Helpful Score: 1
William Maxwell made his reputation as an editor at the influential New Yorker magazine, but he was a master stylist in his own right. They Came like Swallows, one of his best books, may have been occasioned by the death of his mother during the Great Flue Epidemic after World War I. In this short novel, lovely portraits are presented for each member of this family, living in the Midwest in the late 19-teens The flu is initially in the background as it strikes other families, but as it hits this family and the young mother dies, the impact on each of the survivors is painfully etched. One of the finest novels written in 1937. Four stars? I know too many people who have read it, and blown away by his exquisite style, cannot handle the depth of the tragedy depicted therein. An unforgettable read.
