I didn’t read or listen to much of this book. I lost interest quickly and had a problem with some of the things the author said early on. I didn’t agree with her discussion of religion and Christianity and therefore will rate this book a 3 even tho I didn’t finish it. I hate to give a bad rating. And I know the author works hard. Just not all books are for everyone. But I appreciate the publisher for thinking of me.

Expect to shed some tears.
Colorado 1918. Close to the end of World War I and dealing with the Spanish Flu epidemic.
Sandra Dallas managed to capture the flavor of that time period and presented some hard subject matter in an easy to read language. The loss of loved ones due to the war in Europe and the Flu at home happens to bring emotional trauma to many. The attitude towards working woman comes through loud and clear and so do the limitations that woman faced as an unmarried person.
The two sisters have a very strong personality and are used to taking care and been supportive of each other but they also have their weaknesses and secrets. You can’t help but feel for them in their struggle.
Loved the Narrator.

Pandemic fiction has always been one of my favorite genres. When we started living through our own pandemic, I went looking for books featuring the 1918 flu epidemic. I didn't find a lot but the few I did read left me wanting more. When I spotted Little Souls, I knew I had to read it. I listened to the audiobook and it was just wonderful.

I immediately loved the kind-hearted sisters Helen and Lutie. I would have loved to be friends with Lutie who works as an advertising artist for a department store but who really enjoys repurposing bits and bobs and scraps of fabrics into hats and scarves (two of my favorite articles of clothing).

Little Souls is filled with tragedy but the strength displayed by the characters makes it an uplifting story in many ways.

While this story is set during the final months of WWI, the focus is on the tragedy ravishing the homefront - the Spanish flu. The reader will see some parallels to our own recent response to a fast-spreading, deadly disease. But the flu is just the backdrop for the true story.

Lutie and Helen take in a young child whose family lived in the basement apartment and did their laundry. Dorothy's mother dies from the flu, no one knows where her father has gone and it would be better for everyone if he never shows up again.

The story subtly reveals the plight of women during this time. While Helen and Lutie are independent women, it is still expected they will marry. While the sisters plan to adopt Dorothy as their sister, they know that it is likely Helen and Gil will be her parents when they marry as Lutie's fiance is serving overseas.

Little Souls also has a bit of a mystery. Dorothy's father ran with a rough crowd. When one of his associates claims to be her uncle and kidnaps her when Lutie refuses to hand her over, his dark dealings, as well as the unsavory treatment of women and children, come to light.

There are also some passing references to the conditions of orphanages during this time (they weren't good) and that should Dorothy be sent to one she would be turned out at the age of 14 to fend for herself.

The story is set in Denver and I enjoyed getting a look at this time period from a part of the country that I hadn't really considered before.

I loved the audiobook. Carly Roberts does a great job as narrator. I didn't want to stop listening to the book and I was surprised by how fast the book went by.

I found the ending to be a little too convenient, but then I thought that it probably was pretty accurate for the time period. I would love to see how life continues for the characters. We get a glimpse of their future with an epilogue, but it just made me want to know more about how they got to that point.

My review will be published at Girl Who Reads on Monday, April 18 - https://www.girl-who-reads.com/2022/04/two-excellent-novels-highlight-women-in.html

“Little Souls” are those who have faced the unspeakable, and seem to be in need of rescue. Lucretia “Lutie” and her sister Helen, are just the type to step in a save. After losing their parents, the girls leave Iowa with a modest inheritance and buy a home in Denver. The Spanish Flu is raging, and Helen, a trained nurse is exhausted working day and night to fight the pandemic. Lutie, an artist, works in advertising, not because she loves it, but it allows her some financial independence and she still gets to sketch. With the help of renters in their basement, the young women get by just fine.

When their tenant passes from the flu, and her husband is nowhere to be found, Lutie and Helen step in and take care of their daughter Dorothy who is left behind. Helen and Lutie are both in relationships, one with a doctor and the later with a seminary student, both women explain Dorothy’s circumstances, and neither man shows any objections to the situation, and figure one of the couples will eventually adopt her.

Dorothy’s deadbeat dad reenters the picture, and their happy little world comes crashing down when he ends up dead with Helen holding the murder weapon. Faced with several tough decisions in an era where women have little sway, Helen and Lutie do what they can to protect Dorothy.

Sandra Dallas’ little souls take on some heavy topics that for some will be triggers (child abuse, kidnapping, trafficking, prostitution, and sexual assault), but she does so without being too graphic. At the core of the story we see how having someone to depend on, where one doesn’t have to suffer alone, can truly alter a person’s trajectory in life and offer salvation. Though some of the plot line was predictable, Little Souls has heart and is worth reading.

Thank you to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and of course Sandra Dallas for the advanced copy. Little Souls comes out on April 26th. All opinions are my own.

