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A Lantern in Her Hand (Deal Family #1)

4.04 of 5 stars 4.04 · rating details · 2,199 ratings · 373 reviews

When A Lantern in Her Hand came out in 1928, critics took little notice, but people everywhere soon discovered it. By the end of 1919, even as the Great Depression set in, Bess Streeter Aldrich's novel was in its twenty-first printing. Now translated into over twenty languages, A Lantern in Her Hand has outlasted literary fashions to touch generations of readers. It is the...more

Paperback, 256 pages

Published April 1st 1997 by Puffin (first published 1928)

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Feb 17, 2008 Lucy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Originally published in 1928, Beth Streeter Aldrich uses this novel to create a fantastic female character, Abbie Deal. Abbie's story begins in 1854, when she is eight years old and at the start of a three week journey, traveling with her family by wagon from Illinois to Iowa. The fact that I grew up listening to pioneer stories from this era made her voyage very vivid in my mind. I could see the sacks of flour falling out of the wagon and floating in the river and the oxen slowly pulling all th...more Originally published in 1928, Beth Streeter Aldrich uses this novel to create a fantastic female character, Abbie Deal. Abbie's story begins in 1854, when she is eight years old and at the start of a three week journey, traveling with her family by wagon from Illinois to Iowa. The fact that I grew up listening to pioneer stories from this era made her voyage very vivid in my mind. I could see the sacks of flour falling out of the wagon and floating in the river and the oxen slowly pulling all the families' possessions along a bumpy buffalo trail. The story ends in 1926 with Abbie's death at the age of 80. The face of America changed dramatically between those years, and Abbie's life changed alongside it.

Part pioneer story, part pride of Nebraska lesson, part farming tutorial, part commentary about marriage - Aldrich ultimately uses Abbie Deal to explain the choices and sacrifices that faced a 19th century woman, or more specifically, a mother.

Perhaps Abbie Deal's selfless mothering is the source of my distress. I've always felt I've lacked in this arena and while I've tried really hard not to compare myself to my friends' and siblings' styles of mothering, I found myself forlorn with the realization that I was no Abbie Deal. Abbie was a natural mother. She postponed her dreams of becoming a singer and learning how to paint the prairie's sunset to follow her husband, Will, to Nebraska at the end of the Civil War.

Originally, she postponed these dreams for the sake of her husband, who needed to carve his own way in life away from his father. Later she postponed them because there was no money or opportunity and every ounce of her energy went into building their home and farm and caring for her young children. Later yet, she postponed them because her children grew and had dreams of their own that required any extra time or money she had saved. Finally, she abandoned them altogether because her talents had left her. Her voice had faded from non-use and her fingers were gnarled and knobby from years of work. In the end, all she was left with was her good name and the pride she had in her children's accomplishments.

Thus started the deep, stabbing pain in my chest. This kind of story, really...the universal story of motherhood, always leaves me feeling a little "damned if you do, damned if you don't". Abbie gave up everything of her own...her talents, her time, her figure (I can really relate to this), her life...for her children. The feminist in me resists....even feels slightly miserable that we women are expected and praised for being noble and altruistic, but void of personal achievement. The mother in me, however, wipes away a tear as I watch life from back stage instead of front and center, but wholly gets that my family is THE point. I get to clap and cheer and know that my efforts made this grand production possible.

Throughout the book, Abbie does women a great service by allowing herself to wonder "what if". What if she had married that other boy who wanted her but who she didn't quite love, the one whose wife now wears all those fine clothes? What if she and Will hadn't moved to Nebraska and avoided suffering through drought and grasshoppers and blizzards? What if she had kept at her singing...developed the talent that everyone acknowledged she had? What if, what if, what if? What if I had? What then? Is the prize for the correct choice happiness?

The fun in discussing this book would be hearing the strong arguments that defend both ends of the spectrum, and all the shades in between. Today, we lucky women choose the shade that fits us best. Do we like how we look?

