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

After Pia’s arm is set, Mother Joe asks her what happened. Pia assures her that the boys she was talking to did not harm her and that she was asking them about Finn. Pia asks Mother Joe what happened to Finn, but Mother Joe says that it is not Pia’s concern. Pia reminds her of her promise to release her, but Mother Joe coldly explains that Pia cannot leave with a broken arm. Devasted, Pia can’t help but think that Finn escaped without her.

After Pia’s arm heals, Mother Joe calls her to her office with news: Pia will leave this afternoon to work in the home of Dr. and Mrs. Hudson in exchange for room and board. Mother Joe explains that living with the Hudsons will keep Pia in the city. If Pia declines, she will be sent to Kansas with a few of the other girls. Pia eventually agrees, and Mother Joe reminds her to be on her best behavior; if the Hudsons send her away, she will not return to St. Vincent’s but instead go to the “almshouse” (usually a place that provided housing and care for unhoused or impoverished individuals) or the psychiatric hospital.

On her way to the Hudsons’ house, Pia is happy to be out of the orphanage but also filled with fear and heartache. Pia worries about how she will explain herself to a doctor if she senses the children are hurt or sick.

Pia arrives and is escorted to the door by Miss O’Malley. The house is large and ornate, with a manicured lawn and a sign hanging on the front door that reads, “No Visitors” (233). Dr. Hudson opens the door and welcomes Pia inside while dismissing Miss O’Malley; they are being cautious about the flu. Mrs. Hudson seems surprised to see Pia, but Dr. Hudson explains that they have needed help since Leo, their youngest child, was born two months ago. Pia feels out of place and dirty, but Mrs. Hudson is kind and welcoming.

Pia continues to marvel at the beautiful home. Mrs. Hudson asks about her family, and Pia explains that her mother died from the flu and that her father is fighting in the war. Mrs. Hudson is sympathetic but moves the conversation forward, explaining they have been very careful with visitors to avoid the flu. They follow a strict list of precautions.

Mrs. Hudson gives Pia a tour of the home, showing Pia her own room, bringing old clothes for Pia to wear (which are like nothing Pia had ever worn before, as they fit perfectly, don’t itch, and are beautiful), and drawing a hot bath for Pia. Pia then meets the rest of the children: 22-month-old Elizabeth, 3-year-old Sophie, and 4-year-old Margaret, the eldest. While Mrs. Hudson makes Pia something to eat, Pia holds Leo, who she thinks doesn’t feel as strong as he should.

Dr. Hudson explains that the third wave of the flu is spreading and that the family needs to take many precautions, including staying inside the house. Pia is disappointed that she must stay inside and feels overwhelmed by having her own room, new clothes, and abundant food. She thinks of her brothers, who have never known this kind of luxury, and tells Mrs. Hudson she doesn’t deserve these gifts. Mrs. Hudson disagrees. That night, Pia is nervous to learn the nighttime routine, as she will have to touch the children. Luckily, the three girls are healthy and strong, but Pia continues to worry about Leo.

As she settles into her routine, Pia tries to figure out what is wrong with Leo. She feels weakness in the legs and some shakiness, but he acts completely fine. One day, she wakes Leo and notices that he feels worse. Unsure what to do, she decides to tell Dr. and Mrs. Hudson. The couple, worried, take Leo to Dr. Hudson’s examination room while Pia gets the girls ready. When they come downstairs, Dr. and Mrs. Hudson have returned with Leo, who seems normal. Pia is worrIed that they will be angry with her for panicking them unnecessarily. Mrs. Hudson assures Pia that Leo is all right and that she is happy Pia is keeping such a close eye on her children.

