Bess Streeter Aldrich (1881–1954)

I cried the whole way through this book. It's a powerful, unsentimental survey of a pioneer woman's life. I confess to being impatient with Abbie's continual self-denial, and cranky when she claimed that age 45 was "too late" to learn anything new, but that's a minor quibble. The sweep and swing of time, the space of a given life, and the pace at which is whistles by are the themes here, and they are given voice beautifully against the backdrop of the rushing changes happening in pioneer show more Nebraska. I'm glad I read it as a middle-aged mother, even though I sniveled my way through it. Recommended. show less

Some of the stories got repetitive (you could tell where her mind was when she wrote them), but she still had the deft prose that I feel in love with when I read Song Of Years. Well worth revisiting her--it brought back lovely memories.

This book is just like a quilt. Full of patterns, old-fashioned warmth, sprinkled with every possible emotion and a just a touch of romance. I loved it. Perhaps it is the closest thing to [b:Song of Years|151787|Song of Years|Bess Streeter Aldrich|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1460378165s/151787.jpg|146507] that Aldrich has done.

A Lantern in her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich was a book that I read and loved when much younger and I was looking forward to reading about the life of pioneer Abby Deal once again. Born in Iowa in the mid-1800’s, she and her husband Will moved to Nebraska and homesteaded there. This book paints an accurate picture of the hardships encountered and endurance required in pioneer life. As a woman, Abby was constantly sacrificing her dreams for those of her husband and children, starting out show more with her husband overriding her concerns about striking out on their own, leaving friends and family behind.

I could certainly see why I loved this book when I first read it as it is truly a heartwarming story of a pioneer family, but as an adult, I would have liked a little more depth and insight into the characters. Abby Deal is first and foremost a woman of strength and tenacity, meeting and overcoming all obstacles that were placed in front of her. I love the name of this book as it paints a vivid picture of how the pioneer women would step outside in the dark with a lantern to guide their menfolk home across the flat prairies.

A Lantern in Her Hand is a simple story that highlights the choices and sacrifices that pioneer women were faced with. Originally published in 1928, the author based Abby on her own mother and A Lantern in Her Hand is obviously a tribute to her. show less