Abbie Deal chose motherhood but the story did not romanticize her choice. Abbie's story included every distracted husband, every sick child, every annoying friend and every moody child. And yet, in the end, Abbie sat as an old woman and felt satisfied that her five children were a fine product of a life's work.

I recommend this book to every woman out there who enjoys tales of pioneer life or more importantly, empathizes with the difficult decisions made by women everywhere...always.(less)

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May 27, 2007 Chelsea Cripps rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read this one for my church book club. As soon as I heard the title, I recognized it as one of my mother's favorite ever books. I read it in high school, upon her insistance, and remembered only that it was "really cheesey." On a second read, it was less cheesey than I remembered (though still a little bit) and in fact, I found it an incredibly sad novel. It's the story of a young girl around the turn of the 20th century, who has all these big girlish dreams of becoming a beautiful singer, a p...more

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Feb 15, 2009 Nicole rated it 1 of 5 stars

Maybe it's because this author is predictable and I only recently read another book by her, but I am finding that one of the reasons I don't enjoy Pioneer era historical fiction is because it's all very predictable. They all go like this...They head west, the woman doesn't really want to go, but she has no say, so she goes along anyway, promising to visit her family (she never does). They have a hard time getting west and someone dies. They finally make it west, the first winter is hard and some...more

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Sep 03, 2007 Beth rated it 3 of 5 stars

I was curious to read A Lantern in Her Hand, written by Bess Streeter Aldrich, who is kind of the runner-up to Willa Cather as a Nebraska pioneer novelist. As with Cather's novels, I enjoyed reading about my (current) home state in the days when it was miles and miles of waving prairie grass and Lincoln was just a tiny town, a long wagon journey away from the characters' sod or log cabin homes, that no one could believe had been chosen as the state capital. Also like Cather, Aldrich deals frankl...more

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Apr 14, 2012 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was beautifully written! I loved it! It was a simple, yet tender story of a pioneer woman-Abbie Deal. It is a book full of wisdom and so much insight. It is a book about mothering, and grandmothering and people and living. It made me reflect on myself, my own mother and grandma. It had so many wonderful quotes. Some of my favorite were:

"Because the road was steep and long,
And through a dark and lonely land,
God set upon my lips a song
And put a lantern in my hand."

Here is another little...more This book was beautifully written! I loved it! It was a simple, yet tender story of a pioneer woman-Abbie Deal. It is a book full of wisdom and so much insight. It is a book about mothering, and grandmothering and people and living. It made me reflect on myself, my own mother and grandma. It had so many wonderful quotes. Some of my favorite were:

"Because the road was steep and long,
And through a dark and lonely land,
God set upon my lips a song
And put a lantern in my hand."

Here is another little gem she tells to her daughter,

"You know, Grace, it's queer but I don't feel narrow. I feel broad. How can I explain it to you, so you would understand? I've seen everything...and I've hardly been away from this yard....
I've been part of the beginning and part of the growth. I've married...and borne children and looked into the face of death. Is childbirth narrow, Grace? Or marriage? Or death? When you've experienced all those things, Grace, the spirit has traveled although the body has been confined. I think travel is a rare privilege and I'm glad you can have it. But not every one who stays at home is narrow and not every one who travels is broad. I think if you can understand humanity...can sympathize with every creature...can put yourself into the personality of every one...you're not narrow...you're broad."

And then here is one she tells her granddaughter:

"You can't describe love, Kathie, and you can't define it. Only it goes with you all your life. I think that love is more like a light that you carry. At first childish happiness keeps it lighted and after that romance. Then motherhood lights it and then duty...and maybe after that sorrow. You wouldn't think that sorrow could be a light would you, dearie? But it can. And then after that, service lights it. Yes...I think that is what love is to a woman...a lantern in her hand."

