The Spanish Flu is not something I know very much about and admittedly it’s not something that I’ve ever had a great interest in but Meissner writes such gorgeous prose that I was utterly fascinated by it while reading this. I honestly think she could write about anything and I would be at least mildly engaged but I was completely captivated by the Bright family and their tragic tale.

This is told via the perspectives of all of the women in the Bright family, even the youngest and I loved the birds-eye point of view this provided. You got to see how the war and the Spanish flu had an impact on adults and children and also to witness firsthand the devastation it caused just in one family, can you imagine how many countless families had similar true stories like this?! Amazing. I loved each and every member of this resilient and inspiring family, but Maggie will always have a special place in my heart.

Meissner’s attention to detail is impeccable, you can see that she did her research in order to keep as historically accurate as possible with a few minor details changed that made sense to the plot. If you’re a HF fan this is a must read, it’s fascinating and the writing is just beautiful.

As Bright as Heaven in three words: Heart-wrenching, Emotional and Unforgettable.

Fabulous book. Stayed up late reading this one and the next day, I am still thinking about it. There are some books you read, love, and then go on to the next one. And then there are those books that stay with you long after you have finished reading and As Bright as Heaven is one of those books. It is an incredible story, beautifully written with characters that really touched my heart. I felt like I was there experiencing the happy and heartbreaking moments with the Bright family. It is told in alternating points of view of the women in the family, Pauline and her three daughters, Evelyn, Maggie and Willa. I loved each and every one of them, as well as other characters in this book. The main setting is 1918 Philadelphia at the time the Spanish Flu made its way to America. Many suffered and many died from that horrible disease, and it made its way to the Bright family and others around them. I felt Susan Meissner did an exceptional job with the character and story development. I can imagine the research it took in writing this book. I did not expect the big twist at the end. It was a moment that made me gasp in shock but at the same time felt that it was done brilliantly. This book will be going on my Favorites Shelf for 2018. It is one that should not be missed and is one that I highly recommend.

I love this quote from the Author's Note:

"We are, all of us, living out the stories of our lives. Each of our stories will end, in time, but meanwhile, we fill the pages of our existence with all the love we can, for as long as we can. This is how we make a life."

I received an advance reader's copy through NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

The Spanish Flu? I had heard of it but never read a book centered around it. I’ve read books set in the WWI era but most of them centered on the war. While this book did include the war and how it was affecting the United States this was not a war book.

The family, the Bright Family, is amazing. I love this family. The dynamic between husband and wife is so sweet and true that you could feel their love coming right off the pages. Add in the children and you know that there will never be more love in a family. These parents will do anything to keep their family safe, loved, and together. I really liked that each character was able to tell their story in alternating chapters. As a reader I read each chapter loving that I could learn more about the characters personally, learn their thoughts, their feelings, and what they truly were like.

I recommend picking up your own copy and enjoying this wonderful family, learn their secrets, and watch them grow together.

I had no idea what a treat I was in for when I opened this book and began to read. I was glued to the pages, carrying my Kindle with me everywhere I went. I couldn’t bear to leave the story behind to do anything I didn’t absolutely have to do.

This was a story of loss, so much heartbreak for a family to bear and also a story of such love and such hope. I cried a bucketful and yet I found myself smiling more than crying as I watched these people find their way and do it with such spirit and love.

I learned things I never knew, especially about the Spanish Flu Epidemic during World War I. It was tragic and fascinating. And I love that part of very well written historical fiction, such as this, that teaches me as well as entertains me. I love being taken out of my life for a few hours and to get to live in a different time and place for just a little while. And when the writing is as brilliant as this authors writing the experience of living in a different time and place is just simply fabulous.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction, and for anyone looking to experience a piece of history that maybe isn’t as well known but is so fascinating. And to lovers of brilliantly written fiction with characters that you will adore and come to love. This will definitely be one of my favorites this year.

I received an advance readers copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

Since I am a big fan of Susan Meissner's historical fiction, it was a treat to acquire an ARC from the publisher and NetGalley.

Unlike some of Meissner's other novels, this one does not have a present and past storyline. It focuses solely on Philadelphia beginning in 1918. The Bright family moves from the country to the city so Thomas, the father, can take over Uncle Fred's funeral home. We view the story through the eyes of Pauline (mother) and her three daughters: Evie, Maggie and Willa. Their age range allows us to see very different aspects of the flu epidemic, men going off to war and the aftermath.

Meissner's prose draws you in and be sure to have a tissue box handy. There are many heartrending scenes that we feel along with the characters. I also love the many chapters that end with concise yet profound pronouncements like: "She was ready."

