Little Souls
by: Sandra Dallas
Narrated by: Carly Robins
Macmillan Audio
genre: Historical Fiction
Pub date: 4/26/22

When I read about audiobook narrator, Carly Robins, I noticed that she has a passion for performance. She certainly brought that zest as she performed the vocal narration in Little Souls. Her range and versatility were evident as she immersed readers in the atmosphere and characters of this excellent historical fiction audiobook.

Against the backdrop of snow-capped mountains, uncertainty and adversity were rampant in 1918 Denver, Colorado. With World War I and the Spanish Flu outbreak, it was a time for people to band together for support and strength.

Dallas weaves the bond of sisterhood throughout her intriguing plot. Sisters Helen and Lutie came to Denver together from Iowa in 1914, after the death of their parents. Both had degrees, nursing for Helen and design for Lutie, and they set out to see more of the world.

Lutie dated a young minister, Peter, who followed his calling to enlist, while Helen fell for a doctor named Gil.
The progression of both the war and the epidemic moved the plot forward with hardship and suspense. An endearing little girl named Dorothy had more than her share of tribulations, becoming central in the sisters' lives while capturing their hearts.

Amidst the affliction within the story, Dallas' words and Robins' voice combined to capture moments of compassion, care, and tenderness within the lives of the main characters. Descriptions of Dorothy's treasure box stirred my emotions, as the young girl lovingly sorted through her prized mementos. The recurring messages of protecting, caring for, and remembering those we love brought splendid rays of light to the darkness and grey of war, sickness, and abuse.

Thank you to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio
for the advance reader's audiobook copy and opportunity to provide my unbiased review.

The narrator of the book makes the characters sound younger than they are. I understand Ludy was supposed to be naive, but she should be made to sound like a 12 year old. The storyline was good. This has the usual ending her books have with the sweet, happy closure for the characters.

I just finished listening to Little Souls by Sandra Dallas thanks to Macmillan.audio! Now that the weather is getting nicer Remy and I have been enjoying longer walks in the neighborhood!

Little Souls is a historical fiction set in Denver in 1918 as the Spanish Flu is raging and WWI is still fighting in Europe. The story is set around two sisters Helen who is a nurse and Lutie who is a advertising illustrator. They have a rental apartment in their basement and when Dorothy, the young girl who lives there mom dies of the flu and her father has disappeared they decide to adopt her. When a man dead and Helen is standing over him with an ice pick what will happen?

This book has a lot going on with death, violence, child abuse, pandemics, kidnapping and more. It kept me entertained while walking but it was kinda slow paced and overall a fine story. The narrator Carly Robins was fantastic and its funny that she is also the narrator on the RaeAnn Thayne book I started next. The audiobook is 8 hours so it's a pretty quick book.

If you really liked Susan Meissner's As Bright As Heaven or are looking for a historical fiction about the Spanish Flu I'd recommend.

A bit predictable at times, but touching, nonetheless. I found myself worried at times and smiling at others. I enjoyed the characters and plot. The audio book was narrated well.

Little Souls
Sandra Dallas

NYT Bestseller Sandra Dallas’s latest literary historical is absolutely unputdownable, packed with secrets, lies, heartbreak and healing. Set in Denver during both WWI and the Spanish Flu Pandemic staring two forward thinking sisters, the men who loved them and the little girl who needed them as much as they needed her.
Needless to say its’ eerily familiar to read a historical novel based on the facts of the 1917 flu epidemic that mimics the events of the past couple of years with just as much misinformation, confusion, fear mongering and government cover-ups back then as we all experienced during the Covid-19 pandemic. Then throw in a murder, bootleggers and a World War and Sandra Dallas has herself one powerful novel. The dialogue is period perfect and will take listeners/readers right into the story along with the vivid first-person narrative through Lutie’s eyes. Both sisters plus Dorothy are the definite stars in the novel, they plus a few strong supporting characters brilliantly carry the story. Plus seeing the flu epidemic through the eyes of a nurse like Helen and her doctor fiancé Gil gives the tale a more genuine feel and experiencing the tragedies that befall all three of our female stars produces sympathy and empathy from the audience. Those who love historical novels based on facts, the work of Lauren Willig, Beatriz Williams or the novels of this exceptional author will find this read amazing.

Narration:
The narration by Carly Robins is exceptional. She finds just the right nuance to become every character from high society to a rough around the edges copper, a prostitute to a small frightened little girl. She also goes between male, female and child voices so expertly it sounds like multiple narrators.

Lutie and Helen Hite moved to Denver following the deaths of their parents and with their father’s life insurance buy a home and set up housekeeping, plus for extra income they rent out a basement apartment to the Streeter family consisting of Mr. Streeter, his wife Maude, and their young daughter Dorothy. The sisters are settling in nicely even with the influenza pandemic raging, Helen a nurse has no problem finding work and Lutie with her fine arts skills has found a job creating ads for a local department store. Both sisters have also found love, Helen is engaged to, Gil a local doctor and Lutie is seeing, Peter a theology student. Then a series of tragedies happen, first Mr. Streeter abandons his family then Maude dies leaving Dorothy an orphan but Helen and Lutie have both fallen in love with the little girl and are determined to adopt her. But that’s in jeopardy when Lutie comes home from work finding Dorothy in shock and Helen holding an ice pick over the dead body of Mr. Streeter.

