was another fantastic book from Susan Meissner. I have enjoyed all of her books but this one is my favorite - at least until her next book comes out.

This novel starts about 1917 when the Bright family decides to move to Philadelphia to better their lives. The dad has been given a chance to learn the mortuary business and eventually take over his uncle's funeral home. The family has been given beautiful room above the mortuary to live in. The novel is told in four alternating female voices - the Mom - Pauline and the three sisters, Evelyn, Maggie and Willa. As they begin to try to make friends in school, their lives are getting ready to change. The Spanish Flu epidemic hits Philadelphia and in fact the whole country with disastrous results. According to the author in the afterword, more than 12,000 people died in Philadelphia. The flu didn't discriminate between the rich and poor and didn't leave the Bright family untouched. After the flu epidemic is over, life will never be the same for the family and they struggle for normalcy and learn what is truly important in life.

This was a wonderful well-researched novel about a subject that I knew little about. It's always wonderful to read such a compelling book and learn more history at the same time. The characters were so well written that I laughed and cried with them throughout the book. If you enjoy historical fiction - this is a must read.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Fabulous book. Thoroughly loved. Highly recommend!

I loved this book so much! It is Meissner's best work yet. Practically read this in one sitting and wanted to scream from the rooftops for all to buy this one.

This is the first book I’ve read by Susan Meissner and it won’t be my last. I quickly became invested in several of the main characters and what was happening in the world around them.

Thomas and Pauline pluck their family from their pseudo comfortable farm in Quakertown as tobacco farmers and plunge their family into bustling Philadelphia with Uncle Fred as they learn to become undertakers. Thomas gets called up for army duty and the Spanish flu becomes an epidemic overwhelming the small family business.

Death marks this family and their community; they all endeavor to endure regardless of the pain of losing loved ones and their overwhelming circumstances.

I had never realized that the Spanish flu epidemic reached the United States and I found the premise of this book intriguing. It was obvious that the author did a lot of research to weave this part our history with her characters and story line.

I received an advance review copy of this book from Great Thoughts Ninjas. All opinions are my own.

Perfection! I absolutely adored this novel. I have never read anything about the Spanish Flu and was astounded at the number of people & families it affected. Meissners writing is flawless. She draws you in with her remarkable characters and storytelling. This is a novel not to be missed! 5+ stars.

I did not like how it was told from different perspectives - some of which didn't add much - and didn't like how it mixed pest and present tenses.

ARC received by NetGalley

As always, the author does a great job of weaving together a fascinating story through multiple viewpoints. Each character is developed well and adds to the story, which covers a time during the war that is not often written about.

1918, a family after a tragic loss, moves from Quakertown to Philadelphia when the childless uncle invites the father of this family to work with him as an undertaker and become heir to his business and home. Philadelphia is a place where Thomas Bright thought he could give a better life to his wife and three daughters. They move into the funeral home so how could this book not be about death, given the business ? But death appears in ways that could not be anticipated with the outbreak of the Spanish flu and in ways that they could not imagine would touch their lives. It wasn’t until I read the author’s note after I read the book that I learned that Philadelphia was one of the hardest hit places.

The novel begins in a beautifully introspective way with Pauline Bright’s narrative which tells of their loss and how she copes with the grief. It continues in alternating chapters from the perspective of her three daughters. Maggie who is 12 at the time is feisty and good hearted and so observant, not just about her surroundings but about her family as well. Willa is 6 and not much more to say about her at least in the beginning but she grows and changes. Evelyn at 15 is smart, inquisitive, and as observant as her sister and a prolific reader.

Susan Meissner has written a fascinating work of historical fiction reflecting on the terrible impact of the flu epidemic, the death and misery it caused, as well as depicting how families were impacted when their loved ones went off to fight in WWI. It became more than a book about grief and death, but about how people can dig deep with themselves to move forward, about how an orphan baby brought hope and joy to this family when it seemed impossible. The character development is just so good and I was drawn to each of these characters. The ending, though, was just a little too neat. After reading the author’s note , it’s obvious how well researched this novel is. It’s a good story with characters to remember set in the middle of a tough time in history and I recommend it !

I received an advanced copy of this book from Berkley Books through NetGalley.

I definitely would recommend this historical fiction as it is about a period in American History that has very little written about. I thought using the voices of the 4 female characters who range from the mother to the 3 daughters [15, 13, 8 yrs old] made for an interesting perspective of the years 1917-1925.

They journeyed from the tobacco fields of home to the hustle and bustle of Philadelphia in 1918. The Bright family saw a future, although unknown, with the possibilities of being as bright as their name. Little did they know, with young men going off to join the Great War, and the nightmares of the Spanish flu epidemic, their lives would become a saga of survival, fortitude, heartbreak, loss and finally hope.

Three sisters would endure witnessing their father go off to war, the loss of their mother to the flu and become the only family an orphaned baby would know. He will become their beacon for the future, proof that life will go on, but one sister will bear a heavy secret that could bring the Bright family to their knees when the truth is discovered.

AS BRIGHT AS HEAVEN by Susan Meissner is riveting historical fiction that comes alive as we witness the trials and tribulations as well as the joys of a family who learns what is truly important in life as they cling to each other for the emotional support that only comes from the heart. Mistakes will be made with the best of intentions, secret adventures will be experienced and an entire family will come of age in a time in history that was filled with turmoil yet still believed in the spirit of good in the world.

Beautifully written, this is not a book to breeze through, it is to be enjoyed and savored as we allow ourselves to enter a different time and embrace the beauty of innocence that was not destroyed by loss and heartbreak.

I received a complimentary ARC edition from Berkley!

Publisher: Berkley (February 6, 2018)
Publication Date: February 6, 2018
Genre: Historical Fiction
Print Length: 400 pages
Available from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
For Reviews & More: http://tometender.blogspot.com

Plot: 4 Characters: 4 Writing:4
#tearjerker #uplifting

Solid, well-written, historical fiction with an emphasis on family in times of duress. The Brights - Thomas and Pauline and their daughters Evelyn, Maggie, and Willa - leave their rural life to join Thomas’ uncle in his undertaking business in Philadelphia. The time is 1918.

Told through the alternating perspectives of the women in the family over the next 8 years, the story weaves through mortuaries, speakeasies, mental institutions, and hospitals as the community reels from the double crises of WWI (and the expanded draft) and the Spanish Flu pandemic and slowly heals by knitting itself together in new and unexpected configurations.

Good storytelling, heartfelt characters, and many surprising plot twists. Strong themes concerning family, loss, love, and finding the life you were meant to read. Worth reading.

Every once in a while a book comes along that so engrosses you that you forget to sleep, eat, and drink. This is that book for me. This amazing book is set during World War 1 in Philadelphia with the Bright family. The Bright family live above a mortuary with their uncle. The story is told from the points of view of Pauline the mom, and her 3 daughters. As Thomas learns the mortuary business with his uncle, the female Brights must learn a new life in the city. Soon after they arrive, the Spanish flu hits the world. Seeing so many die of this awful virus affects all the Brights in different ways. Learning a new way of life after so many lose theirs, the girls move on as they realize what is important. This is a moving story of family , love, hope, and ultimate strength. I loved the story being told from the 4 points of view as you get to know each of the Bright females as individuals. I loved all the Brights but Maggie was my favorite. Reading this story, I felt like I was in the story with them. I truly loved this beautiful book and it will stay with me always. I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own.