Sarah, Plain and Tall

Tuesday, November 25, 2014

 
Sarah, Plain and Tall
by Patricia Maclachlan
★★★★★

Caleb and Anna are two young children living with their father in the middle of prairie land in the late 1800s. It’s been years since their mother passed away and they see their father Jake’s loneliness every day. He decides to advertise for a wife and receives a reply from a woman is Maine. She describes herself as “plain and tall” and decides to visit them on a trial basis. 

Sarah plain and tall was a beautiful reminder that the story is not dependent upon at length. In just over 50 pages the author pulls you in, you need to motherless children you feel their loneliness and their desperation for someone to complete their family. With very few words we get to know their father and the tenderness that he has just below the surface. Then we meet Sarah and with her strength and her memories of the sea we fall in love with her along with the children and Jake up and we wonder will she stay?

BOTTOM LINE: Just a beautiful story, crafted to give a glimpse into history while delivering an emotion punch.

p.s. Did anyone else watch the 1991 Hallmark movie version of this with Glenn Close and Christopher Walken? I loved those movies!

5 comments:

Alex (The Sleepless Reader) said...

This seems like the perfect story (and movie) for a cozy winter afternoon :)

*ೃ༄ Jillian said...

I love these books, & the movies! xx

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

Alex - It really is just lovely!

Marianne - Me too! I can't believe I waited so long to read the book.

Trisha said...

I remember loving this when I was in grade school. I will have to re-read it.

Melissa (Avid Reader) said...

Trisha - I can't believe I hadn't read it before!