This was a great book, but I would expect nothing less from Sandra Dallas. I love that it was historical fiction but somewhat relatable to now with the parallels between the Spanish Flu and Covid 19. Little Souls will definitely tug at your heart strings and keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next.

I enjoyed this historical read. It has some of the parallels that we have been living with for over 2 years.

This book piqued my interest because it dealt with the Spanish Flu Pandemic, which certainly has relevance in today's time. It's a tale of two sisters, one a nurse, and provides a good snapshot of an era, including medical knowledge and tools, historical context (World War I), views of women, and everyday life and hardships. The story had elements of romance and suspense and flowed easily, but perhaps too easily. I would have rated it higher, but too many of the plot elements were telegraphed in advance and I could have predicted how much of the story would turn out. Still, there was enough to keep me interested and I will likely try more books by this author.

This was a beautifully written story set during two major historical events, the Spanish Flu Pandemic and World War I. We follow two sisters, Helen and Lutie, and their daily lives and the obstacles they overcome. The story is heartbreaking at times and life affirming.
This is my first book by this author and she writes her characters so well, you really feel what they are going through. I listened to the audiobook of this and the narration was done fabulously.
I don’t want to say too much, I think this one is best going in blind, not reading the blurbs, if you love historical fiction, this is a great read! I will remember these characters and their story long after finishing this book.
Thank you Macmillan Audio and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

Little Souls had everything I like in a good book: likable characters, historical story line, and a little romance,
The book takes place in Colorado at the beginning of the 20th century- a time of the influenza outbreak and World War I. The author depicted time and place masterfully. I was able to lose myself in the story and imagine being there. The narrator was also excellent and I had no problem
following the story line, which sometimes happens with an audiobook.
I would strongly recommend this book to those who enjoy historical fiction along with a story line that holds your interest from beginning to end
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review

This story focuses on the experiences of two sisters in Denver during the Spanish Flu pandemic in 1918, even though the flu is only part of the story. The author paints a graphic picture of bodies in the streets, right from the opening scene. Schools and churches are closed and people are afraid. One sister is a nurse and one is an artist who makes a living drawing ads for a fashionable Denver store. There are major similarities to what we have experienced with the COVID-19 pandemic. Also front and center is World War I. Lutie and Helen (the sisters) rent their basement to a family, the father of which isn’t a nice man at all. He disappears and the mother later dies of the flu, so the sisters take in the daughter, Dorothy, and the rest of the book revolves around this girl. The love between the two sisters and the affection they have for this girl is really the main theme of the book. There is a lot of tragedy in the back stories of several of the characters. I enjoyed the story, despite it being a bit predictable, but never felt emotionally connected somehow.

CW: Similarity to COVID pandemic, references to incest, sexual assault/rape, domestic violence, murder, child abuse, kidnapping, war deaths and injuries

I bounced between the audiobook and the ebook for this title, which was very convenient. The audiobook narrator, Carly Robins, did a wonderful job with the various voices.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this audiobook and to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advance reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ꜱᴏᴜʟꜱ 🎧 ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ 💖

𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 💭:
This was a nice audio book! The female protagonists are very likable.

The book is set in Denver 1918—during WWI and the flu pandemic. It has such a compelling storyline involving two sisters. The story is absolutely heartbreaking — but I couldn’t stop listening. I loved how all the characters were depicted, I liked the time line of the story and the 1918 Denver atmospheric vibe.

Thank you @netgalley & @macmillan.audio for my ARC audio in exchange for my honest review!

I love that Sandra Dallas just writes good stories and this one is no exception. It is 1918 and the Spanish Flu is here and so is WW1 sisters Helen and Lutie run a boarding house but when a tenant dies and leaves her daughter with the sisters things happen to change all of their lives. I don't want to give this story away but Dallas is a masterful storyteller and she truly gets you to care about everyone in her books and this one is no exception.

This book has the Spanish Flu pandemic, a war and a mystery all wrapped up in a well told story. I have enjoyed many of Dallas's books and I think you will too!

Narration by Carly Robins was very well done she truly brought the emotion and everyone had a voice.

I highly recommend this one!

4 stars

I have already ordered this one for our library.

I received this book from the publisher Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for a fair and honest review.