Ah….I just loved this book-simply lovely! There was so much to gain from this book-it made me want to be a better person. This is why it gets 5 stars.
(less)

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Feb 20, 2012 Denise Oyler rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Because the road was steep and long,
And through a dark and lonely land,
God set upon my lips a song
And put a lantern in my hand." -Joyce Kilmer

This book is a little slow moving but still interesting, portraying the duties of life and "trudging along" through each day. The writing is absolutely beautiful!! Although it is not a "page turner" of excitement, it is such a simple, yet tender story that it keeps the reader captivated. I love her depiction of death at the end of the book. I hope to reme...more "Because the road was steep and long,
And through a dark and lonely land,
God set upon my lips a song
And put a lantern in my hand." -Joyce Kilmer

This book is a little slow moving but still interesting, portraying the duties of life and "trudging along" through each day. The writing is absolutely beautiful!! Although it is not a "page turner" of excitement, it is such a simple, yet tender story that it keeps the reader captivated. I love her depiction of death at the end of the book. I hope to remember it. This book helped me reflect on my own Grandmothers and Mother and appreciate them all the more! Such a beautiful story that shows the selfless love of a mother plowing through the struggles of life, all while trying to be an example of strength and joy to her children...probably played out in real lives many times over.

Some of my favorite quotes from the book, said after losing her baby:
"It's a fine love that a little bad luck can smother! It can't touch it...it can't. Love is the light that you see by. It's all in the world we've got to light our way, and it takes both of us to keep it bright. And I'm not doing my share...I'm not. I'm glum and sad and discouraged. And I'm not going to be anymore. There are only two things that can help us- and that' our courage and our love. From this very minute on I'm going to try to cheer Will up more. I'm through being down-hearted."

Regarding travel:
"You know, Grace, it's queer but I don't feel narrow. I feel broad. How can I explain it to you, so you would understand? I've seen everything...and I've hardly been away from this yard....
I've been part of the beginning and part of the growth. I've married...and borne children and looked into the face of death. Is childbirth narrow, Grace? Or marriage? Or death? When you've experienced all those things, Grace, the spirit has traveled although the body has been confined. I think travel is a rare privilege and I'm glad you can have it. But not every one who stays at home is narrow and not every one who travels is broad. I think if you can understand humanity...can sympathize with every creature...can put yourself into the personality of every one...you're not narrow...you're broad."

And my favorite- about love:
"You can't describe love, Kathie, and you can't define it. Only it goes with you all your life. I think that love is more like a light that you carry. At first childish happiness keeps it lighted and after that romance. Then motherhood lights it and then duty...and maybe after that sorrow. You wouldn't think that sorrow could be a light would you, dearie? But it can. And then after that, service lights it. Yes...I think that is waht love is to a woman...a lantern in her hand."

How beautiful! I have felt all those things but could never express them so beautifully or even put them into words. The whole book is filled with these gems.(less)

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Nov 15, 2011 NebraskaIcebergs rated it 5 of 5 stars

A Lantern in Her Hand is a remarkable feat. It is told from the viewpoint of Abbie Deal who through the course of the book matures from an eight-year-old whose family has recently migrated to Iowa into an “old lady who dies while the meat burned and the children played ‘Run, Sheep, Run”. Before you begrudge me for spoiling the end, let me reassure that this statement is actually found in Aldrich’s introduction. With that opening, who could resist turning the page? For the first few chapters, Ald...more

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Sep 23, 2011 Vicki rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: most-moving-powerful

I wonder...if I had read this book at a younger age, would it have moved me in the same profound way? I've raised my children, have grandchildren, worked hard (seemed hard to me, tho' almost laughable comparable to Abbie Deal...who's story more resembles my incredible mother-in-law's) done without, had dreams, given up on dreams. So many of the musings Bess Streeter Aldrich's character has throughout her life resemble my own--some of the later ones I hadn't even given words to!