Little Souls by Sandra Dallas pulled me in from the very beginning. The author wrote this book, which is aptly titled and has poignant meaning. The characters were well developed, and faced tragedies and topics that are relevant a century later. Without giving away spoilers, I found the book had lots to ponder. There is sadness, joy, happiness, and love. At times the story was upsetting, and the drama was full of secrets. Carly Robins was fantastic performing the book! She really brought the characters to life. I want to thank #NetGalley and #Macmillan Audio for allowing me to listen to this pre-release audiobook. Lutie, Helen and Dorothy were such great characters!

Helen and Lutie are two sisters who are dedicated to each other's happiness. They leave their hometown of Iowa, after the death of their parents, to start a new life in Denver during the time of the Spanish Flu. This story has us experience the small joys and incredible heartache that these two sisters entail as they experience love, loss, and the horrors of the epidemic. The main interest in their lives is the 10-year-old, Dorothy, whose parents rent their downstairs apartment. After the death of Dorothy's mother and the abandonment by her corrupt father, Helen and Lutie look forward to adopting Dorothy. The three have created a tight bond and remain strong through some tragic events to ensure that the adoption takes place.

The narration by Carly Robins was well done enabling me to feel as though I was on the scene with the various characters. It was easy to follow the storyline and I was able to distinguish which character was speaking. I believe Robins' narration added to the enjoyment of the novel.
Little Souls is well-written and suspenseful, and Dallas did not hold back on the descriptive tragedies that took place in the novel.
I would be remiss if I did not mention that there are several triggers throughout the novel.

My thanks to #NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an ARC of this audiobook. This voluntary review is my honest opinion.

It seems strange that I would want to read a story that deal with a pandemic. The similarities between the Spanish Flu and current Covid outbreak cannot be denied. The setting is in Denver and it deals with two sisters, Lutie an advertising designer at a local store and Helen, a nurse. Both ladies have beaus, Helen a doctor and Lutie a young man that is going off to war since World War 1 is raging. The girls share a house and have a woman living in the basement with his young daughter, Dorothy. When Dorothy's mother dies from the flu, both Lutie and Helen take over the care of Dorothy.

Tragedy comes in the form on death when Dorothy's mother is found dead and later on Lutie finds Helen with an ice pick in her hand. The body was that of Dorothy's father and the sisters devise a scheme to hide the body. Thinking of how to accomplish this, the sisters hide the body in the street, a common practice for the dead from the flu. They hope that the body will be thought of as a flu victim. Dorothy seems quite reticent at first, but starts to come into her own under the tutelage of the ladies. When the truth comes out the ladies are determined to keep Dorothy away from the cruelty she has been subjected to. The reader eventually discovers why Dorothy is so fearful and the reasons are heinous.

Meanwhile as the story progresses there are more tragedies to come to the door of Lutie and Helen, one of which is the kidnapping of Dorothy by an unscrupulous couple who claim Dorothy is their niece. The ladies are frantic and when the police become involved, more comes out about the couple who supposedly took her. They feared that Dorothy was dead because of her knowledge of the aunt and uncle. They are a nefarious couple whose involvement in crime and unscrupulous activities were known to the police.

This was a sad story. It was a sign of the times that many lived under and the joy, sadness, and happiness that can come from loving and caring for another. Definitely recommended to those who enjoy a drama with many secrets and horrific circumstances that many lived under during times of panic and uncertainty. Through determination and love, Dorothy seems destined to become a happy contented child living among people who love and care for her.

Thank you to Sandra Dallas, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the audio of this book due out April 26, 2022

This was more character based than I prefer with my historical fiction. I would have prefered more info on the Spanish Flu and the like.
A lot of bad things happen one after the other and are then fixed in the last 10 minutes. I didn't like the pacing and the dialogue was cringe at times.

1918 in Colorado is hardly an easy year for anyone. The Spanish Flu, a natural biological disaster is killing young people and terrifying everyone. This is so eerily close to our current situation with Covid.

Yet, there is also a war looming. I have read several books similar with this theme. What sets this book apart is the relationship between the two sisters, Helen who is a nurse and Lutie who went to design school and now is overqualified for her job at a Specialty Shop. Yet, life will get more difficult for the sisters in the next couple of years. Both of their parents have died, so that is how they purchase a small house in Colorado. They rent out the basement to a family, where the father is abusive to his wife and the sisters suspect also his daughter, Dorothy. Maud, the mom gets the Spanish Flu and dies. The father is certainly not the type equipped to raise a young daughter properly. So, both sisters decide to let Dorothy stay with them and she becomes a third sister.

In times like these, the support of your family is probably what is going to save you or at least keep you going until better times come along. Lutie and Helen are each strong women in their own right, but it’s this relationship that makes the book special. That they love Dorothy is a wonderful relationship as well. It is certain that no matter what hardship comes to any of them, the other sister will help out always. Both will do everything to protect Dorothy from further damage and trauma. So, this is the heartwarming part of the book. It carrying them through some extremely rough times. This core relationship helps as they get older and enter new relationships.

