≫ Download Free A Lantern in Her Hand Puffin Classics Bess Streeter Aldrich Books

A Lantern in Her Hand Puffin Classics Bess Streeter Aldrich Books

Download As PDF : A Lantern in Her Hand Puffin Classics Bess Streeter Aldrich Books

A Lantern in Her Hand Puffin Classics Bess Streeter Aldrich Books

This is the story of a young girl who dreamed big dreams and had great hopes of her life. Instead of her life fulfilling her dreams, however, she spent her days baking bread, piecing quilts, and taking care of children. Her children eventually accomplished the great things Abbie had hoped to do, but they seemed to care little for the life Abbie herself had led. It was a disappointing book for me, but it aptly brought to life the hopes and dreams of a young girl, and how real life prevents her from living her dreams. It did inspire me to analyze my dreams, to see if they are realistic, and to consider whether God might have other plans. Good dreams may need to be exchanged for what is best for us.


Tags : Amazon.com: A Lantern in Her Hand (Puffin Classics) (9780140384284): Bess Streeter Aldrich: Books,Bess Streeter Aldrich,A Lantern in Her Hand (Puffin Classics),Puffin Books,0140384286,Family - General,Historical - United States - 19th Century,USA,Family life - Nebraska - Fiction,Family life;Nebraska;Fiction.,Frontier and pioneer life - Nebraska - Fiction,Frontier and pioneer life;Nebraska;Fiction.,Nebraska - Fiction,Nebraska;Fiction.,American history: c 1500 to c 1900,Children's Teenage fiction & true stories,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),Family life,Fiction,Fiction dealing with family issues,Fiction-Literary,Frontier and pioneer life,Frontier and pioneer life - Nebraska - Fiction,Frontier and pioneer life;Nebraska;Fiction.,Historical - United States - 19th Century,Historical fiction (Children's Teenage),JUVENILE,JUVENILE FICTION Biographical United States,JUVENILE FICTION Historical United States 19th Century,JUVENILE FICTION Westerns,Juvenile Fiction,Juvenile FictionBiographical - United States,Juvenile FictionWesterns,Juvenile Grades 7-9 Ages 12-14,Nebraska,Nebraska - Fiction,Nebraska;Fiction.,USA,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Family General (see also headings under Social Themes),YOUNG ADULT FICTION Historical United States 19th Century,homesteading; young adult; historical; US history; expansion; westward expansion; historical fiction for children 9-12; books for kids age 9 12; books for boys age 9 12; kids books ages 9-12; chapter books for kids age 9-12; books for girls age 9 12; books for 10 year old girls; biography for kids 9-12; books for 12 year old girls; 5th grade books; westward expansion for kids; westward expansion books for kids; 5th grade reading books; books for 11 year old girls; childrens books by age 9 to 12,homesteading;young adult;historical;US history;expansion;westward expansion;historical fiction for children 9-12;westward expansion for kids;westward expansion books for kids;kids books ages 9-12;books for kids age 9 12;american history;realistic fiction;5th grade books;biography for kids 9-12;chapter books for kids age 9-12;5th grade reading books;books for 11 year old girls;books for 10 year old girls;books for 12 year old girls;books for boys age 9 12;books for 10 year old boys,JUVENILE FICTION Biographical United States,JUVENILE FICTION Historical United States 19th Century,JUVENILE FICTION Westerns,Juvenile FictionBiographical - United States,Juvenile FictionWesterns,YOUNG ADULT FICTION Family General (see also headings under Social Themes),YOUNG ADULT FICTION Historical United States 19th Century,Family life,Fiction,Frontier and pioneer life,Nebraska,YOUNG ADULT FICTION,Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9),American history: c 1500 to c 1900,Children's Teenage fiction & true stories,Fiction dealing with family issues,Historical fiction (Children's Teenage)

A Lantern in Her Hand Puffin Classics Bess Streeter Aldrich Books Reviews

This book begins in a small Nebraska town. An elderly lady, Mrs. Abbie Deal, is found dead in her home. She is independent, refuses to live with any of her five kids. She and her dead husband planned and built this house, she loves this house. Mrs Deal is a pioneer lady who has seen much happening in the eighty years she was on this earth.

Her story begins when she is eight years old. Her widowed mother decides to more her family, six kids, from Chicago to Iowa in two covered wagons containing all the family possessions. She wants to join her newly married daughter, keep the family together.