What a marvelous,...more

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Jul 22, 2011 Shelley rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical, literature, ijones

Oh, Abbie. I first read the sequel, A White Bird Flying, many years ago. where Abbie was always present in spirit and not body. I loved reading about her life, even though I felt I knew her already. There's just magic in these books. This covers Abbie's life, age 8 to death in the 1920s, as she moves further west with her family, finally settling the Nebraska prairie in the 1870s.

But at the same time, it was hard reading because nothing ever went right, Pa Ingalls x100, and Abbie and Will's beli...more

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Jul 17, 2010 K. rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Fans of the family, pioneering enthusiasts

I have to admit it was hard for me to see the worth in this one from the beginning. I had to trust the good judgment of the fine friend who gave it to me :). Initially it wasn't very interesting or well-written and all the flowery adjectives bugged me. The few points of interest in the first 50 or so pages were not creating a need to finish in me. I persevered and...

It turned out to be worth the time. This book cronicles the life of a woman who lived in such an interesting point in history, abou...more I have to admit it was hard for me to see the worth in this one from the beginning. I had to trust the good judgment of the fine friend who gave it to me :). Initially it wasn't very interesting or well-written and all the flowery adjectives bugged me. The few points of interest in the first 50 or so pages were not creating a need to finish in me. I persevered and...

It turned out to be worth the time. This book cronicles the life of a woman who lived in such an interesting point in history, about 1840(?) to the twenties. I find a life spanning that time so fascinating because the lifestyles went from practically medeival to modern. My parents and grandparents are amazed at the advances in computers and other sciences, but can you imagine living from the time of no electricity to air travel?

What I loved about this book, and reading the author's reasons for wriring this book shows that it was her intent to convey, is that not ALL pioneer women were drudges without minds or hearts or time for the beautiful. There were women then, and still are now, who love being housewives and mothers!

This was a beautiful portrayal of a girl with big dreams that were unfulfilled, but she realized that those dreams weren't as important or ultimately fulfilling, anyway, as her role as wife, mother, and builder of her community. I loved the passage near the end where one of her daughters is pitying her for what she (the daughter) calls a "narrow" life of raising children and working the land.

Abbie replies: "You know, ...I don't feel narrow. I feel broad. ...I've seen everything...and I've hardly been away from this yard. I've seen cathedrals in the snow on the Lombardy poplars. I've seen the sun set behind the Alps over there when the clouds have been piled up on the edge of the prairie. I've seen the ocean billows in the rise and the fall of the prairie grass. I've seen history in the making...I've married, I've borne children and looked into the face of death. Is childbirth narrow...? Or marriage? Or death? When you've experienced all those things, ...the spirit has traveled although the body has been confined. I think travel is a rare priviledge and I"m glad you can have it. But not every one who stays at home is narrow and not every one who travels is broad. I think if you can understand humanity...can sympathize with every creature...can put yourself into the personality of everyone...you're not narrow...you're broad."
---

There were a number of great moments about motherhood and wifehood and friendship and hard work that I really appreciated. The author said she felt like she was really going out on a limb in the 1920's writing this type of book when all the other authors were writing about sophistication, cynicism and "freedom." I'm glad she took the plunge.

Total TJEd book. ke(less)

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Aug 07, 2009 Victoria rated it 4 of 5 stars

I can really relate to this book at this time in my life. A theme in this book was the wind. The wind keeps on blowing and we can't grasp it, time keeps on ticking and we can't stop it. That's where I can relate. This whole summer and really my whole life so far seems to have gone by so quickly! But, the difference is that I have a firm foundation to stand on. The winds of time, pain, broken relationships and death cannot blow away my trust in God. The really nice thing about God is that He does...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Tiffany rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: classics, re-read-someday, lessons-on-life

5 stars instead of 4 because "It was amazing" even though I did not "really like it". Weird, hunh?