I will freely admit what drew me to this book was to learn more on the Spanish flu. The setting is Colorado 1918, the pandemic, WWI, bootlegging are all in this book. The story is about the strong sisterhood bond between 2 sisters that take in their tenants orphan daughter and calling her little sister. Helen is a nurse, exhausted with taking care of the flu patients and Lutie is working as a design advertiser at a high end store. Life is comfortable for them, owning their own little house, both with boyfriends. Taking in a renter for their basement apartment hadn’t been the smartest thing they have done. The wife dies of the flu, the daughter hides out many times by them and the husband is founded dead in their kitchen. The start of many mysteries and heartaches for the characters. The story will drawn you in, making one compare then and now in regards to the pandemic. How times have changes, a real page turner. I love the narrator, she did a excellent job to keep you wanting to hear/ read more.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC. I am voluntarily posting an honest review after reading an Advance Reader Copy of this story. #NetGalley #LittleSouls #StMartinsPress

Little Souls captures Denver in 1918. WWI rages and the Spanish influenza is gaining steam. The government tries to downplay the risk of the flu and rumors abound of what causes it - eating Spanish food, listening in on the party line. Dallas has done her research and does an excellent job of slipping in facts to give us a sense of place and time without disrupting the story.
Lutie and Helen are sisters, an advertising illustrator for a specialized clothing story and a nurse, respectively. They’re fortunate enough to own their own home and rent out the basement to a family. The father, however, is abusive and a drunk, so no one is upset when he disappears. Then the mother falls victim to the flu. The sisters take the little girl in. The story starts with Lutie coming home to discover Helen standing over the dead body of the father, an ice pick in her hand. It then moves backward in time to give us background on the sisters before moving forward with the aftermath of the murder.
Given that plot line, the story could come off as melodramatic, but it remains rooted and at times dark. I love the various definitions about “Little Souls”, the downtrodden and forgotten, to anyone in despair; those people who don’t have much but struggle on every day, living nondescript lives.
The story focuses on moving beyond one’s grief, loyalty and dedication, about putting others’ needs ahead of your own. Dallas does a great job of fleshing out all the characters, not just the sisters, but the secondary characters as well.
Carly Robins did a great job narrating the story.
My thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an advance copy of this audiobook.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction book set in Denver during the early 20th century. My first Sandra Dallas book, this story had it all:

- strong female characters
- bootleggers
- murder
- WWI
- the Spanish flu pandemic
- beautiful sisterhood relationships
- love, loss and a happily ever after

Perfect for fans of Bluebird by Genevieve Graham, The orphan collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman or As bright as heaven by Susan Meissner. Great on audio too narrated by Carly Robins. This story kept me interested right to the end and is one I will happily recommend! Much thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advance review copies!

I really enjoyed this historical fiction book set in Denver during the early 20th century. My first Sandra Dallas book, this story had it all:

- strong female characters
- bootleggers
- murder
- WWI
- the Spanish flu pandemic
- beautiful sisterhood relationships
- love, loss and a happily ever after

Perfect for fans of Bluebird by Genevieve Graham, The orphan collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman or As bright as heaven by Susan Meissner. Great on audio too narrated by Carly Robins. This story kept me interested right to the end and is one I will happily recommend! Much thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advance review copies!

CW: rape, abuse of a child

The writing style was poor and dull; I wasn't really able to engage with the story so I didn't finish this.

3 nice predictable stars

Little Souls is a work of historical fiction set in Denver during WWI. It covers ‘the Influenza’ and women’s roles, told through the eyes of two sisters in their twenties. Dallas does a good job making the reader feel how desperate victims of the Spanish flu and their caregivers were, with only minor medical interventions available.

Another reason I wouldn’t have wanted to live in 1918 was that the role of women was very narrow. There was some mention of women trying to get the vote, but professions were generally limited to nurse, teacher, domestic, wife, mother.

Dallas presents a range of emotions throughout the book, but dialogue is stiff. “’You care too much. You care about me, and you care about the soldiers and the women you help and all those little souls you encounter.’ ‘Little souls?’ ‘Oh, it’s something I heard Judge Howell say…It comes from some Roman emperor. It means the poor, the hopeless, the common people nobody ever notices. In truth, it applies to all of us. We’re all lost little souls in our way.’” Nice thought, but people just don’t talk that way. The bad guys are all bad, the good characters, very good. I prefer more dimensional characters and less predictability.

Trigger warnings: mention of child abuse, prostitution and sexual assault - with nothing graphic.

Carly Robins does a good job of narrating Little Souls. Voices are distinguishable and easy to listen to. Her narration made the book go by quickly.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

When Helen and Ludy move to Denver, after the deaths of their parents. The hope is to make a new life with just the two of them. It isn’t long before Helen meets Dr. Gill and Ludy meets Peter a theologian student. Unfortunately Peter will soon go off to fight the great war in France. While all this is going on the sisters, tenant passes away and they are left to care for a little Dorothy. For the most part all is well until Ludy comes home and finds her dead Mr. striker bed on the kitchen floor with Helen over him and Dorothy clenching her eyes close and holding on to Helen. At this point Ludi thinks the death of Mr. Stryker is the absolute worst thing that can happen, but little does looting know there was more in store for the young bubbling beautiful sister in the help will come where it’s least expected.
Oh I absolutely loved this book. I thought Sandra Dallas has a great knack for pinpointing how are actions while grieving and an uncanny way of making seemingly ordinary people fascinating. They have a few twists and turns in this book and they are all unexpected and just when you think oh that’s the showstopper… No Miss Dallas has more to come. I have already bought and downloaded another book by her that is how much I absolutely loved this book. I was given this book by net galley and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Please forgive any grammatical punctuation hours as I am blind and dictate my review, but all opinions or my own.