1918 was already unspeakably horrible for millions of people across the globe. It was the third year of "The Great War," or World War I. Then the "Spanish flu" attacked everyone, everywhere. It was relentless against people of all creeds, colors, and classes. In 2020, as the Covid-19 pandemic and its responses have caused immense hardship and anxiety across the world, many people have said our current pandemic is the worst society has seen since the 1918 Spanish Flu.How bad was it back then? What was life like for people in the cities? In small towns? In farming villages?This book is a collection of short stories - true stories - of life, of love, of loss, and of hope in the Spanish flu pandemic of 1918.There is a story of resourcefulness from Oregon, where families hung bedsheets between rooms in their homes to create quarantine spaces within their own families.Read a story of overcoming adversity from a woman who lived through the Spanish flu along with cancer, miscarriages, and family deaths.Read a story of generosity from Nurse Connor, a school nurse in Wisconsin who made over 1,200 home visits during the pandemic in addition to her school duties.Picture a story of persistence and positive attitude from over 6,000 people quarantined on Yerba Buena Island across from San Francisco. For 62 days of absolute isolation, they used impromptu music festivals and a carnival to pass the time while they sheltered themselves from the horror and death happening across the bay.Celebrate a story of collaboration from English and African medical leaders in colonial Nigeria who came together to produce pandemic health guidelines in two languages so that everyone - white or black - could be informed and protected.Admire a story of inspiration from the Sisters of Philadelphia: 2,000 nuns who left the sanctuary of their churches to become nurses and caregivers throughout the neighborhoods of Philadelphia.Read a story of turning temporary adversity into a permanent benefit from the farms of Africa. Faster growing and more resilient corn was created to counteract the famine that was another consequence of the 1918 pandemic.Reflect on the story of Reverend McCaw in a harbour town of New Zealand. He had to preside over 10 or more funerals every day, wondering if his wife or children might be among them. Through it all, he kept his hope, his humanity, and his faith.If you are looking for peace, perspective, strength, and inspiration during our difficult times of the COVID-19 pandemic, these true stories from the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918 have been especially selected and thoughtfully retold for you here. These emotional stories are supplemented with dramatic historic photos from the 1918 pandemic. You will also be comforted and inspired by quotes of wisdom from people such as Martin Luther King Jr., Helen Keller, John F. Kennedy, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and others. If you are seeking a comforting distraction from the world today, this collection of short stories from 100 years ago will take you to a world you likely never knew existed. It is our hope and belief that after you have immersed yourself in these stories, you will be a better person to face our world today.