I expected a story of the American pioneer spirit and was so surprised to find a love story—a love story of and for motherhood. Not romanticized, but rather with all the glory and heartache. Most of the time it was tedious for me to read, only partly due to the fact that it was rather slow-moving.-- I felt it too strongly, related too well to the pain and work and love. I had to labor through this b...more

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Jun 01, 2012 Becky rated it 3 of 5 stars

I might give this 3.5 stars. It took me a while to finish. I just wasn't drawn to keep picking it up. A very interesting story... But I really do not care for the author's writing style. The characters were not wholly developed- so it was hard for me to understand them. I don't know... I'll have to finish this review later after I've had time to mull things over.
Ok so I think I'm ready to finish my review. Don't read this if you don't want to spoil the book for yourself...
I couldn't figure ou...more I might give this 3.5 stars. It took me a while to finish. I just wasn't drawn to keep picking it up. A very interesting story... But I really do not care for the author's writing style. The characters were not wholly developed- so it was hard for me to understand them. I don't know... I'll have to finish this review later after I've had time to mull things over.
Ok so I think I'm ready to finish my review. Don't read this if you don't want to spoil the book for yourself...
I couldn't figure out what it was about this book that bothered me... Sometimes life just sucks. Sometimes life gives you lemons and you have to eat them plain- without making lemonade. That's just the way it goes. Abbie's (the main character) life was hard. I'm not trying to underplay that, but it seems she was always focusing on the "what ifs" in life.
For example, she had the opportunity to marry a doctor who would later become wealthy. Early in the book the author alluded to the fact that this was not a morale man. Had Abbie chosen to marry him he probably would have cheated on her, maybe even been abusive, but she would never have wanted for physical comforts. Instead she chose to marry a poor farmer who loved her. She was dirt poor for a long time, but had a loving husband and children. I ask you, which would you rather have?
Abbie sacrificed most of her dreams for her family. But I feel that towards the latter part of the book that was her choice. She could have sold her house, had less to take care of and maybe traveled or something else she enjoyed. Also, in the last 3/4 of the book Abbie's children are reminiscing over funny and every-day childhood memories that were never brought up in the first parts of the book which leads me to believe that Abby was never satisfied with her life. It's not that she was a "the glass is half-empty" kind of person - it was more like " the glass is there and it has water in it". Anyway, if you're constantly dwelling on the "what-ifs" you are never going to be satisfied with your life. That's the way I felt about this book. You always have a choice. Even if it's just your attitude. (less)

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Mar 11, 2008 Jean rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book is very sentimental so maybe wouldn't be considered the best book by literary sorts. However, when I first read it I so identified with Abbie's struggles in moving to Nebraska, suffering through miserable pregnancies, and losing babies that it has become one of my favorite books--and one I have read many times. Though it is a work of fiction, the places and even the family names are familiar to me. The author knew this part of Nebraska well.

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Jul 10, 2011 Heather Leipart rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a good wholesome book about a homesteading family during the 19th century. The main character is the matriarch who has big hopes and dreams for her future and yet ultimately comes up just short of attaining many of those more fanciful desires. It was interesting to be kind of an outsider looking in on this sweet lady's life. She could have been so many things and had certain situations tailored to what she wanted for her own desires, but instead she sacrificed just about everything for...more

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Jun 26, 2009 Jodi rated it 2 of 5 stars

I read this book for a book group and it is also the state of Nebraska book choice of the year--being a story about a pioneer family moving to and settling in Nebraska.

Since I, myself recently moved to Nebraska because of my husband's work, I did find myself sympathizing with Abbie at the beginning as she tried to convince her husband that there was nothing to go to Nebraska for and her lack of excitement about the move. I too, never thought I'd ever live in Nebraska, but like Abbie, a century l...more

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Oct 22, 2009 Anna rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2009

I liked this book pretty well. I guess it was the author's intention to go through all of Abbie's life, but I think I would've liked the book better if it had ended sooner. I feel like I understand older people better, but that was another thing that I didn't like about this book. I was only half way through and Abbie was only in her early forties and already, she was being considered old by her neighbors, children and the author(or at least it seemed that way to me).

