Strong, resilient, and determined to make their way in a changing world, Meissner's characters step off the page and into history.'-Lisa Wingate, author of Before We Were Yours ' As Bright as Heaven explores the heart of a historic but universal family.'-Karen Harper, New York Times bestselling author of The It Girls 'Susan Meissner brings the 1918 flu pandemic vividly to life in a mesmerizing tale.'-Lauren Willig, New York Times bestselling author of The English Wife 'Beautifully written and vividly imagined, As Bright as Heaven is a mesmerizing portrayal of the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918.

A must read!'-Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Orphan's Tale 'From the unthinkable tragedy of the 1918 Spanish flu epidemic to the glittering speakeasies of the Roaring Twenties, Susan Meissner delivers a story of one family's heartbreak and hope. With stunning prose and keen detail, Meissner has deftly created a heady mix of love, politics, and survival-a family saga, coming-of-age tale, and riveting historical fiction all in one. She is the award-winning author of A Fall of Marigolds, Secrets of a Charmed Life, Stars over Sunset Boulevard, and A Bridge Across the Ocean among other novels.Praise for As Bright as Heaven 'In As Bright as Heaven, Susan Meissner has penned an original and vivid portrayal of a family in Philadelphia during the Great War and the flu pandemic of 1918. About the Author: Susan Meissner is a former managing editor of a weekly newspaper and an award-winning columnist. As Bright as Heaven is the compelling story of a mother and her daughters who find themselves in a harsh world not of their making, which will either crush their resolve to survive or purify it. Amidst the tragedy and challenges, they learn what they cannot live without-and what they are willing to do about it. But even as they lose loved ones, they take in a baby orphaned by the disease who becomes their single source of hope.

As the pandemic claims more than twelve thousand victims in their adopted city, they find their lives left with a world that looks nothing like the one they knew. But just months after they arrive, the Spanish Flu reaches the shores of America. Into this bustling town, came Pauline Bright and her husband, filled with hope that they could now give their three daughters-Evelyn, Maggie, and Willa-a chance at a better life. Even as its young men went off to fight in the Great War, there were opportunities for a fresh start on its cobblestone streets. In 1918, Philadelphia was a city teeming with promise. From the acclaimed author of The Last Year of the War comes a novel set during the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918, telling the story of a family reborn through loss and love.

As bright as heaven susan meissner