The Orphan Collector: A Heroic Novel of Survival During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic

Content Warning: The section contains descriptions of death, child abuse, racism, anti-immigrant bias, kidnapping, and suicidal ideation.

In September 1918, 13-year-old Pia Lange walks behind her mother, who pushes Pia’s four-month-old twin brothers, Ollie and Max, through the celebratory chaos of Philadelphia’s wartime parade. Pia and her family are here to show their patriotism and their desire for victory in Europe. As a shy child, Pia is nervous about crowds; her mother, Mutti, tries to shield her from unwanted touches, but this is impossible in such a large crowd, and Pia feels overwhelmed.

Unbeknownst to everyone, a deadly influenza virus is also making its way through the crowd. A lost little girl grabs Pia’s hand; Pia thinks she can feel the girl’s lungs rattle. Pia has always been able to tell if someone was ill, even before they knew, just by a touch. Pia can tell that the girl’s illness is terminal.

Pia gets temporarily separated from her mother and cannot call out for her; she is not allowed to speak German in public, as she and her family are trying to prove that they are not German spies. Pia’s family used to live in the Pennsylvania countryside, and Pia longs for those days of nature and open space.