Since I have been given an...more

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Jan 25, 2010 Tara rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: book-club-books

It took me a while to get into this book, and even then it wasn't a major page turner. But overall I really loved the message. It is the life story of Abbie Deal who lived in the early 1800's and who settled a town in Nebraska with her husband. It talks about their hardships and the usual perils of raising children and trying to farm in those days, etc. But, what really stuck with me is that Abbie has all of these amazing things she always wanted to do but couldn't because she had to give up so...more

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Mar 16, 2008 Carol rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the book that haunts me! I read this right after moving to the prairie myself far from my extended family and my mountain home. The thought of never being able to return, even for a visit is such a depressing thought. I have so much admiration for the main character- for her courage and perserverance but it was a very difficult book for me to read- and to realize it is a true story.

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Mar 23, 2013 Margaret rated it 5 of 5 stars

Why have I not heard of this book before? It was simply wonderful and one of the types of books I love to read. Bess Streeter Aldrich writes the book about her mother, a pioneer woman.

In Bess's own introduction to the book she writes wanting to tell the story after her mother's death: "Other writers had depicted the Midwest’s early days, but so often they had pictured their women as gaunt, browbeaten creatures, despairing women whom life seemed to defeat. That was not my mother. Not with her co...more

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Aug 15, 2012 Nickie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I really like this story of Abbie Deal and her life out on the plains of the mid west and how she has wonderful dreams but chooses the man she loves and marries him. Hardships, children, no money, drought, depression all keep Abbie from reaching her goals. Yet her goals and dreams become fulfilled through her children and grandchildren. Set just at the beginning of the Civil War and up into the roaring 20's and the coming of female liberation the author really painted the cycles of family life f...more

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Aug 09, 2012 Liesel rated it 4 of 5 stars

At first I struggled to get into this novel, but realized that as I was wallowing in self-pity about moving I did not want to read about someone else moving during a time when they would arrive at their destination without a home to spend their first nights in. Once I realized that was coloring my perception of the book, I began to really enjoy it and read it with interest (as well as put my own future move in perspective). I loved the parts about celebrating Christmas with no money and I partic...more

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Jan 01, 2009 Heather rated it 4 of 5 stars

Recommended to Heather by: Liz

Shelves: historical-fiction, pioneer

Abbie Deal was one of the first pioneers to settle in Nebraska and these 251 pages give us a sweeping glance at the many things she witnessed and endured with an abundance of love for her family and unfailing charity for others. The only downside was that at times I wanted more than a sweeping glance.

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Mar 06, 2008 Sally rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Sally by: my mom

Shelves: favorites-from-my-childhood, youth-independent-readers

This was one of my mom's favorite books when she was a girl, and when I read it after she recommended it to me, it became one of mine as well. It is the story of pioneer woman who tries to maintain culture and civility in the ever changing and growing West.

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Jun 21, 2010 Alison McGavran added it

Shelves: child-s-lit-annotations-eng353

A Lantern in Her Hand tells the story of 18 year old Abbie Deal who turns away from a lifelong dream of comfort and success, to marry the love of her life Will Deal and set out on the prairie frontier to make a life for them. This story shows her selfless struggle as a woman, wife, and mother during the 1850s while she tries to ignore the “what ifs” and fully support the “what is” from her choices. The setting is in pioneer Nebraska territory during a time when people were setting out on the fro...more

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Feb 16, 2010 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I had to wait a couple of days to write a review about this one and I've decided that I love this book.

When I finished it, I think I let out an audible "FINALLY!" because it took too long to read, but I fell in love with this woman and her attitude about life and motherhood.