So, that is why I liked this book so much. If you feel you have just one family member you can count on, this often changes the course of your life. So, yes a sad and upsetting story at times, but an uplifting one, too. We all need people that really love us no matter what the circumstances.

I had this as a Kindle Book and also the audio version. I listened a lot to the audio 🎧 since I was driving a long distance yesterday. The audio was clear, easy to understand, and the narration was good. However, when I got to my hotel there were passages I liked and wanted to read in the book and did. I also finished the last few chapters reading them. I liked the combination. I think you could have the book alone or the audio alone and still enjoy this story. I just liked hearing the different characters speak their emotions and also seeing some deeper passages that were written.

Thank you St. Martin, Sandra Dallas, St. Martins, and Macmillan Audio for providing an ARC of both the e-book and the audio.

An intricately woven, compelling storyline that combined mystery and tragedy with a candid view of life during WWI and the flu epidemic of 1918. The characters were well-developed and the narrator did an excellent job with all the different voices of the characters. The pace of the story was a little slow, but it gave me time to become immersed in the time period and feel the heartwrenching nature of the events as they unfolded. As a former adoption social worker, I was deeply affected by Dorothy's plight and horrified (although not terribly surprised) by the judge's ruling. The ending was satisfying, if a little predictable.

Little Souls written by Sandra Dallas tells the tale of two sisters living in Colorado during WWI and the Spanish Influenza outbreak. It is a heartbreaking tale of sisterhood and suffering. The two sisters rent their basement to a couple with a young child which they will later adopt as their sister. This story was hard to read in spots due to topics like incest, rape and other forms of abuse along with loss from WWI and influenza.

The narrative has a bit of everything: love, murder, suspense and drama. The two sisters were living breathing people who I cheered on and wept for their struggles and losses. I learned a lot about the Spanish Influenza outbreak that occurred throughout the Western United States, a topic I knew little about.
I want to thank Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to have an advance copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Little Souls by Sandra Dallas is a novel set in Denver in 1918 during World War I and the Spanish Flu. Sisters Helen and Lutie are on their own and able to live life as they please with the money left from their deceased parents. Helen is a nurse and sees first hand how the Spanish Flu has hurt the people in her city. Lutie is more into fashion and is pretty much kept in the dark as to what is happening around her. But, when their tenants family drama makes its way to their apartment Helen and Lutie are forced to make difficult decisions. Should they keep the little girl named Dorothy after her mother dies from the flu and her father runs off? Will Dorothy's dark family secrets hard the sisters in ways they never dreamed? With all this going on, Lutie is dealing with her fiance who is overseas in the war and Helen hold secrets of her own.

This epidemic era feels all too familiar, but the story is about so much more. At just a little over 300 pages, Little Souls is a story that is heartfelt, heart-warming and heart-wrenching all in one. A quick read that is sure to pull on your heartstrings. A Must Read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Set in Denver during the deadly Spanish flu pandemic in 1918. The schools are converted into hospitals as people are showing up sick and churches are closed. The streets are filled with corpse in the street. Theft, rape, and many other atrocities are happening. Children are left without parents. Two ladies Lutie and Helen, a nurse share a home. Helen is seeing a doctor and Lutie a student who will join the war. They rent a small apartment in their basement. After their tenant died the sisters start caring for a small girl.
A man is found dead in their home and Helen is standing over him with an icepick. What comes out is horrible. They chose to place the dead man in the streets hoping the police will think he is a flu victim, after all people are dying in the streets. Whom do they trust with their secrets? Do they become suspects? Absolutely heartbreaking!

An immersive historical fiction about the bond of sisters during the 1918 flu epidemic. I’m always intrigued by stories set in this time period and this one was particularly good! The narration was particularly well done. Any histfic fan will adore this well written tale, I devoured it over the course of one day, highly recommend!

My review of this book will be posted on my Instagram, Amazon & Barnes & Noble accounts on publication day.

Dallas’s newest novel centers around the Spanish Flu pandemic of the early 20th century. Sisters Helen and Lutie are starting life over in Denver after the death of their parents. Helen, a nurse, is run off her feet as the flu ravages the city but manages to find love with a doctor. Lutie, who works for a department store, finds a love of her own, but is soon to have her heart broken when he enlists. But everything is put on the back burner, when the boarder that the sisters have taken in, dies from the flu, leaving them to care for the woman’s young daughter. When the girl’s reprobate father shows up, Helen kills him with an icepick in an act of self defense. Fearful that Helen will be charged with murder, the sisters hatch a plan to get the dead man to the street, where they plan to pass him off as another victim of the pandemic. There’s a lot going on in this story, sometimes it seems like too much, but then it’s also very evocative of the world we live in today – chaotic and scary.