Sarah, Plain and Tall

Sarah, Plain and Tall is written by Patricia MachLachlan and is a Newberry Medal winner in 1986.

MacLachlan, P. (1985).  Sarah, Plain and Tall. New York: HarperTrophy.

Exposition:
The story is set in Kansas in the year 1910. The main characters are Jacob Witting (the dad), Anna and Caleb Witting (the children), and Sarah Wheaton.

Conflict:
Jacob decides he cannot handle raising his children on his own and gets a mail-order bride, Sarah Wheaton, from Maine.

Rising Action:
Sarah arrives in Kansas and is very homesick and tries to win the children over as she battles with adjusting to farm life.

Climax:
Sarah leaves to go to town, not telling the Wittings what she is going for. They wonder if she will return.

Falling Action:
Sarah returns home to the farm with a package. She has brought the “sea” to the farm by way of colored pencils to make a picture.

Resolution:

Sarah says she wants to stay because she would miss the family more than she misses home now. Her and Jacob will get married in the near future.

Literary Qualities:

There is a great deal of character dialogue in the novel. The reader does not have to “guess” what is going on with the characters, it is clearly stated. The element of unexpected insight is a major theme in this storyline. Readers are accustomed to the “boy meets girl and falls in love” norm, which is a far cry from mail-order bride business transaction depicted in Sarah, Plain and Tall.