I will be the first to admit that I am not too hip to my own way of mothering, or my attitudes concerning motherhood. I get a bit selfish and tired of it. Wait, I should change that. Motherhood, I love! I love to be a mom. It...more

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Apr 28, 2009 Vicki rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: busy-as-a-bee-book-group

A remarkable story! This was one of the book selections chosen by my reading group. I probably would not have picked it up on my own. I must say that I am glad I did. It is the story of a courageous woman who raised a family in a time period when pioneers still settled the American West. Like many young woman, Abbie had dreams and aspirations to become a famous singer/writer. She never had the chance to fulfill these dreams, but she did have the chance to raise a loving family. She sums up her l...more A remarkable story! This was one of the book selections chosen by my reading group. I probably would not have picked it up on my own. I must say that I am glad I did. It is the story of a courageous woman who raised a family in a time period when pioneers still settled the American West. Like many young woman, Abbie had dreams and aspirations to become a famous singer/writer. She never had the chance to fulfill these dreams, but she did have the chance to raise a loving family. She sums up her life in one quote towards the end of the book. Her youngest daughter wants her to go with her to Europe to see new things and experience something else for a change. Her daughter accuses her of being "narrow" Abbie replies, "You know Grace, I don't feel narrow. I feel broad. How can I explain it to you so you would understand? I've seen everything...and I've hardly been away from this yard. I've seen cathedrals in the snow on the Lombardy poplars. I've seen the sun set behind the Alps...I've seen history in the making...three ugly wars flare up and die down. I've sent a lover and two brothers to one, a son and son-in-law to another, and two grandsons to the other. I've seen the feeble beginnings of a raw state and the civilization that developed there, and I've been part of the beginning and part of the growth. I've married..and borne children and looked into the face of death. Is childbirth narrow Grace? Or marriage? Or death? When you've experienced all those things Grace, the spirit has traveled although the body has been confined. I think travel is a rare privilege and I'm glad you can have it. But not every one who stays at home is narrow and not every one who travels is broad. I think if you can understand humanity..can sympathize with every creature...can put yourself into the personality of everyone...you're not narrow..your're broad."

Abbie sums up what life is all about for many of us. It does not matter what you do as long as you enjoy what you have done and are proud of it. You don't have to be a world traveler to gain knowledge and experience, but your everyday life experience makes you the person that you are.(less)

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Mar 06, 2012 Becky rated it 4 of 5 stars

I am only giving this 4 stars because, for me, the middle part seemed to drag a bit. But when I got to the last 1/3 of the book, I didn't want it to end. My mother and grandmother read this together about 50 years ago and they both always told me it was one of their favorites, so when I read it I almost felt as though they were both right there with me. I know this book and the message of it will stay with me always.
As an added bonus, I was able to find a video on YouTube of a lady singing "Lady...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Kristen rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is an oldie---written in 1928 I think. Aldrich was a really popular pioneer fiction writer in her time. I think her books are considered classics---it seems that this title was one I had heard about throughout my life but had never picked it up.

I'm giving it five stars because of how I felt as I read it. For some reason I really connected with Abbie Deal, the main character. So many parts of her life and struggle seemed to be in sync with mine. The writing is simple, unadorned. Probably a...more

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Mar 30, 2009 Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars

This historical novel centers on Abbie Deal, and opens with the eight year-old dreamer and her family moving from Chicago to a settlement in Iowa in 1854. It took me a few chapters to really be engaged in the story as the narration has little asides and commentary to the reader that I found distracting at first. But I was eventually caught up in Abbie’s turmoil in choosing between two suitors and carried away in the challenges she and her husband Will faced as they began a new life for themselve...more

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YA Reads for Teac...: September 2012 - Classic YA - A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter	11	51	Nov 01, 2012 06:29am

