Clara's Journal: And the Story of Two Pandemics

by Vickie Oddino

Clara’s Journal is a story of a young woman living on the Great Plains in the early 1900s, during the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic and a time of incredible importance to US history.

Eighteen-year-old Clara Mae Horen lives on a small farm near Cresbard, South Dakota, and bears witness to young friends and neighbors dying from deadly flu. Clara records these deaths and shares details of her daily life in her personal journal. All the while, the world is embroiled in World War I, the fight for women’s suffragette and the 19th Amendment, the expansion of transcontinental railroads, the implementation of the 17th Amendment, Woodrow Wilson’s League of Nations Tour, the Omaha 1919 race riots, and the conditions of Lakota Sioux on the Cheyenne River Reservation.

Using the journal of her grandaunt, Vickie Oddino weaves a fascinating story of life in the early 20th century and draws comparisons to the pandemic we are living through today. Enjoy a step back in time as we explore a community devastated by the 1918 influenza and a people who have more in common with us than we might suspect.

261 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2021

About the author

Vickie Oddino has been writing nonfiction narratives and essays since the early 2000s. This is her first full-length nonfiction book. Although she has now turned her attention to writing full time, she was an English professor for twenty-five years, teaching courses in composition, literature, journalism, and business writing. She earned her Bachelor of Journalism at the University of Missouri-Columbia and her Master of Art in English Literature at California State University-Northridge.

After raising her children in Los Angeles, she now lives in Chicago. Her daughter also in lives in Chicago and her son in Los Angeles. Her current roommate is the family dog, Captain, who the kids talked her into adopting when they were in middle school. When she isn't writing, she is exploring the city with her camera, traveling in search of adventure, or enjoying time with friends and family.
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Reviews

[Maddy Barone · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this was interesting and well written. I have always been interested in the 1918 flu pandemic. Long before Covid hit I read books and watched documentaries about that time. I think my interest stems from having had a great aunt (on my mom's side) die in 1918 of the flu. Also, my grandparents' (on my dad's side) had to postpone their wedding because of the flu. I live in North Dakota, although I grew up in Milwaukee. My mom's grandfather moved his family all over the Dakotas in the end of the 19th century through about 1920. He would stake a claim, prove up, sell it and move to another spot. In the end, he moved his family to Wisconsin where his father-in-law had settled. My grandmother had a happy but hard childhood. Homesteading from scratch was hard work, and she was doing chores by the time she was five. My family moved far away from family in Wisconsin, but I ended up living only 60 miles from one of the places my great grandfather proved up and sold. All that background was so you would understand why this book resonated with me. This could have been my own family.

Clara's journal is mostly stark. I mean the entries are often only a couple of sentences. The author fills it out and adds little tidbits about people mentioned in the diary. This is the kind of history that I love. Everyday people from obscure little places who didn't have a big impact on world history still have a story to tell. As we progressed week by week through the journal I began to feel like I knew these people. The author paints a clear picture of what life was like for Clara and her circle in 1918.

She also shows the similarities between pandemics in 1918 and 2020. And there are a good number of comparisons to be made. The world has changed so much that if Clara suddenly popped up in 2021 she would hardly recognize this world. And yet, politics and the media are not so different at heart. Human nature doesn't change.

Until Covid hit most people had never heard of the 1918 Spanish Flu. This book is an excellent way to experience 1918 through the journal of a young woman in a little town in South Dakota.

[Claudia Strickert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who would have thought we’d be in a time where we could relate to a teenaged girl living through the Spanish flu in 1918? Clara keeps a short, sometimes cryptic record of her days as she tries to maintain a normal life in the middle of a pandemic. She reports on her sewing progress, gatherings with friends and attendance at funerals in the same tone. This is where Oddino comes in to provide the context and give depth to the journal entries. The Cresbard community comes to life as we learn about the individuals and families Clara mentions as well as food, fun and daily life. The Spanish flu is no longer an event on a timeline, it’s life and death in a community of people. If we can apply this same focus to 2021 perhaps the steps forward will become clear. This is definitely worth a read!

[Jmille32 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. As with Covid-19, it took awhile to get through the book. Vickie Oddino offers a view of a simpler time yet offers examples of parallels to our modern times. “We look to the past for a reminder that not only is suffering part of the human condition but so is strength, courage and most importantly love.” So true!!

[Michelle Doyle-Coughlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was an insightful journey into Clara’s life during the days of Spanish Flu. As a history lover, I was intrigued at how the author was able to bridge the two epidemics to bring Clara’s story to life. The research done was extensive, awe-inspiring and appreciated.

[Lana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book especially grabbed me as Clara lived in Cresbard, SD, the home of my father, while writing her journal. Many familiar family names are mentioned throughout the book.