Sarah Plain and Tall written by Patricia MacLachlan published in 1985 and winner of the Newbery Medal in 1986 was the story I chose to read. Growing up I always enjoyed reading books on history, so this book of historical fiction seemed the perfect choice. It is a story about a family, Anna, her younger brother Caleb, and their father Jacob that live out on the prairie. Jacob puts an advertisement in the paper for a wife, after losing his wife during Caleb’s birth years before. A Jacob’s advertisement is answered and after exchanging letters with Sarah Wheaton, she decides to come to their farm. As this story unfolds you are waiting to see if Sarah will stay and become part of this family.
Characters
Sarah Wheaton is the protagonist in this story. Sarah has come to stay at the Witting’s farmer answering an advertisement that Jacob put in the newspaper for a wife and Mother. She has come to see if she can live out on the prairie with a family she…show more content… The use of flashback writing and dialogue creates a sense of drama and deeper understanding of the family’s emotions. One specific example of the dialogue having a large impact on the plot is when Maggie and Sarah sit on the porch and talk while Papa, Caleb, and Matthew begin plowing the field. Sarah expresses her longing for home, her brother, her aunts, and her garden. Maggie listens and gives Sarah a bit of wisdom that Sarah herself will repeat later, “There are always things to miss no matter where you are” (MacLachlan, 40). MacLachlan created a sentimental tone. There is a great sense of emotion throughout the story, from the flashback to the birth of Caleb and the death of the mother, to the yearning for a wife and mother, to the worry if Sarah will remain, and finally to the happiness of Sarah joining their family. All of these emotions are created to set this specific