A Far Different Path

Book excerpt: Leaving home for the first time, 22-year old Lucile Ball accepts a teaching position in Michigan's rugged Upper Peninsula, awaiting her fiancé's return from the Great War. Initially thrilled by her newfound independence, Lucile's world unravels when letters sent to her beloved Howard begin coming back unopened--the word WOUNDED stamped across his name--just as the deadly influenza epidemic, that's rounding the globe, strikes. Unlike any virus ever seen, the so-called "Spanish Lady" brings heathy adults to the brink of death in mere hours. When others are too afraid to step forward, Lucile volunteers to care for its victims. Helpless and alone, she watches as the stack of letters grows higher, afraid that she and her dreams for the future may never survive. Based on a true story, A Far Different Path transports and inspires readers as it explores one woman's brave journey through a life that veers off course in unexpected ways. This detailed and shocking account of the influenza epidemic, which killed over 50 million people worldwide, will linger long after Lucile's own story ends.