Reviews - Sarah, Plain and Tall

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan

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In the midwestern United States in the late 19th century, Anna and Caleb live with their widowed father who, though still grieving the loss of his wife many years earlier, has decided his children need a mother and writes a newspaper ad for a mail-order bride. He receives a response from Sarah, a woman from Maine, who comes to the farm to spend time with the family before deciding whether or not to make the move a permanent one. Caleb and Anna quickly warm to this strong, kind woman, who delights them with her stories of the sea and astonishes them with her persistence and brazenness. Still, they are afraid of growing too attached to this woman whom they want to be their mother, but who may soon move on from their lives.

This short book offers young readers a vivid portrait of the sometimes-brutal but occasionally-beautiful world of prairie life more than a century ago. It’s a different time and place, but the emotions of longing, uncertainty, and bittersweetness are timeless. It is a quiet story with much to discuss regarding family, loss, belonging, and kindness. It pairs well with Laura Ingalls’ Wilder’s books, which offer a different example of family life in a similar time and place.

My Rating: 4 Stars // Book Format: Print // Charleston’s Rating: 3.25 Stars