Book cover of When Winter Came: A country doctor's journey to fight the flu pandemic of 1918

Book description

Maintain isolation – practice good hygiene – wear a mask – be kind. We all know these methods of fighting COVID-19, but this prescription comes from the 1918 experience of Dr. Pierre Sartor, who battled the worldwide influenza pandemic in his small town of Titonka, Iowa. 
 
Dr. Sartor wrote…

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Why read it?

1 author picked When Winter Came as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I love immigrant stories. This story begins with a young man who trains in medical school in Chicago but longs to serve in a small town.

Dr. Pierre Sartor was new in a small Iowa town 100 years ago when the influenza pandemic broke out. He forged a partnership with what is now Mayo Clinic, which was beneficial his entire career. Dr. Sartor's box of treasures was passed to his son, who later gave it to his daughter, setting her on an exciting journey of discovery for Dr. Pierre Sartor's granddaughter.

It is an important chapter in Iowa history, medical…

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December on 5C4 by Adam Strassberg,

Magical realism meets the magic of Christmas in this mix of Jewish, New Testament, and Santa stories–all reenacted in an urban psychiatric hospital!

On locked ward 5C4, Josh, a patient with many similarities to Jesus, is hospitalized concurrently with Nick, a patient with many similarities to Santa. The two argue…

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