That night, Pia wakes to Mrs. Hudson’s screams; she has found Leo dead in his crib. In the morning, the family hangs white ribbons from the doors, covers all the mirrors, and stops the clocks. They don’t hold a public wake—Dr. and Mrs. Hudson worry someone would bring the flu in—but they still hold a small ceremony with the family. The wake is the first time Pia has seen Mrs. Hudson out of bed since her son’s death. Pia remembers the sight of Mrs. Hudson lying with her son’s body on her bed the night she found him. Dr. Hudson asked Pia how she knew something was wrong with Leo, and she had a hard time explaining herself. She admitted that she could feel it when she touched him. Dr. Hudson had heard of situations like this and asked if this had ever happened before. Pia admitted that it had. To prove it, she touched Dr. Hudson’s hand and felt that he was suffering from pain while urinating. Shocked, he confirmed that he had a urinary tract infection. He wished he had known about Pia’s ability sooner but promised to believe her anytime she suspected something was wrong with one of the children.

At the wake, Mrs. Hudson questions Pia about Leo, but Dr. Hudson stands up for her. Mrs. Hudson apologizes and says she knows Leo’s death was not anyone’s fault; as his mother, however, she feels she should have known something was wrong and done more.

Five days after the family buries Leo in the backyard, Mrs. Hudson emerges from her room. The children and Pia are happy to see her. While they are having breakfast, the doorbell rings. Mrs. Hudson asks Pia to send whoever it is away. To Pia’s surprise, it is Nurse Wallis. Nurse Wallis is there to help Mrs. Hudson in her grief; she says Dr. Hudson sent her. Pia doesn’t want to let her in but believes Nurse Wallis’s story.

Nurse Wallis returns each of the next four days to talk to Mrs. Hudson, bonding with her by sharing that she also lost her son. On the fourth visit, Pia sneaks into Nurse Wallis’s medical bag. From the side pocket, she pulls out a ledger and three $10 bills. While trying to put the money back, the ledger slips from her hand and falls on the floor. Nurse Wallis and Mrs. Hudson hear the noise and come to investigate. Pia explains that she dropped something in the pantry. Mrs. Hudson accepts this, but Nurse Wallis looks at her skeptically and notices her ledger almost falling out of the bag. Pia wonders what a nurse is doing with all that money.

The next day, Nurse Wallis returns with a baby who needs a home; she claims adopting the baby will help Mrs. Hudson’s grief. Mrs. Hudson begs her to take the baby away, but Nurse Wallis says she doesn’t know what will happen to him since the orphanages are full. Nurse Wallis continues to pressure Mrs. Hudson until she relents and takes the baby.

Later that day, Mrs. Hudson enters the playroom and tells the children that they will watch the baby for a few days. The children are excited to have a baby back in the house. Mrs. Hudson asks Pia how the baby feels to her, and Pia answers that he is healthy. Mrs. Hudson then asks Pia to put him down for a nap in Leo’s bed. She hesitantly agrees, and Mrs. Hudson asks Pia to prepare dinner so she can talk to Dr. Hudson. Later, Pia finds Dr. Hudson watching his wife and crying as she sleeps with the new baby.

Nurse Wallis fails to show up for her scheduled visit, and Mrs. Hudson becomes anxious that she will never come. Two days later, Nurse Wallis returns and explains that her search to find someone else to take the baby has failed. She says that staying with the Hudsons would be best for him. Dr. Hudson leaves the decision to his wife, who decides to keep the baby.

Dr. and Mrs. Hudson name the baby Cooper Lee. He is strong and healthy and raises Mrs. Hudson’s spirits. Having Cooper in the house gives Pia hope that Ollie and Max are still alive and that someone is taking care of them.

One day, Pia notices that Elizabeth has a throbbing ear and jaw. She goes to tell Mrs. Hudson but hears Nurse Wallis downstairs. Mrs. Hudson hands Nurse Wallis money but says that Dr. Hudson cannot know about this. She is angry that Nurse Wallis didn’t tell her about the donation sooner and believes Nurse Wallis is being manipulative. Elizabeth shouts for her mother, and Mrs. Hudson directs Pia to approach. Nurse Wallis accuses her of eavesdropping, and Mrs. Hudson stands up for Pia. Pia explains that she was bringing Elizabeth to see her mother and that Elizabeth’s ear is bothering her. Angrily, Nurse Wallis asks if Mrs. Hudson is going to believe “this lying German’s word over [Nurse Wallis’s]?” (297). Confused, Mrs. Hudson questions Nurse Wallis about why she knows so much about Pia and why she pretended not to know her.

