A Death-Struck Year

For Cleo Berry, the people dying of the Spanish Influenza in cities like New York and Philadelphia may as well be in another country—that's how far away they feel from the safety of Portland, Oregon. And then cases start being reported in the Pacific Northwest. Schools, churches, and theaters shut down. The entire city is thrust into survival mode—and into a panic. Headstrong and foolish, seventeen-year-old Cleo is determined to ride out the pandemic in the comfort of her own home, rather than in her quarantined boarding school dorms. But when the Red Cross pleads for volunteers, she can't ignore the call. As Cleo struggles to navigate the world around her, she is surprised by how much she finds herself caring about near-strangers. Strangers like Edmund, a handsome medical student and war vet. Strangers who could be gone tomorrow. And as the bodies begin to pile up, Cleo can't help but wonder: when will her own luck run out?

   Riveting and well-researched, A Death-Struck Year is based on the real-life pandemic considered the most devastating in recorded world history. Readers will be captured by the suspenseful storytelling and the lingering questions of: what would I do for a neighbor? At what risk to myself?

   An afterword explains the Spanish flu phenomenon, placing it within the historical context of the early 20th century. Source notes are extensive and interesting.

A Spring 2014 Indies Introduce New Voices selection

Coming of Age Story: Headstrong seventeen-year-old Cleo Berry must choose between the comfort of her quarantined boarding school and the call to serve her city in crisis. YA Historical Romance: Amidst the chaos, Cleo is surprised to find herself drawn to Edmund, a handsome medical student and war vet who could be gone tomorrow. World War I Setting: A riveting and meticulously researched look at the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic as it grips Portland, Oregon, shutting down the city and testing its citizens. Survival Story: As the bodies pile up, Cleo can't help but wonder if her luck is about to run out in a world where strangers become neighbors and neighbors could be gone in an instant.