Like the Willow Tree: The Diary of Lydia Amelia Pierce, Portland, Maine, 1918 (Dear America) in Mock Newbery 2026

Nov 28, 2010 Mary Ann rated it liked it

Shelves: 4th, historical-fiction, 5th

Lowry writes a new entry in the freshly re-launched Dear America series of historical fiction written in diary format. Lydia Pierce is an eleven year old schoolgirl in Portland, Maine when her world is suddenly shaken by the influenza epidemic. Within a matter of days, her parents and baby sister have died, leaving Lydia and her older brother orphans. Their uncle briefly takes them in, but soon realizes that he cannot afford to keep the pair. With some sadness, this uncle takes Lydia and her bro ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 23, 2011 Shazzer rated it really liked it

Shelves: middle-grade, 2011-middle-grade

As posted on Outside of a Dog:

Confession time. Until recently, I had never read any of the titles in the Dear America series. Originally published from 1996 to 2004, they were simply after my time of middle grade reading, and before my time as a children's bookseller and librarian. It's only now that the series was re-launched in 2010 that they've really come onto my radar, and only when presented with a new title written by Lois Lowry did I make an attempt at reading one. Lowry's new book, Like As posted on Outside of a Dog:

Confession time. Until recently, I had never read any of the titles in the Dear America series. Originally published from 1996 to 2004, they were simply after my time of middle grade reading, and before my time as a children's bookseller and librarian. It's only now that the series was re-launched in 2010 that they've really come onto my radar, and only when presented with a new title written by Lois Lowry did I make an attempt at reading one. Lowry's new book, Like the Willow Tree: The Diary of Lydia Amelia Pierce is the newest title in the Dear America series, but it is much more than just another title in a bunch.

Lydia Pierce thinks herself to be quite ordinary. She lives with her parents, her older brother Daniel and her baby sister Lucy in Portland, Maine, and in the year 1918, she turns eleven. 1918 is also the year of the great Spanish Influenza epidemic, which claims the lives of Lydia's mother, father and sister, in the course of one short week. Now orphans, Lydia and her brother go to live with their Uncle Henry and his family, but life there is crowded and unwelcoming, and they are soon moved again, this time to Sabbathday Lake, a nearby Shaker community. It is here that Lydia must learn a new way of living, so different from her old life. On her first day, two of her prized possessions, her copy of The Secret Garden and her grandmother's opal ring, are taken away from her (because the Shakers do not ornament themselves, and believe in communal property). As a Shaker, Lydia must work, doing laundry, helping in the kitchen, knitting (which she hates) and making candy (which she can't wait to do). But there is also school and play, and new friends made, including the cheerful Grace, who talks of one day leaving the Sabbathday Lake, marrying and having a family. Over time, Lydia becomes accustomed to her new life, but brother Daniel does not, and one day he runs away, leaving Lydia with nothing but worry and the loss of the last ties to her old family life.

Though she begins her diary as many typical eleven year olds would, with the sentence "I am desolate", there is a gentleness that comes to Lydia's narrative that inspired from her time living among the Shakers. Lowry does a wonderful job of infusing the diary with the peace Lydia finds there. This is achieved partly by the addition of several Shaker hymns, which add solemnity, but not heaviness. I found Lydia's transformation as she eased into her hardworking, simplified Shaker life to be a breath of fresh air after the weighty gulp that was her earlier confession: "I have not written for eight days. What could I write? Father is dead. Mother is dead. My baby sister, Lucy, is dead." I, who had forgotten what the novel was about, felt a good punch of shock at these words. In some ways, the diary format was limiting, and I wish I could have known more about Lydia's brother, Daniel, instead of only knowing what Lydia knows and thinking what she thinks. But that would have been a book for another day, I suppose.

After this first foray into the pool of Dear America titles, I'm sure I'll find more to interest me, and more authors who have supplied books for the series to entice me (I know Karen Hesse wrote at least one). I don’t know what to expect from the rest, but if they’re anything along the lines of Like the Willow Tree I’ll be satisfied. Because Lowry, after all these years, still has the power to surprise me, and that’s a wonderful thing
...more

Like · see review

Apr 27, 2011 sharon rated it really liked it

Shelves: listened-to-for-ncr

I'm not usually a fan of the Dear America books, but I do like Lois Lowry and thought this audiobook was engaging and enjoyable. It's weird to be reviewing audiobooks as I was never a big listener. But there'll be A LOT of them over the next 2 years while I'm on the Notable Children's Recordings Committee! ...more

Like · see review

May 24, 2011 Barbara rated it liked it

Shelves: ncbla

I like learning more about this particular life style and what often happened to children whose parents could no longer take care of them, but this diary didn't speak to me the way that some of the other titles in this series have. I'd have liked to read more about why Lydia ends up making the choices she does. While some of that motivation is provided, I was curious to know more. ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Aug 01, 2014 Shannon rated it liked it

Shelves: 2014

Flu epidemic and Shakers? Sounds like the novel for me! Yessss.

Like · see review

Sep 09, 2010 Ellie rated it really liked it

Shelves: school-age, historical, girls, diary

Nice story about America in the 19-teens addressing the Spanish Influeza epidemic and Shakers. Both are interesting topics I don't know very much about, but Lowry really did her research with the Shakers and it's evident in her writing. As usual, her style is lovely and accessible. ...more

Like · see review