What do you think?
Rate this book
Sarah, Plain and Tall #5
Grandfather's Dance
Could anything be more perfect than a prairie wedding? Cassie doesn't think so, for a wedding Two lovebirds together,
Aunts from faraway Maine,
A long white dress with a wedding veil,
Zinnias,
Satin ribbons,
Dancing under a clear blue sky,
And a world that smells of roses. And as the Witting family comes together for this most special day, Cassie sees that life The change of seasons,
Brother Jack on Grandfather's lap,
A brand-new car,
Joy,
Sorrow,
And a special dance only Grandfather does. Sarah, Plain and Tall began the Witting family's saga on the prairie. Now the story completes its circle with Grandfather's Dance , Patricia MacLachlan's poetic celebration about the enduring spirit of family.
Aunts from faraway Maine,
A long white dress with a wedding veil,
Zinnias,
Satin ribbons,
Dancing under a clear blue sky,
And a world that smells of roses. And as the Witting family comes together for this most special day, Cassie sees that life The change of seasons,
Brother Jack on Grandfather's lap,
A brand-new car,
Joy,
Sorrow,
And a special dance only Grandfather does. Sarah, Plain and Tall began the Witting family's saga on the prairie. Now the story completes its circle with Grandfather's Dance , Patricia MacLachlan's poetic celebration about the enduring spirit of family.
96 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 2006
96 people are currently reading
1368 people want to read
About the author
Patricia MacLachlan
125 books805 followersPatricia MacLachlan was born on the prairie, and always carried a small bag of prairie dirt with her wherever she went to remind her of what she knew first. She was the author of many well-loved novels and picture books, including Sarah, Plain and Tall, winner of the Newbery Medal; its sequels, Skylark and Caleb's Story; and Three Names, illustrated by Mike Wimmer. She lived in western Massachusetts.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews
November 18, 2021
In this last book in the Sarah, Plain and Tall series we come full circle, accepting that even as time marches on, the memories we make today will see us through all our tomorrows.
February 11, 2025
4 stars
This was one of the strongest books in the “Sarah, Plain and Tall” series for me.It dealt with family, happiness, life and death very well. This book centers more around Grandfather John, Jack, and Cassie’s relationships with the other characters throughout the series making appearances. It was quite special seeing the bond they all shared.
It has some weak points in the plot like Ian, a 6 year old schoolmate of Cassies who she rides home with, and funny enough the wedding of Anna and Justin. The wedding is supposed to be a major plot point in the book but it didn’t matter so much to me. Seeing the family members interacting together preparing for the wedding was far more interesting.
In my opinion, the second book in the series was the best book while the fourth book is definitely the weakest. Overall, this was a good children’s series that I can understand why it’s held up over time and keeps getting recommended to kids.
This was one of the strongest books in the “Sarah, Plain and Tall” series for me.It dealt with family, happiness, life and death very well. This book centers more around Grandfather John, Jack, and Cassie’s relationships with the other characters throughout the series making appearances. It was quite special seeing the bond they all shared.
It has some weak points in the plot like Ian, a 6 year old schoolmate of Cassies who she rides home with, and funny enough the wedding of Anna and Justin. The wedding is supposed to be a major plot point in the book but it didn’t matter so much to me. Seeing the family members interacting together preparing for the wedding was far more interesting.
In my opinion, the second book in the series was the best book while the fourth book is definitely the weakest. Overall, this was a good children’s series that I can understand why it’s held up over time and keeps getting recommended to kids.
March 10, 2017
A sad ending, yet somehow not too sad. More like satisfying, as odd as it sounds... Amazing series. :)
October 9, 2012
"I suppose that's what writing is for...To change life and make it come out the way you want it to."
―Grandfather's Dance, P. 58
After careful consideration, I'm rounding my three-and-a-half star rating for Grandfather's Dance up instead of down, easily the highest mark that I've given to any of the books in this series. I'm convinced that it's worth the rating.
Grandfather's Dance brings to a close, presumably, what is perhaps the best-loved quintet in all of twentieth-century children's literature. The journey that began in 1985 with Sarah, Plain and Tall, one of the shortest books to ever receive the Newbery Medal, reaches its final stop at the end of Grandfather's Dance, and what a marvelous finish the legendary Patricia MacLachlan has crafted. At a time on the publishing scene when books almost always trend toward decline as a series continues, trying to squeeze every last cent out of an idea even after it's become worn-out and hackneyed, the books of the Sarah, Plain and Tall cycle stand in impressive contrast. In my opinion, the series only became better as the multi-book narrative progressed, culminating in the most powerful, deeply affecting story of all with Grandfather's Dance, one of the best novels that Patricia MacLachlan has ever produced. Having read the entire series about the Witting family, I feel as if I've reached the end of something bigger than I even know, but I also feel really positive about what the books have taught me and the fitting conclusion that is given to one of the most significant literary families of its time.
After working so hard to stay together during the early stages of their development as a solid, cohesive family, the Wittings are ready for a major celebration. A young child at the time of the first book, Anna is now preparing for her wedding day, and her family and friends couldn't be happier. Most of Grandfather's Dance is seen from the perspective of her two half-siblings, Cassie and Jack, her father's two youngest children who were born after Anna and Caleb's mother died and Sarah came along to marry their father. While observing the excitement and bustle of the wedding preparations, Cassie imagines her own eventual wedding, hoping that it will be to a husband worthy of the title. She's pretty sure that she knows just the right kind of groom that would be, and even though the particular type of husband she imagines for herself strikes the family as funny, she continues to think often on what their wedding would be like in the days leading up to her sister's vows.
