Sarah, Plain and Tall
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| Sarah, Plain and Tall | |
| Author | Patricia MacLachlan |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | Children's novel |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Publication date | 1985 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-06-024102-0 |
| Followed by | Skylark |
Sarah, Plain and Tall is a children's book written by Patricia MacLachlan, and the winner of the 1986 Newbery Medal. The book explores themes of loneliness and abandonment.
The novel is set in the midwestern United States (Kansas) during the late 19th century. Jacob Witting, a widowed farmer who is still saddened by the death of his wife several years earlier, finds that the task of taking care of his farm and two children, Anna and Caleb, is too difficult to handle alone. He writes an ad in the newspaper for a mail-order bride. Sarah, from Maine, answers his ad and travels out to become his wife. But Sarah grows homesick: miles and miles of Kansas farmland prove no substitute for Maine's ocean vistas. When Sarah leaves for a trip into town, the kids wonder if she will come back. She does and Jacob and Sarah get married.
The novel and its sequel Skylark were the basis for three television movies (Sarah, Plain and Tall; Skylark; and Winter's End), starring Glenn Close and Christopher Walken, and has also been referenced on the animated television series The Simpsons in the episode called "Bart's Girlfriend".
| Preceded by The Hero and the Crown |
Newbery Medal recipient 1986 |
Succeeded by The Whipping Boy |
