When Winter Came

By Mary Beth Sartor Obermeyer,

Book cover of When Winter Came: A country doctor's journey to fight the flu pandemic of 1918

Book description

Maintain isolation – practice good hygiene – wear a mask – be kind. We all know these methods of fighting COVID-19, but this prescription comes from the 1918 experience of Dr. Pierre Sartor, who battled the worldwide influenza pandemic in his small town of Titonka, Iowa. 
 
Dr. Sartor wrote an…

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Why read it?

1 author picked When Winter Came as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I love immigrant stories. This story begins with a young man who trains in medical school in Chicago but longs to serve in a small town.

Dr. Pierre Sartor was new in a small Iowa town 100 years ago when the influenza pandemic broke out. He forged a partnership with what is now Mayo Clinic, which was beneficial his entire career. Dr. Sartor's box of treasures was passed to his son, who later gave it to his daughter, setting her on an exciting journey of discovery for Dr. Pierre Sartor's granddaughter.

It is an important chapter in Iowa history, medical…

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