Grandfather is happy to help Cassie in imagining what her wedding could be like someday. He's getting older, and he says that if he can't be around to see her real wedding when it happens, then he'll gladly take the opportunity to participate in the pre-enactment. So Anna's wedding day is a double wedding of sorts, and though the attention of most guests is only on the official ceremony, Grandfather enjoys both events for all that they mean, and the close and extended family celebrate joyously as Anna and her fiance at last become husband and wife.
For Cassie and Jack, the coming changes are about more than just having a new brother-in-law. Cassie is learning to adapt to the increasing cognitive awareness of her little brother, realizing that he's growing into a child who hears and understands what he is told, even about such abstract concepts as life and death. Grandfather hasn't always been around for his family, and the sad, pressing reality is that he's not always going to be around, either, but for now he is in their lives to the fullest extent possible, and each moment of that experience is right there to be savored and stored away in their hearts while there's still time. As the days of sorrow change place back and forth with the days of joy, continually overlapping and exchanging position and never settling in for too long before the other one takes over again, Cassie is made aware in a single unforgettably poignant moment that Jack understands the concepts of death and loss, that though he's still very young and doesn't always express himself perfectly in words, his actions are demonstration enough that the profundity of loss isn't beyond his tender grasp. In his own way, Jack comprehends the reality of missing someone who is gone more completely than do any of the others.
I think that it's always losing someone―even if it's only the idea or possible threat of that loss―that allows us a realistic perspective on how big a hole that person fills in our lives. When one really ponders such a loss, it becomes easy to see the indispensable role that the person plays, what gaps will be left unfilled when one day he or she is gone. It's not always so easy for the full effect of that emotion to be felt when reading about a family losing someone in a book. The holes that will be left by the death of that person have to be demonstrated for us so that we can see and feel them ourselves, so that the loss will feel as profound as the losses that we have felt in our own lives. This is what Grandfather's Dance accomplishes so beautifully, and it's why the book will linger in the hearts and minds of readers for a very long time. I can't see how a better job could have been done of weaving the emotions of the story into the reader's own experiences, and the overall effect of the novel is significantly enhanced by it.
When all is said and done, Patricia MacLachlan will probably best be remembered for the books of the Sarah, Plain and Tall cycle. This is her legacy, and what a powerful legacy it is to own. If she does, in fact, end up being best remembered for these five books, then Patricia MacLachlan will be thought of in future generations as a flawlessly sensitive portrayer of the prairie way of life, which will always be so important to the history of the United States. She will be thought of, too, as an author who clearly understood the souls of children to an extent that even the greatest juvenile authors rarely have attained, and served them tremendously through her writing all the way to the end of her life. When I was given the privilege of meeting Patricia MacLachlan in person, she signed my copy of her picture book All the Places to Love "To Josiah...with Love, Patricia MacLachlan". That is what her writing truly is, an expression of her love to young readers that will live on for as long as her books are still read. How wonderful is it that her stories are a love gift to us? Not all authors would give up such a piece of themselves, but that is why Patricia MacLachlan's books will always find a home in the hearts of sensitive children. My hope is that everyone who has read Sarah, Plain and Tall will eventually find themselves at the other end of the quintet, closing the back cover on Grandfather's Dance to complete the cycle and be able to fully understand, in the end, the gift that they have been given. There will never again be anything quite like it.
―Grandfather's Dance, P. 58
After careful consideration, I'm rounding my three-and-a-half star rating for Grandfather's Dance up instead of down, easily the highest mark that I've given to any of the books in this series. I'm convinced that it's worth the rating.
Grandfather's Dance brings to a close, presumably, what is perhaps the best-loved quintet in all of twentieth-century children's literature. The journey that began in 1985 with Sarah, Plain and Tall, one of the shortest books to ever receive the Newbery Medal, reaches its final stop at the end of Grandfather's Dance, and what a marvelous finish the legendary Patricia MacLachlan has crafted. At a time on the publishing scene when books almost always trend toward decline as a series continues, trying to squeeze every last cent out of an idea even after it's become worn-out and hackneyed, the books of the Sarah, Plain and Tall cycle stand in impressive contrast. In my opinion, the series only became better as the multi-book narrative progressed, culminating in the most powerful, deeply affecting story of all with Grandfather's Dance, one of the best novels that Patricia MacLachlan has ever produced. Having read the entire series about the Witting family, I feel as if I've reached the end of something bigger than I even know, but I also feel really positive about what the books have taught me and the fitting conclusion that is given to one of the most significant literary families of its time.
After working so hard to stay together during the early stages of their development as a solid, cohesive family, the Wittings are ready for a major celebration. A young child at the time of the first book, Anna is now preparing for her wedding day, and her family and friends couldn't be happier. Most of Grandfather's Dance is seen from the perspective of her two half-siblings, Cassie and Jack, her father's two youngest children who were born after Anna and Caleb's mother died and Sarah came along to marry their father. While observing the excitement and bustle of the wedding preparations, Cassie imagines her own eventual wedding, hoping that it will be to a husband worthy of the title. She's pretty sure that she knows just the right kind of groom that would be, and even though the particular type of husband she imagines for herself strikes the family as funny, she continues to think often on what their wedding would be like in the days leading up to her sister's vows.
Grandfather is happy to help Cassie in imagining what her wedding could be like someday. He's getting older, and he says that if he can't be around to see her real wedding when it happens, then he'll gladly take the opportunity to participate in the pre-enactment. So Anna's wedding day is a double wedding of sorts, and though the attention of most guests is only on the official ceremony, Grandfather enjoys both events for all that they mean, and the close and extended family celebrate joyously as Anna and her fiance at last become husband and wife.
For Cassie and Jack, the coming changes are about more than just having a new brother-in-law. