Little Souls by Sandra Dallas
This historical fiction book is set in 1918 Denver, Colorado during World War I and the Great Spanish Influenza. The book focuses on two sisters named Helen and Lutie who have moved from Iowa to start a new life in Denver after the death of their parents. Helen is a nurse in the local hospital and Lutie is an advertiser for one of the department stores in downtown Denver. Helen and Lutie find an apartment to settle in where they rent the basement portion of it to a family who has a daughter named Dorothy. The Spanish flu is starting to become rampant in Denver and many are dying from the pandemic. When Dorothy’s mom gets the flu and dies, the sisters decide to take Dorothy as their own sister and protect her from her drunk father who has been abusive to Dorothy and her mom. One day when Lutie comes home from her job, she discovers a body on their kitchen floor and finds Helen standing over the body with an icepick. When Lutie figures out the body is Dorothy’s father, the sisters have to hide the body fearing that Helen will be charged with murder even though it was a self-dense motive to protect Dorothy from her father. The sisters come up with a plan to dispose the body in the street as a flu victim with the help of Helen’s boyfriend so that no one will figure out Dorothy’s father was murdered and be seen as someone who came down with the influenza. Lutie also has concerns for her fiancé who is fighting overseas in Europe and is worried she may never see him again to be married when he returns from war. This story reflects the bonds of sisterhood, family, love, sacrifice, hardship, loyalty, and strength as both sisters endure a lot of obstacles and trials as they navigate a pandemic, protecting Dorothy from the suffering she endured with her family, and avoiding becoming murder suspects. This was a very quick read and it had me on the edge of my seat wondering what would happen next if the sisters would survive the influenza, adopt Dorothy as their own, avoid becoming murder suspects, and get their happy ending with their boyfriends. The author did a great job with the plot that had so many twists and turns and it made me want to read more as I read each chapter. I would recommend this to anyone who loves historical fiction, looking for a short read, mysteries, and romance books.