Plague on Both Your Houses

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In May 1918, as the Great War nears its end, the German Spring Offensive seems poised for victory, but the German Home Front is in turmoil. A severe food blockade, ineffective governance, and a potato blight leave the populace hungry and discontented. Meanwhile, rationing boosts morale in Britain just as American troops, bringing a deadly mutated flu virus, arrive in Europe. In London's East End, Mr. and Mrs. Nash remain detached from the war; he, a former villain, shelters conscientious objectors while she aids Sylvia Pankhurst in running a nursery, restaurant, and toy factory, skillfully navigating the law as an ex-Suffragette. In Berlin, a nurse, farmer, black marketer, soldier on leave, and a wealthy woman with a chauffeur are intertwined as Germany descends into starvation, retribution, and riots. The nation struggles against the British, the flu, and internal chaos. This fast-paced narrative weaves together the lives of individuals from two countries as they confront the dual crises of war and disease, highlighting personal relationships amid the larger backdrop of societal collapse.