Abbie Mackenzie is a very imaginative child. She sings at her outdoor chores and dreams she is a beautifully dressed, bejeweled lady singing at venues all over the world. She does have a beautiful voice. She also wants to be an artist, painting all the beauty of the natural world. Then she grows up. Her best friend growing up is Will Deal who goes off to fight in the Civil War. Abbie realizes how she loves and misses him. This is a sweet story of married love which lasts for as long as the couple are on earth. Will wants to move to Nebraska to get his own land. The two and their young son travel in a covered wagon. Will builds a sod house, begins to break the land. The couple works hard as pioneer families must do to exist. This author brings the reader into the lives of pioneers, their hardships, their families, their neighbors. There is WORK, WORK, MORE WORK. The land, the weather and nature fight against those who want to dominate, the pioneers fight back. Abbie is a natural and loving mother. Five more babies are born. And how she loves being a mom and a wife. The small town grows bigger and bigger. The children, growing up, want advantages. Abbie gives up her dreams to give her children theirs. Will isn't happy about this. He loves her and feels she should do more for herself. But Abbie is delighted in her new home, large, roomy, and getting away from the sod house. She enjoys working on her home and making this house the way she wants it.

Time goes on, faster and faster. However harsh as the prairie is to the pioneers, the land shares its beauty with whoever chooses to live there. Then more tragedy. Will Deal dies leaving Abbie alone, at times she feels he is still with her,so strong is their love. She somewhat talks to him, consults him. Tells noone, people will think she is crazy.

Time rushes on. The children move off, go on with their lives. Noone wants to farm. Then they marry, making Abbie a grandmother, then a great grandmother. She never gets over the feeling that Will is close and a confident. Time passes, things change. Abbie loves the prairie, loves Nebraska, is never sorry she chose this life. Her daughters and daughters-in-law are so much different than their mother and mother-in-law. She is such a good person, others push more and more work and responsibilities on her. There is Abbie's favorite grandchild, Laura, who is so much like her grandmother. I disliked the character of prissy, old maid Grace. I am from the northeast where so many of the people there are from immigrant families.

A beautiful story of a life well lived.

One book, One Nebraska chose this book for 2009. I enjoy reading midwestern writers. These authors write so well. I read this book many years ago and decided I needed to read it again.
I read this book fifty years ago and it was my favorite book from my childhood. The author's description of the events of Abbie's life is rich and vivid. The hardship of prairie life, her deep love for her husband and his dreams that led her there in the first place, the empty sorrow of losing a child and lying in bed and hearing the wagon take his little body away, giving up her dreams to be a singer in the city and then the joy and abandon with which she later sings on the prairie, her large family and the detailed differences and nuances of each child... All is told with attention to authentic detail. I remember this book very well. I never knew there was a sequel until I found it recently in an antique store. I bought and and will begin it tonight. A Lantern in her Hand made such an indelible impression that I do not even need to read it again to refresh my memory. It was half a century ago and I still remember it well.
I have read this book many times. Other reviewers have stated the plot but I just wanted to say how this book makes me feel after reading it. I feel like it validates my simple life. Even though the character's story takes place well over 100 years ago, the themes and topics are timeless. By the end of it I'm usually crying because it makes me happy. She makes decisions and has to live with the consequences. I think it points out very well however that the consequences of our choices help us to grow into amazing people if we simply work hard at life and at being a good person. I loved how it showed that sometimes she would regret her choices but only for a moment and then she would move on. This book actually keeps me very grounded. It is a must read if you are a mother, a wife, a daughter or just a nice human being.
This is the worst book ever, I cannot stand it. Whoa, I don't care if you can use 700 words to describe a sunset, that dosen't make a book good. Unentertaining garbage.
This is the story of a young girl who dreamed big dreams and had great hopes of her life. Instead of her life fulfilling her dreams, however, she spent her days baking bread, piecing quilts, and taking care of children. Her children eventually accomplished the great things Abbie had hoped to do, but they seemed to care little for the life Abbie herself had led. It was a disappointing book for me, but it aptly brought to life the hopes and dreams of a young girl, and how real life prevents her from living her dreams. It did inspire me to analyze my dreams, to see if they are realistic, and to consider whether God might have other plans. Good dreams may need to be exchanged for what is best for us.