Bess Streeter Aldrich, one of Nebraska' most beloved authors, wrote about her mother in this novel, the classic and well-loved story of pioneer woman Abbie Deal. Abbie is based on Aldrich's own mother, a strong pioneer woman who traveled by covered wagon to the midwest as child and then, after marrying, goes with her husband and a small group of settlers in 1865 to the Nebraska territory to settle a new frontier.
One of the loveliest things about Abbie, in my opinion, is that she allowed her children to live out their dreams while continuously postponing her own. Living in a sod house and raising a family there for years, never seeing her own mother again after her marriage, losing her husband at a relatively young age...all these hardships made Abby Deal strong and resilient. Her love for her children and joy in their accomplishments is inspiring. She is all that we would expect a pioneer woman to be. Beginning in 1854, the reader sees Abby transition from child to woman to wife and pioneer, then to mother, widow, and grandmother. All the while the world is changing around her: wooden houses replace sod, the railroad comes through, cities are growing, schools are built, and automobiles appear. Culture and industry take over the country, WWI changes lives, and the radio becomes essential to every home. A Lantern in her Hand is like a quick snapshot of how the industrial revolution changed America and how one woman saw it through with grace, patience, and the strength to move with the times.
I can see why A Lantern in her Hand has stood the test of time. Although it's not read as much now as it was years ago, it has endured for almost 90 years for good reason.
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