Sarah, Plain and Tall facts for kids
First hardcover edition
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| Author | Patricia MacLachlan |
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| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
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Publication date
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April 1985 |
| 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 a famous children's book by Patricia MacLachlan. It won several big awards in 1986, like the Newbery Medal, the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction, and the Golden Kite Award. The story looks at feelings like loneliness, dealing with big changes, and finding a new family.
This book was also made into a TV movie in 1991 and a children's musical in 2002. It's the first of five books about the Witting family after Sarah joins them. The other books are Skylark, Caleb's Story, More Perfect Than the Moon, and Grandfather's Dance.
Contents
What's the Story About?
The story takes place in the Midwestern United States in the late 1800s. Jacob Witting is a farmer who lost his wife a few years ago. He has two children, Anna and Caleb. It's hard for him to run the farm and raise his kids all by himself.
So, Jacob puts an ad in the newspaper looking for a wife. A woman named Sarah Wheaton from Maine answers his ad. She decides to come live with them for one month to see if she and Jacob might get married.
Anna remembers her mother and is a bit unsure about Sarah at first. But Caleb is very excited and hopes Sarah will stay. When Sarah arrives, Anna notices that Sarah misses her home by the sea. Sarah is strong-willed and helpful. She slowly wins over Jacob by learning about farm work and helping out.
The Witting family starts to really like Sarah. Caleb often worries that their farm isn't enough for her and that she misses the ocean too much. One day, Sarah goes to town alone in a wagon. Anna tries to tell Caleb that Sarah will come back, but secretly, she's worried too. They are so happy when Sarah returns that evening. Sarah admits she misses the sea, but says she would miss them even more if she left. Soon after, Anna shares the happy news that Jacob and Sarah are married.
Meet the Characters
- Sarah Wheaton: She is a young woman from Maine. After her brother gets married, she decides to answer Jacob's ad. She falls in love with the Witting family and stays on their farm.
- Anna Witting: She is Caleb's older sister and Jacob's daughter. Anna is also the person who tells the story.
- Caleb Witting: He is Anna's younger brother and Jacob's son. His mother passed away soon after he was born.
- Jacob Witting: He is a farmer and a widower. He lives in the Midwest with his two children, Anna and Caleb.
- Matthew: He is the Wittings' neighbor. He also found his wife, Maggie, through a newspaper ad.
- Maggie: She is Matthew's wife and becomes a good friend to Sarah.
Important Ideas in the Book
This book helps readers think about many important ideas. It explores what family life is like, how people deal with loneliness, and how to accept changes in life. It also teaches lessons about love and how people can live together happily.
How the Book Was Made
Patricia MacLachlan started writing Sarah, Plain and Tall when she lived in New England. She missed her old home in Wyoming. Her mother used to tell her family stories when she was a child, and these stories helped her create the character of Sarah. MacLachlan wrote the book in her music room, using a typewriter, with her dogs nearby.
Movies and Plays Based on the Book
Film Versions
The book was made into a TV movie in 1991. Glenn Jordan directed and produced it, and Patricia MacLachlan helped write the script. Glenn Close and Christopher Walken starred in the movie. It was nominated for nine Primetime Emmy Awards and won one!
The next two books in the series, Skylark and Caleb's Story, were also made into TV movies. These were called Skylark and Sarah, Plain and Tall: Winter's End. Patricia MacLachlan wrote the scripts for these too. The same actors played Sarah, Jacob, Anna, and Caleb in all the movies.
Stage Musical
Sarah, Plain and Tall was also turned into a one-act children's musical. TheatreWorksUSA produced it. The music was written by Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin. It played Off-Broadway in New York City in the summer of 2002. It came back to New York in 2004 and had a very popular three-week run.
What Happens Next? The Sequels
Sarah, Plain and Tall is the first book in a series of five books by Patricia MacLachlan. Here are the other books in the series:
- Skylark (1994): In this book, the prairie where the Wittings live is very dry. Sarah takes Anna and Caleb to her home in Maine to stay safe from the drought.
- Caleb's Story (2001): Caleb tells this story. Jacob's father comes back, and Sarah has a baby girl named Cassie. Anna gets a job in town, and Caleb has to write down the family's history in a journal.
- More Perfect than the Moon (2004): In this book, Cassie writes about her life on the farm. Sarah becomes pregnant again, and Cassie has to deal with her feelings about having a new baby in the family.
- Grandfather's Dance (2006): Cassie tells the story in this last book. Sarah helps Anna plan her wedding to Justin. Cassie becomes very close with her new baby brother, Jack. The series ends with Anna and Justin's wedding, which reminds everyone of Sarah and Jacob's wedding.
