What do readers think of As Bright as Heaven by Susan Meissner? Write your own review.

During the first 2/3 of this book, I was fascinated by the story. I particularly liked that the story was told from the perspective of the mom and three daughters at the heart of the story. Personalizing WW1 and the Spanish Flu epidemic by showing their effects on the Bright family made the story searingly real. I was disappointed in the 'oh give me a break' resolution to the story (way too coincidental) and the author's apparent need to end the story with most of the characters happy.

Thanks to BB and Susan Meissner for the privilege to review such an interesting and well documented novel concerning the Spanish flu pandemic/WWI in America. She chose to tell this story through the voices of the Bright women; I was amazed that their diction "grew" as the girls aged--what a feat! Meissner also more than adequately and with aplomb allows the reader to see the inside workings of a funeral home. For me, the factual and historical content as well as the characters' voices were off the charts. The "turns and twists" of their lives, though, were just stretched too far and totally unbelievable; consequently, the quality of the novel suffered.

This historical novel centers around the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918 and in particular how it impacts the Bright family of Philadelphia. It is an interesting topic and only fitting that the Brights reside in a mortuary which is the family business. The characters are well developed with the mother and three daughters each telling her own story in successive chapters. There was at least one coincidence that strained credulity, but all in all it was a pleasant read.

I did not like this book. I didn't like the parts where the girls told the story. It felt like a YA book and it reminded me of Little Women but not in a good way. The parts of the story narrated by the mother were better. By the second part of the book I began to lose interest in the story. I also did not enjoy reading about the workings of the funeral home. This entire book was a big miss for me and I wouldn't recommend it.