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About Bess Streeter Aldrich

Bess Streeter Aldrich was one of Nebraska's most widely read and enjoyed authors. Her writing career spanned forty-some years, during which she published over one hundred short stories and articles, nine novels, one novella, two books of short stories, and one omnibus. In her work, she emphasized family values and recorded accurately Midwest pioneering history. One of her books, "Miss Bishop," was...more Bess Streeter Aldrich was one of Nebraska's most widely read and enjoyed authors. Her writing career spanned forty-some years, during which she published over one hundred short stories and articles, nine novels, one novella, two books of short stories, and one omnibus. In her work, she emphasized family values and recorded accurately Midwest pioneering history. One of her books, "Miss Bishop," was made into the movie, "Cheers for Miss Bishop"; and her short story, "The Silent Stars Go By," became the television show, "The Gift of Love," starring Lee Remick and Angela Lansbury. Aldrich also served as a writer and consultant in Hollywood for Paramount Pictures. Bess Genevra Streeter was born February 17, 1881, in Cedar Falls, Iowa, the last of eight children born to James and Mary Streeter. Bess graduated in 1901 from Iowa State Normal School, now known as the University of Northern Iowa, and taught for four years. She returned to Cedar Falls and worked as Assistant Supervisor at her alma mater, receiving an advanced degree in 1906. She married Charles Sweetzer Aldrich the following year.

Charles Aldrich had graduated with a law degree from Iowa State University and had been one of the youngest captains in the Spanish-American War. Following the war, he served for years as a U.S. Commissioner in Alaska.

In 1909 the Aldriches and Bess's sister and brother-in-law, Clara and John Cobb, bought the American Exchange Bank in Elmwood, Nebraska, and moved there with the Aldrich's two-month old daughter, Bess's widowed mother, and the Cobbs. Elmwood would become the locale, by whatever name she called it, of her many short stories, and it would also be the setting for some of her books.

Aldrich had won her first writing prize at fourteen and another at seventeen, having been writing stories since childhood. However, for two years after the family moved to Elmwood, Aldrich was too busy with local activities to write. Then in 1911 she saw a fiction contest announcement in the "Ladies Home Journal" and wrote a story in a few afternoons while the baby napped. Her story was one of six chosen from among some two thousand entries. From that time on, Aldrich wrote whenever she could find a moment between caring for her growing family and her household chores. Indeed, she commented that, in the early days, many a story was liberally sprinkled with dishwater as she jotted down words or ideas while she worked. Aldrich's first book, "Mother Mason," a compilation of short stories, was published in 1924.

In May 1925, shortly before her second book, "Rim of the Prairie," was published, Charles Aldrich died of a cerebral hemorrhage, leaving Bess a widow with four children ranging from four to sixteen. Her writing now became the means of family support; with her pen she put all the children through college.

Aldrich's short stories were as eagerly sought and read as her novels, and she became one of the best paid magazine writers of the time. Her work appeared in such magazines as "The American," "Saturday Evening Post," "Ladies Home Journal," "Collier's," "Cosmopolitan," and "McCall's." Aldrich also wrote several pieces on the art of writing, and these were published in "The Writer."

In 1934, Aldrich was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University of Nebraska, and in 1949 she received the Iowa Authors Outstanding Contributions to Literature Award. She was posthumously inducted into the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1973.

Aldrich moved to Lincoln, Nebraska in 1945 to be near her daughter and her daughter's family and did comparatively little writing thereafter. Bess Streeter Aldrich died in 1954 at the age of 73 and is buried beside her husband in the Elmwood Cemetery. Her legacy of books and stories remains, however, continuing to fulfill her hope that as future generations read her work they will understand the joys, the struggles, and the strengths that were all a part of pioneering in the Midwest.
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Quotes from A Lantern in Her Hand

“You have to dream things out. It keeps a kind of an ideal before you. You see it first in your mind and then you set about to try and make it like the ideal. If you want a garden,-why, I guess you've got to dream a garden.” — 16 people liked it

“There is no division nor subtraction in the heart-arithmetic of a good mother. There are only addition and multiplication.” — 10 people liked it

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A Lantern in Her Hand (Deal Family #1)

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