In the Shadow of Blackbirds

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In San Diego in 1918, as deadly influenza and World War I take their toll, sixteen-year-old Mary Shelley Black watches desperate mourners flock to séances and spirit photographers for comfort and, despite her scientific leanings, must consider if ghosts are real when her first love, killed in battle, returns.

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Historical ghost story submitted by klickitat on August 4, 2013, 10:59pm Teens who love historical fiction and ghost stories will enjoy this, although the historical accuracy is sketchy. Nice use of archival posters and photographs throughout.

If you want to learn more about the 1918 - 1919 influenza epidemic in the U.S., check out: http://www.influenzaarchive.org

If you liked this book, try Adele Griffin's Picture the Dead: http://www.aadl.org/catalog/record/1365631

Complex submitted by octavia on June 13, 2014, 7:18pm It was amazingly complex, which I love in books. It's about war and death and sickness, it doesn't sugarcoat anything. If you haven't read this, you definitely need to.

A fascinating time period, a great story submitted by queenbunny on June 21, 2017, 7:43pm It's a ghost story, a mystery, a touch of horror, and historical fiction wrapped around a story about young woman who is struggling with loss. I felt like this gave me an interesting peek into life in 1918, where a deadly influenza epidemic swept the nation, contributing to the rise in popularity of spiritualism.