THE ORPHAN COLLECTOR by Ellen Marie Wiseman is the book choice for discussion on March 19, 2023, 4:00pm via Zoom. The historical novel is set during the 1918 pandemic in an impoverished Philadelphia neighborhood. Thirteen-year-old Pia faces loss and discrimination while longing to be reunited with her twin brothers. Beatrice, in bitterness and grief, decides to rid the city of immigrant children in order to “save” them. The lives of Pia and Beatrice collide in this story of survival and perseverance.Bryan Dumas, reviewer for the Historical Novel Society stated: “Well researched and impossible to put down, this is an emotional tug-of-war played out brilliantly on the pages and in readers’ hearts.”

Availability: SCC Library, Library Connections, Local Libraries, Audio and E-book.