From the writer of Room this is a very different (although, now that I think about it, similarly claustrophobic) novel. It’s historical fiction set in Dublin during WWI when a deadly flu epidemic ravages the city and people die within hours of contracting it.
The novel takes place over just two days and mostly in a hastily set up ward in the hospital for pregnant mothers who have the flu, from the point of view of Nurse Julia Power, who due to staff shortages is left in charge of the ward with just an untrained volunteer, Bridie, to help her.
The flu is very serious in pregnant women causing premature labour and often death of either or both of mother and child and Julia feels overwhelmed trying to help these women through terrible ordeals.
The minute by minute detailing of all that goes on in the ward from making beds and changing bed pans to graphic descriptions of labour and medical emergencies feels like one of those single shot shows about nights in emergency hospitals or other traumatic events.
Also Julia lives with her brother who came back from the war shell shocked and unable to talk.
Over the couple of days Julia formed a deep bond with Bridie, the young volunteer and learns about her own sad backstory from being born in an unmarried mothers home and kept by the nuns as basically slave labour.
The book was pretty gripping and certainly emotional and an interesting look at that period of Irish history.
(The title refers to the fact that the word Influenza comes from an Italian phrase meaning the influence (or pull) of the stars because ancient doctors believed flu was cause by astral effects.)
Sarah Wray Writer 