Winnie's War

1918: A world war is killing the boys abroad...but at home in Coward Creek, Texas, a feared epidemic is attacking all without discrimination and Winnie is determined to save her family from contracting the deadly Spanish Influenza. Between her controlling, irritable grandmother, her silent father, her traumatized mother, and the possibility of losing her best friend, Winnie has a lot to deal with, but her courage and stubbornness serve her well in her own battle to hold her family together. Winnie's War is written in a lovely, engaging style, sharing aspects of L. M. Montgomery's or Eleanor Estes' literary qualities. Jenny Moss's portrayal of the era of the First World War was very real and engaging, and her book escaped becoming depressing as one might expect of a book about sickness and death. The plot was fairly simple and some minor secondary characters could have been more developed; however, Winnie herself is a delightful protagonist, very strong and appealing, and the more important secondary characters are unusually complex and believable.

Winnie's War is a wonderfully written novel by the fantastic author, Jenny Moss (who is also my aunt). It feels as if you are almost there in Coward Creek, living with this family of six. The mean old grandma, the mother with a sad, mysterious past, the kind father, Winnie's younger sisters, and of course Winnie herself. Though Winnie is afraid of the Spanish Influenza, she is still strong and does everything possible to protect her family and herself. As you read you get lost inside Winnie's head, forgetting your surroundings and sometimes forgetting you are even reading a book. You can't put it down until you finish the very last page!

During the Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1918, Winnie struggles to keep her family and friends safe. But how can she fight something she can't see? In this time of illness, Winnie learns tough lessons about life, death, and a mother and grandmother she never fully understood. WINNIE'S WAR kept me reading as I suffered with and cheered Winnie on. With such likeable and relatable characters, Moss pulled me effortlessly into Coward Creek, Texas, in the fall of 1918. I emotionally connected with Winnie and grew with her as she lived through a terrible time in history. Through her beautiful prose, Moss brings this little known epidemic out of the past and shares the poignant story of Winnie's life. I will definitely recommend this book to others (including a few history teachers I know), and I look forward to reading future books by Jenny Moss. Reviewed by: Joan Stradling

A beautiful coming of age story set during the 1918 influenza epidemic in the small town of Coward Creek, Texas. This book has it all--complicated, interesting characters and relationships, hefty doses of humor and sadness, a riveting plot, and a rich, finely crafted sense of time and place. Young readers will definitely find themselves rooting for Winnie as they grieve and grow with her through the lovely pages of this debut novel.

I had the good fortune to read an ARC of Winnie's War and was swept away by Jenny Moss's story of a small-town Texas girl standing up to try and protect her family from the 1918 influenza epidemic. This is the very best kind of historical fiction - full of rich characters, vividly detailed history, the suspense of a threatening pandemic, and even a touch of romance, in the form of a first-kiss scene that made me smile for weeks after I read it. Teachers, in particular, will want to snatch this one up for their classrooms and school libraries.