Sarah, Plain and Tall
| Author | Patricia MacLachlan |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
Publication date | 1985 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| Pages | 85 |
| ISBN | 0-06-024102-0 |
| OCLC | 11372082 |
| 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. There are five books in this series about the Witting family. The titles in order are Sarah Plain and Tall, Skylark, Caleb's Story, More Perfect Than the Moon, and Grandfather's Dance.
The first three books Sarah Plain and Tall, Skylark, and Caleb's Story were the basis for three television movies. These movies are titled Sarah, Plain and Tall, Skylark, and Sarah, Plain and Tall: Winter's End. The screenplay for each movie was written by the author, Patricia MacLachlan. All three movies, starring Glenn Close and Christopher Walken, have the same actors playing the roles of Sarah, Jacob, Anna, and Caleb. The movies have also been referenced on the animated television series The Simpsons in the episode called "Bart's Girlfriend".
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