Frustrated, Nurse Wallis accuses Pia of trying to steal from her. Pia says she was only trying to read the ledger to see if it contained information about her missing brothers. Mrs. Hudson is sympathetic and asks Nurse Wallis if she can help Pia. Nurse Wallis asks Pia why her brothers weren’t with her at St. Vincent’s, and Pia worries that she will have to tell Mrs. Hudson that she left them at home. Nurse Wallis refuses to help, but Pia begs her for information. Nurse Wallis retorts, “[I]f your brothers are anything like you, it’s just further proof that the world is better off without more Germans, anyways” (300). Mrs. Hudson agrees to pay the money she owes Nurse Wallis but says she will not allow her to speak to Pia in that way. After Mrs. Hudson wishes Nurse Wallis a good day, Elizabeth begins to cough. They rush her to Dr. Hudson’s exam room, and he diagnoses her with a double ear infection and a chest cold.

A few days later, Mrs. Hudson asks Pia for the truth about her family and brothers. Pia reveals how she left her brothers and explains that she was worried that they would send her away if they knew the truth. Pia also tells her about her suspicion of Nurse Wallis: She thinks Nurse Wallis is selling babies. Mrs. Hudson agrees to tell Dr. Hudson in hopes that he can learn more. Pia asks if the Hudsons would take her to her family’s old apartment to see if her father is there. Mrs. Hudson agrees.

Dr. Hudson cannot find any information on Nurse Wallis. There is no way to know if she works for a hospital since so many women have become nurses during the epidemic. He also hasn’t learned anything about Pia’s brothers: It has been difficult to keep records on all the missing or orphaned children.

Two days later, a young woman named Rebecca appears on the Hudsons’ doorstep explaining that Mother Joe sent her to help with the housework. Mrs. Hudson says that they did not send for her, but after Rebecca begs for a job, Mrs. Hudson gives her work doing the laundry. The next morning, Rebecca arrives for her first day of work. While waking Cooper, Pia finds a rattle in his crib that looks just like one that she left with her brothers in the cubby. It has a small “M” carved into the bottom of the handle. Unsure if it is her brother’s rattle, she returns downstairs. Rebecca meets the children but is especially interested in Cooper. Mrs. Hudson asks her not to interact with the children since her position is in the laundry. Looking disappointed, Rebecca agrees.

Later that day, Pia asks Mrs. Hudson about the rattle. Mrs. Hudson explains that it was in a package that Rebecca found on the steps yesterday. She assumed that it was from Cooper’s mother, but Pia reminds her that if Nurse Wallis is selling children, then no one would have known where to send it. Pia explains that the rattle looks just like one that her father made for her brothers. Shocked, Mrs. Hudson suggests that they tell Dr. Hudson. Mrs. Hudson also asks Rebecca about the package, but she doesn’t know anything. Mrs. Hudson then asks her to watch the childrenhilele Pia and she go to her husband‘s office. After hearing everything, Dr. Hudson says that Nurse Wallis is most likely taking children from the orphanages since no kidnappings have been reported. However, there is no way to track the package, and they don’t have the wrapping anymore.

When Mrs. Hudson and Pia return to the kitchen, the children are standing on the table playing with their food, and Cooper is missing. Margaret points upstairs and said Rebecca needed to change Cooper. Mrs. Hudson and Pia rush upstairs to find Rebecca nursing Cooper and crying. Mrs. Hudson rips Cooper from her hands, and Rebecca apologizes, explaining that her child died and she couldn’t help herself. Mrs. Hudson kicks her out.

The next Sunday, after flu cases have dropped, Dr. Hudson agrees to take Pia back to her old home in Shunk Alley. For a moment, Pia remembers life before the flu and is filled with heartache and grief. At the apartment, the new family greets her, and Pia notices the stark differences between the shabby apartment and the Hudsons’ luxurious house. The occupants of the apartment hand Pia a note that explains her father died in battle on October 9, 1918.