The Deadly Flu

Part of the 'My Story' series, the novel is set in Melbourne, Australia, in 1919. Charlotte McKenzie, whose father has returned from WWI a changed man, begins assisting a local doctor. When the Spanish Flu arrives, she is thrust into the front lines of medical care. The story documents the rapid spread of the disease, the makeshift hospitals, and Charlotte's personal struggle as her brother and father fall ill. SENSITIVE TOPICS: The book deals directly and realistically with death and illness. The approach is secular and grounded in historical fact. The resolution is realistic: not everyone survives, but Charlotte finds a sense of purpose and a path toward her future. EMOTIONAL ARC: It begins with a sense of lingering post-war unease and builds into a high-stakes medical crisis. The middle is heavy with loss and exhaustion, but it ends on a note of survivor's resilience and vocational discovery. IDEAL READER: A 12-year-old history buff who is interested in medicine or nursing, or a child who has recently experienced a community-wide crisis and wants to see how others in history have navigated similar fears. PARENT TRIGGER: A parent might choose this after their child asks difficult questions about why people get sick or after a family loss where the child is struggling to see the 'helpers' in the situation. PARENT PREP: Parents should be aware that the book describes the physical symptoms of the flu and the reality of morgues and funerals. It is best read with some prior knowledge of WWI and the 1918-1919 pandemic. AGE EXPERIENCE: Younger readers (10) will focus on Charlotte's bravery and the scary nature of the germs, while older readers (13-14) will better grasp the social impacts and the psychological toll of the war on the characters. DIFFERENTIATOR: Greenwood balances the clinical reality of the pandemic with a very human, domestic perspective, making the medical history feel urgent rather than academic.