An author quote from the Acknowledgements sums it up nicely: "Death comes for us all in one way or another. It is a certainty. Our lives will one day end, and most of us never know when. Interestingly enough, it is our mortality that gives our existence its value and beauty. If our days were not numbered, we probably wouldn't care how we spent them. How does knowledge that we are mortal affect our choices? The risks we take? The risks we don't? These were the questions I wanted to explore as I wrote this book and that I wanted you to ponder as you read it. We are, all of us, living out stories of our lives. Each of our stories will end, in time, but meanwhile, we fill the pages of our existence with all the love we can, for as long as we can. The is how we make a life."

Beautifully poignant and beautifully written, As Bright As Heaven deals with one families trials and heartache during during a harsh time in American history. One ripe with a war ending and a deadly disease on the cusp of infecting millions and leaving almost everyone affected by both.

Starting in 1918 and spanning the length of 8 years we get to meet the Brights who from the very first chapter are dealing with a loss no family should have to go through.

This was a beautiful story told through the Bright women of what it means to survive, move on and to overcome the devastating heartache of not only death but of loss and despair.

These four women, each with a unique voice, grow and become stronger as the story progresses and you can't help but admire how they tackle everything that stands in their way and their ability to still smile and most of all, love.

One fans of the time period and historical fans in general don't want to miss out on.

This was an excellent book, and I loved how it portrayed a slice of history that I knew next to nothing about -- the Spanish flu, and how it affected a new family in Philadelphia, both their loved ones and their community. I liked reading the story in three (really, four) different voices, and how each of the girls' personalities came through. I know the novel itself is made up, but the infamous flu was so sad and so tragic. There was not a family that was not affected by it. I liked the happy endings, and how everything came together at the close. Wonderful and highly recommended.

Susan Meissner is a master at storytelling and this book didn't disappoint. She keeps finding unique stories to tell about topics I don't know much about. The characters are highlighted in each chapter, and you can't help but fall in love with them. Pauline and her husband decide to move their three girls to Philadelphia to help create a better life for the family. Willa is the baby and is very headstrong and has an explosive temper at times. Maggie is the middle child and is problem solver who helps her family through many tragedies even though some are brought on by her.

The family sees more lose than the average person in 1918 and beyond due to the Spanish flu and WWI. They handle it in completely different ways, but discover ways that work for them in order to keep their sanity.

Set in 1918, against the backdrop of WWI and the Spanish flu pandemic. This is a story of love and loss and heavy dose of death. Following the death of their infant brother Henry, Evelyn, Maggie, and Willa Bright move to Philadelphia with their parents to live above their Uncle's funeral parlor. The inner workings of the funeral parlor were described in great detail, which might be too much for some. Overall this book would appeal to readers of Historical Fiction and Romance. Despite some heavy themes, it is overall a light, quick read. Thank you Netgalley.

Writing with tremendous empathy, Meissner shows how a family is transformed by tragedy and hope during the 1918 influenza pandemic. Pauline Bright has finally made her peace with death after the passing of her infant son, Henry. When her husband Thomas agrees to take over his elderly Uncle Fred’s mortuary business in Philadelphia, he sees it as an opportunity to improve their circumstances. For Pauline, though, their big-city move and new profession are a natural progression for her ongoing grief.

She and her three daughters narrate in turns, in styles fitting their ages and personalities. Evie, fifteen, loves books and learning and develops a fond attachment to a fellow student. Twelve-year-old Maggie, full of curiosity and youthful eagerness, has a huge crush on an older male neighbor who’s about to leave for war. The chapters from six-year-old Willa are realistic in their innocence and brevity. Kept away from the dangerous chemicals in the “Elm Bonning Room,” Willa makes friends at school, but peer pressure makes her avoid a German-American classmate without knowing exactly why.

Meissner shows the impact of larger events via more intimate moments. In September, the Brights attend the Liberty Loan Parade, a massive public event that serves to spread influenza. Soon, the disease lands on their literal doorstep, changing their respectable home and business into a processing site for the newly dead. At this height of emotional turmoil and sorrow, one split-second decision—the rescue of an orphaned boy—gives them the strength to carry on but has repercussions.

This affecting portrait of our grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ time feels authentic, from Philadelphia’s extensive streetcar system to the brazen sounds of Prohibition-era speakeasies. Its touching story of mortality, love, and grace will also have readers pondering the many forgotten lives that the Spanish Flu snuffed out too soon.

(from the Historical Novels Review's February 2018 issue)

This is the type of story that, upon reading the last page, you slowly close the book, close your eyes, sigh and reflect. So many emotions roil through your mind and it takes some thought to allow them to settle.

I didn’t know what to expect from As Bright As Heaven. I’ve read other books by Susan Meissner, (Secrets of a Charmed Life is a favorite) so I was confident the author was a gifted storyteller who infuses deep emotion in her work, and I was drawn in by the exquisite cover art. But upon choosing a book to read, I normally only skim over the blurb to avoid learning ‘too much,’ so all I basically knew was the story was set in Philadelphia during the First World War.

