 First hardcover edition | |
| Author | Patricia MacLachlan |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
Publication date | April 1985 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (hardback &paperback) |
| Pages | 58 |
| ISBN | 0-06-024102-0 |
| OCLC | 11372082 |
| LC Class | PZ7.M2225 Sar 1985 |
| Followed by | Skylark |
Sarah, Plain and Tall is achildren's book written byPatricia MacLachlan and the winner of the 1986Newbery Medal,[1] the 1986Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction,[2] and the 1986Golden Kite Award.[3] It explores themes of loneliness,abandonment, and coping with change.
The book was adapted as both a television film in 1991[4] and a one-act children's musical that was performedOff-Broadway in 2002.[5] It was followed by four sequels exploring the Witting family after Sarah's arrival calledSkylark,Caleb's Story,More Perfect Than the Moon, andGrandfather's Dance.[6]
The story is set in theMidwestern United States during the late 19th century. Jacob Witting, a widowed farmer who is still saddened by the death of his wife during childbirth several years before, finds that the task of taking care of his farm and two children, Anna and Caleb, is too difficult for him to handle alone. He writes an ad in the newspaper for amail-order bride. Sarah Wheaton ofMaine answers it and decides to travel to their home for a trial period of one month, in hopes of marrying Jacob.
While Anna is initially apprehensive about Sarah as she still has memories of her late mother, Caleb is excited and deeply hopes that she will stay. When she arrives, Anna notices that she is lonely and misses the sea. She is stubborn and persistent, and she gradually wins over Jacob with her insistence on learning and helping out with farm tasks. The Wittings become attached to her, even though Caleb constantly worries that their home is not enough for her and that she misses the sea. When she goes to town by wagon on her own, Anna tries to reassure Caleb that she will return, while secretly fearing that she will not. They are overjoyed when she returns by nightfall. Admitting that she misses the sea, she says that she would miss them even more if she left. Anna reveals that Jacob and Sarah are married soon afterward.
According to Rita Buchoff, a professor of Children's Literature at the University of Central Florida, the book provides readers with the opportunity to explore themes such as "issues of family life, loneliness, hardship, and acceptance of life's experiences."[7] Additionally, Martha Saxton, in a review for The New York Times, asserted that it teaches lessons about love and harmony.[8]
Patricia MacLachlan began writing the book while living in New England as she missed her home in Wyoming.[9] She was inspired to create Sarah's character by familial stories recounted by her mother during her childhood.[7] She described her writing process as taking place in her home's music room, where she worked on a typewriter, accompanied by her dogs.[9]
Following the book's release, a New York Times book review by Martha Saxton characterized it as an "exquisite, sometimes painfully touching little tale."[8] Saxton also wrote about the effect it will have on readers, stating, "The gentle book cannot fail to touch readers."[8]
Karen Cushman, acclaimed author of Newbery Medal winnersThe Midwife's Apprentice (1995) andCatherine, Called Birdy (1994), expressed in a 2010 interview on historical fiction for children that the book holds a special place as her favorite Newbery-winning one, deeming it "a nearly perfect book."[10]
In a 2022 article, Patricia MacLachlan reflected on the enduring legacy of the book, attributing its vitality to the ongoing connection with the children who continue to read it.[9] She shared that she regularly receives letters from children expressing their love for it, and some visit her home to give her drawings inspired by it, illustrating the impact it holds for them.[9]
In 1986, Patricia MacLachlan received theNewbery Medal for the book, an accolade recognizing outstanding contributions to American literature for children.[11] It also received theScott O’Dell Award for Historical Fiction and theGolden Kite Award for children's fiction both in the same year, acknowledging excellence in the realm of children's literature.[12][13] Furthermore, in 1985, it was selected as a Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC) Choices selection.[13]
The book has found application in both classroom and writing workshops. Karen Cushman, a recipient of the Newbery Medal, utilized its first page in an adult writing class, asserting that MacLachlan encapsulates "everything that you have to do in a first chapter, or in a first fifty pages" within a single page.[10]
In educational settings, the book has been chosen for read-aloud sessions by teachers for its social pragmatic purpose, content, and theme.[14] In addition, as noted by professor of children's literature Rita Buchoff, it serves as a valuable resource for addressing issues of family life, loneliness, hardship, and acceptance of life's experiences, making it a good one for teachers and parents to read to children.[7] Recognizing the need for a broader perspective, some institutions like theAmerican Library Association, suggest pairing it with contemporary works such asPrairie Lotus (2020) byLinda Sue Park orThe Many Reflections of Miss Jane Deming (2017) by J. Anderson Coats.[15] They believe that these companion reads will not only supplement potentially outdated information, limited point of view, and old-fashioned attitudes in older Newbery Medal winners, but also offer nuanced perspectives on themes like moving for a new life and harboring hope for change, that would enrich the overall reading experience of the book.[15]
The book was adapted into a 1991television film of the same name that is directed and produced byGlenn Jordan from a teleplay by MacLachlan andCarol Sobieski.[4] It starsGlenn Close andChristopher Walken, and received ninePrimetime Emmy Award nominations (winning one).
The next two books in the series,Skylark andCaleb's Story, were the basis for two more television films—Skylark andSarah, Plain and Tall: Winter's End. MacLachlan wrote them, and the same actors played the roles of Sarah, Jacob, Anna, and Caleb.[citation needed]
The book was made into a one-act children's musical and produced byTheatreWorksUSA. The score is byLaurence O'Keefe andNell Benjamin. It ran off-Broadway at theLucille Lortel Theatre during summer 2002 with a cast that included Becca Ayers as Sarah andJohn Lloyd Young as Caleb.[5] It was brought back to New York in 2004, with a sold-out three-week run off-Broadway. It also ran at the O'Neill Theater Center inWaterford, Connecticut in August 2003, with direction by Joe Calarco and featuringKaitlin Hopkins.[16]
Sarah, Plain and Tall is the first book in Patricia MacLachlan's five-book series. The books that follow are:[17]
| Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Newbery Medal recipient 1986 | Succeeded by |
