The Orphan Collector: A Heroic Novel of Survival During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic

Content Warning: This section of the guide contains discussion of illness or death, racism, and child abuse.

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Wiseman’s novel alternates between the perspectives of Pia and Bernice throughout the story. Which perspective did you find more compelling? Did your feelings about either character change as the novel progressed?

2. Wiseman uses real historical events as the basis for much of her work. How does this novel compare to Wiseman’s other historical works, such as The Life She Was Given or The Lost Girls of Willowbrook?

3. The novel delves deeply into the 1918 flu pandemic as both the setting and catalyst for its plot. What was your reaction to this context? Did you connect with the story in this context, or were there moments when it pulled you out of the narrative?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Pia’s sixth sense marks her as different from others. Have you ever possessed an intuitive ability or sensitivity that others didn’t understand or that made you feel isolated?

2. In this novel, a number of characters are forced to make difficult decisions. Which character’s decisions resonated most with you? What might you have done differently in their position?

3. Many families in the novel face separation due to circumstances beyond their control. Has your family ever experienced a significant separation, and how did that experience compare to what the characters endured?

4. Who has played a role similar to the Hudsons in your life during difficult times?

5. Have you ever carried guilt about a past action that, in retrospect, you had little control over?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The novel portrays different levels of access to healthcare during the 1918 pandemic based on socioeconomic status. What parallels do you see between this historical depiction and modern healthcare inequities?

2. Bernice justifies her kidnapping through a warped sense of patriotism and anti-immigrant sentiment. What social conditions allow such extreme nationalism to flourish, both in the novel’s setting and in contemporary society?

3. In what ways does this novel compare to other pandemic literature, such as Albert Camus’s The Plague or Katherine Anne Porter’s Pale Horse, Pale Rider?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. Discuss the way that the novel explores motherhood through its characters. How does the author use the different maternal figures to explore what constitutes motherhood?

2. Analyze the role of Pia’s sixth sense in the plot, themes, and development of her character. In what ways does Pia’s sixth sense both help and hinder her throughout the story?

3. The settings in The Orphan Collector play a large role in the thematic development of the narrative. How does the author use contrasting settings like Shunk Alley, St. Vincent’s Orphanage, and the Hudsons’ home to develop the theme of socioeconomic differences?

4. Consider the symbolism throughout the novel; for example, the ledger represents Bernice’s crimes and her inability to face them. What other symbols in the novel highlight themes of truth, deception, and accountability?

5. Bernice and Pia both experience profound loss yet respond in dramatically different ways. What does the novel suggest about how trauma shapes character and determines future actions?

6. Discuss the ways the novel grapples with the issue of cultural erasure, as with the twins’ name change. Beyond this example, what other examples of cultural erasure appear in the novel, and how do they contribute to its themes?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. Write an epilogue set 10 years after the novel’s conclusion. What do you imagine would happen to Pia, her brothers, and the other characters?

2. The novel is set during the 1918 influenza pandemic. Update it to take place during the COVID-19 pandemic that began in 2020. What would change as a result of this nearly 100-year difference? What elements of the story would remain the same? 

3. Design a memorial to honor the victims of the 1918 pandemic based on the experiences depicted in the novel. What would it look like, and what elements would you include?

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