Sarah, Plain and Tall

Sarah, Plain and Tall	HarperCollins Publishers
Written by Patricia MacLachlan	1985
Historical Fiction	58 pages
Reading Level age 9-11	Newberry Award

Summary

Anna and Caleb live on the plains with their father. Their mother died the day after giving birth to Caleb. Anna says that Mama sang everyday and Papa did too. He doesn’t sing anymore. After the work is done one day, Papa says he put an ad in the paper for help, for a wife. He shows the letter he received in answer. Her name is Sarah, she lives by the sea and has a cat named Seal. Anna and Caleb send her letters with questions about the sea and important questions: if she could cook and did she snore. Soon it came time for her to visit. She agreed to stay for a month and give her decision after that. She would be arriving by train wearing a yellow bonnet. She came and brought shells that sounded like the sea. She made dinner and cut their hair, and she sang. Papa made her a dune from hay like those by the sea. She drew pictures to send to her family, something was missing. She learned how to plow, plant roses, and play with the lambs, naming them for her three aunts. She was devastated when one was killed by wolves. She helped Papa fix the roof, just in time for a big hail storm. She asked to learn how to drive the cart into town. Caleb starts to cry, she was leaving because their house was too small and she wanted to go back to the sea. Anna was sad, she didn’t like them enough. Papa went out to work. Caleb saw someone in the cart wearing a yellow bonnet. She came back! She showed what was carefully wrapped in brown paper, colored pencils. She brought back the sea.

Reaction

I loved the book. It was short and simple but had a lot of larger concepts brought down so a child could understand them. I loved the character of Sarah how she traveled across the country to be a wife to a man she had only written letters to. I liked the quote she said to the children, I would miss you more. You always miss something no matter where you go.

Possible Problems

One of the lambs was killed by wolves and there was a storm that destroyed a crop, these scenes might be scary for younger children.

Recommendations

This could be read to introduce a pioneer unit in class. I would recommend this book to girls interested in life on the plains, it would give a hint without the major difficulties of that life.