Take a minor event in American history, add the flu epidemic 0f 1918, WWI, a new mll town in the northwest and you have the makings of a great story. Thomas Mullan has done just that in “The Last Town on Earth”. With the flu epidemic wiping out towns across America, the newly formed mill town of Commonwealth has decided to quarantine the town to keep people out so that their residents do not catch the flu. Then a soldier appears at the blockade and is killed. What happens next as Commonwealth struggles with being locked inside its own borders? Mullan has written a fascinating and touching story. ( )

I enjoy reading about events that have shaped history, especially the more tragic ones. This is what led me to pick up The Last Town on Earth. This book about the 1918 flu pandemic manages to cover a frequently sensationalized topic–pandemics in general– in a thought provoking and sensitive manner.

Thomas Mullen depicts a town in Washington that in all out effort to protect itself from the pandemic that had been sweeping the nation, shut itself off from the rest of the world. Initially the plan seems to work, but soon a solider fresh from the battlefields of World War I comes to the town and demands to be let it. This is where the basis of the conflict in the book begins as the people in the town struggle morally with their desire to save themselves and help the veteran at the same time.

“'He’s still coming,'” Philip said helplessly, trying not to panic. He hurriedly rolled up the sleeves of Graham’s coat, wondering why he felt fid-gety and nervous when Graham seemed to become even more still than usual."

Mullen manages to skillfully stitch together real events like the massacre in Everett into the background of the tale without exposing the fictional world that he has created. Despite the subject matter, the story is not depressing. Instead, it manages to instill hope that humanity will do the right thing when presented with a moral conflict. Each character seems real and and the reader can easily sympathize with the decisions that are being wrestled with and encourages the reader to mull over how they would react in a similar situation (such as the recent swine flu panic).

The only criticism I can offer is that the writing style can be difficult. This is Mullen’s first book and his lack of experience is evident. The writing can be stilted and is riddled with cliches-but not so horrible as to be a deterrent. The character development and his ability to create a intriguing story line more than make up for his lack of polish, something that could be easily fixed by a strong editor. ( )

Great idea--a town that quaratines itself during the flu outbreak of 1918. Creepy and gets to use great historical details. Held the plot and characterization together pretty well and didn't even fall apart in the end like novels almost always seem to do. The writing itself is a little awkward, though, stiff. ( )

http://thebookwormslibrary.com/?p=429... ( )

A well structured novel that unravels in details and plot with characters making complex decisions. There's much WW I, Spanish Flu and Labor history shared in this provocative story about a Washington town. For those listening, there's an excellent, detached narrator that keeps you interested. I thought this was a great audiobook, as the descriptions and dialogue are rather straightforward and easy to follow. There's plenty of suspense, though it's not genre fiction. ( )