I’m glad I didn’t know more, because learning each aspect of the multi-faceted story as it happened surprised me, grabbed me, and refused to release me. The storyline is riveting, the storytelling is stunning, and each heartbreaking challenge encountered is delicately wrapped in the hope and strength of the human spirit.

The story is presented in two parts, before the First World War and Spanish Flu pandemic (1918-1919) and after (1925.) The narration is voiced from the four riveting first-person points of view; the mother and three daughters of the Bright family—Pauline, Evelyn, Maggie, and Willa.

I became attached to each girl. They have distinct voices and views of the world, but I mostly connected and sympathized with Maggie. Perhaps because I’m also a middle sister.

Not only was I drawn into the Bright’s story, and pulled into the early 1900s and the hardships and atrocities endured and succumbed to, but I also learned much about the history of the Influenza (Spanish Flu) pandemic—the deadliest disease in history! I also have a better understanding of what it meant to be the wife and daughter of an undertaker during this time period, how widespread the Spanish Flu was distributed, precautions taken (or not,) and how bodies were delivered, prepared, and presented (or not) during the outbreak.

The Bright family finds themselves in a new city, new home, and new life after the death of their youngest Bright, only months-old, baby Henry. With death, war, sickness, and heartbreak around every corner, will they have the strength and desire to do more than exist in the new world they’ve been propelled into?

Without giving you more of a description or breakdown of the story, I can tell you that you will learn a lot.

You will most likely shed some tears, and find yourself in the circle of life and death, sadness and hope, heartbreak and healing. You might even wonder why you’re willingly putting yourself through such a host of emotions. But upon completion of the book, I doubt you’ll be able to forget a single member of the Bright family. And I’m also confident that you’ll be forever changed. Yes. It’s that powerful.

As Bright As Heaven is much more than a story. It is a powerful, riveting, unforgettable experience.

Cover: Love
Title: Love
Pages: 400
Opening Line: Morning light shimmers on the apricot horizon as I stand at the place where my baby boy rests.
I received a complimentary copy of this book via BookPleasures.

In 1918, with the Great War under way, but not yet having a big impact at home in America, the Bright family moves from Quakertown to Philadelphia. Thomas Bright has been asked to join his Uncle Fred's undertaker business, and eventually be his heir.

It's not Thomas's viewpoint, or Fred's, that we see this story from. It's Thomas's wife, Pauline, and their three daughters, Evelyn, Maggie, and Willa, who tell the story.

All seems bright and hopeful when they arrive. Evelyn has access both to her uncle's own library, and to the public library not far away. Maggie makes friends with Charlie Sutcliffe, and his older brother, Jamie, who live across the street. Willa makes new friends. Thomas learns to be an undertaker, and in time, a fully trained mortician. Fred is reluctant to agree, at first, but Pauline takes over the cosmetics for the dead, once they are embalmed and any major injuries repaired by Thomas and Fred. Even more gradually and reluctantly, Maggie is allowed to join her mother in that final preparation of the dead. They both find comfort and fulfillment in it.

Then things change. Jamie Sutcliffe is drafted. Thomas enlists so that he can get assigned as a medic rather than infantry. The Brights and the Sutcliffes adjust to life without Thomas and Jamie, but that's only the start. Stories of an exceptionally nasty influenza, called the Spanish flu more by accident than any good reason--and it's not long before the flu makes its way to Philadelphia.

Philadelphia was one of the hardest-hit American cities in what was possibly the deadliest pandemic in human history. The Brights and the Sutcliffes work their way through it, as the undertaking business becomes dramatically harder, and dramatically more heartbreaking. Both the numbers of the dead, and the potential threat of spreading the disease from handling them, makes speed, efficiency, and preventing gatherings of the family and friends terrible and necessary steps.

All four of the Bright ladies try to find their way to do the right things, the sensible things, the moral things in this time of trouble.

Not all of them will survive.

This is a very finely crafted and humane story, with beautifully developed characters.

Highly recommended.

I received a free electronic galley of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

I knew very little about the Spanish Flu outbreak in 1918. This book was a beautiful yet devastating way to read about it. Told through the perspectives of all the females in the story, the author did a fantastic job of making us feel like we were in Philadelphia with all
Of these dead bodies coming in non stop. I cried multiple times in this book. Some might say it tied up too neatly at the end but I was satisfied as this Family deserved a happy ending.

The Bright family moves from Quakertown, PA to Philadelphia at the request of Thomas Bright's bachelor uncle to share his home and funeral business with them. World War I and the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-1919 soon overwhelm them, upending normal life and replacing it with chaos and danger. In the voices of the mother and her 3 daughters, the author captures the fear and devastation both wars inflict upon the Bright family's new home and the resilience required to survive.

I know so little about the Spanish Flu and the Great War. This beautiful story is the prefect window into such a horrid history. Susan Meissner writes with a quiet compassion the story of the Bright family. A story that is heartbreaking and yet very hopeful.

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.