Pam April 30th, 2007
The pandemic spread throughout the world in 3 waves: The first wave in the spring of 1918, followed by the second in the fall of 1918. The third wave occured on the heels of the second, in the winter of 1918/19.
It could not have happened at a worse time. Thousands of physicians and nurses were in Europe because of the war. Those left behind worked long, exhausting hours, and many died from influenza.
The influenza pandemic killed more people than died in World War I. It was and remains the deadliest epidemic in history, killing 50 to 100 million throughout the world.
After the U.S. entered the war in 1917, the country became consumed by patriotism. Interest in supporting the troops and winning the war eclipsed all else. Ironically, influenza spread quickly among military recruits, both in training camps and on board troop ships.
In my YA historical novel Pandemic!, the main character is caught up in both of these life-changing events. Set in Denver in the fall and winter of 1918/19, the book describes the devastating effects of both influenza and the war on one group of people, a story played out in countless cities across the nation.
Tags: Influenza, Pandemic, Spanish Flu
Pam April 26th, 2007
For the past 3 years or so, I’ve been working on a book called Pandemic! (The exclamation point is part of the title.) It’s YA historical fiction about the influenza pandemic of 1918. To be more specific, it’s about a teenaged girl, orphaned during the pandemic, who struggles to re-build her life in the face of financial ruin and a sexually abusive uncle.
Because this lethal form of influenza (commonly called Spanish flu) struck during the Great War (WWI), it’s been, until recently, largely forgotten. At last, due to historians like John Barry and Alfred Crosby, it’s receiving more attention. Also, with diseases such as SARS and Avian flu now posing a threat, there’s a renewed scientific interest. What lessons can be learned from studying this worldwide outbreak of flu from 1918? What knowledge might be gained that could help in stemming future epidemic/pandemics?
Here are two important books about the pandemic:
- The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History, by John Barry. Viking Penguin, 2004.
- America’s Forgotten Pandemic: The Influenza of 1918, by Alfred W. Crosby. 2nd ed., Cambridge University Press, 2003.
I’ll be sharing more facts about the pandemic of 1918 in future posts. And also, more about my book.
Tags: Influenza, Pandemic of 1918, Spanish Flu
