After having thoroughly having enjoyed two previous novels by Milana Marsenich, I held my breath wondering if Beautiful Ghost would hold up. That it did. In fact, of her three published novels – this is my absolute favorite. I hadn’t expected to find a novel about the 1918 flu epidemic to be so thoroughly compelling. Having lived through—and still not come out the other side—of the recent pandemic, readers will immediately connect with the earlier crisis: lives were upended as ever increasing numbers contracted the virus, schools and businesses closed down. Both viruses sent shockwaves of fear as word of its severity spread. Our power of empathy extends easily to those who lived in Butte, Montana over a century ago – especially knowing they didn’t have access to vaccines or other effective treatments.

Readers are again transported to the American West, as they were in Milana’s earlier books. Beautiful Ghost revolves around two women whom we met and got to know in Copper Sky: Kaly Monroe and Marika Jovich. Kaly, a former prostitute, is now raising two children with help from her mother. She is married and anxiously awaiting the return of her soldier husband from overseas trenches. Marika is also married, but a woman ahead of her times, as she gets ever closer to turning her dreams of becoming a doctor into reality. While their lives are very different, these cousins are both strong-willed and big hearted. Had I not met them in Copper Sky, it still wouldn’t have taken me long to feel like they’d become dear friends in Beautiful Ghost. I found myself worrying about whether one or both of them would succumb to the flu. Marsenich invites us into their lives in her often poetic style as she tells their stories.

Also, integral to the tale, is the role of the wolf dog. He’s got his own chapters, equally both poetic as they are profound. Odors of death mix with aromas of stews, soups, and baking bread. Kaly has taken him in, though he’s really her adopted son’s dog. The wolf dog’s very real presence is at times mystical; like the two women, he symbolizes strength and compassion. When Kaly’s children fall ill with the flu, his steadfast presence is important for their healing. Wolf dog, or Andjo, as he comes to be called, is also prescient about the worsening virus: “He feels the thousand devils in the air, in the snow, on the hoof of a well-trained horse. He can’t see them. But he knows when they have passed, and he sees the trail of devastation they have left.” The wolf dog howls as he tries to keep the devil-virus at bay. When he roams the city, we see though his eyes.

What really turns the tale into a page-turner is the mystery underlying the death of Amelia, a stranger who shows up at the medical office where Marika works. At first glance, her killer appears to have the flu, but it doesn’t take Marika long to be hot on the trail of the actual cause. Amelia’s tragic tale, isn’t the only one slowly revealed, there’s also that of Beth – Kaly’s close friend who live in the Red-Light district. Despite the many losses and a resurgence of the flu, there’s reason for hope in Butte. And it’s the portrayal of tough-minded but tender-hearted women who lessen the suffering in this important tale for our own times.

You might be wondering who the beautiful ghosts are? There are a few, but I’ll keep you in suspense. Find out as you read your copy! High praise for this beautiful novel!