Like the Willow Tree

I finished reading a book last night titled, "Like the Willow Tree" by Lois Lowry, a Maine author. The book is set in Portland, Maine in 1918 during the Spanish influenza. Written in 2011, the similarities between the flu spreading in our world a century ago and the coronavirus pandemic today are worth noting. Lydia, an eleven year old, and her brother, Daniel, almost fifteen, are staying home with their family because their school is closed to help stop the spread of the disease. Since they could not fall back on remote instruction, teachers were put to work in hospitals, doing whatever needed to be done. Like today, people wore face masks when venturing out in public, hospitals were overwhelmed and health care workers risked their lives to care for the sick and dying. The story begins in a very lighthearted way, with the children playing and the family enjoying meals together during this time of quarantine. Lydia's dad worked in a store and was somewhat unconvinced that shutting down many businesses, public spaces, and churches was necessary. That is, until he comes home from work for lunch one day and doesn't feel well. By the next day, he, his wife and baby are all infected with the flu. The day after that, they have all died, leaving Lydia and Daniel orphaned. The doctors would not come to the home of a victim because this flu was so contagious, so many people all over the country and the world were dying. According to Lowry, in her historical notes, "there had been 675,000 deaths in the United States, much larger numbers than those who died in World War I. The actual worldwide mortality statistics are not known, but estimates range from 50 to 100 million deaths." The children stay with their aunt, uncle and cousins for a short time at their farm in Gray, but are soon taken in by the Shakers of Sabbathday Lake. Unfamiliar with the Shakers' religious philosophy and ways of life, the children have a difficult time learning to adapt. Although Daniel has a much more difficult time, both children eventually learn the Shakers' ways and feel loved, cared for, and included. I would highly recommend "Like the Willow Tree," a very timely, heartwarming book with a rich historical backdrop, well-researched by the author.