"The Lola Quartet" writer Mandel tells the story of life before and after a flu pandemic. Scenarios include a famous actor who navigates a romance, an EMT who watches the world fall apart during the sickness, and an actress who works in a traveling theater group post-flu. "It's kind of touching because it's also about what survives – music and plays," says Nelson said of the section of the book that occurs after the pandemic.
