The Orphan Collector

This is the story of a 13-year-old girl as she navigates her way through the 1918 pandemic and faces loss, discrimination, and life in an orphanage all the while longing to find her missing twin baby brothers. At the same time a bitter, miserable, grief stricken woman takes it upon herself to rid the city of immigrant children and “save” babies by kidnapping them.

The description for this book was misleading and does not do this book justice. I was expecting more of a cat and mouse game with suspense as the main character tried to find her missing twin brothers. Even so, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The author masterfully conveys empathy for the characters. I cried, I laughed, and it was an emotional roller coaster that was eerily similar to today’s events. I felt Pia’s strength, courage, guilt, and grief come through the pages clear as day. At first I was sympathetic to Bernice Groves, but then realized she was just evil and full of hate. I felt the ending was a bit rushed, but overall I would recommend this to anyone who enjoys historical dramas. Although this could be a trigger for anyone currently experiencing grief and loss.