This story is set in America during World War 1. In the story, Theodore's father and brother had to leave their home to fight in the war. Too young to join the army, Theodore had to stay at home with his mother and sister. Before going away, Theodore's father asked him to be the man of the house in his absence and Theodore was very happy to take on this very important role. Soon after, his mother and sister caught the deadly 'Spanish Flu' and became very sick. The heavy responsibility of caring for them fell on Theodore's shoulder. Not wanting to disappoint his father, Theodore did his best to make himself useful in the house and to make sure his mother and sister recover.
I picked up this book because I was attracted to the title and thought I was going to read about the adventures in the battlefield. However, I was wrong! The story is actually about how the Americans fought the 1918 'Spanish Flu' epidemic. There's not a single battlefield scene in the book. How disappointing!
It was only after reading that I realised the author titled the book 'Hero Over Here' to mean that the hero was Theodore who had painstakingly and patiently cared for his loved ones at home. So, he was the 'hero over here' at home. Whereas, his father and brother were the 'heroes over there' at the battlefield fighting the war. I should have read the title more carefully!
Anyway, the book is still a good read as I have learnt more about the 'Spanish Flu' through the story.
Daniel Lock
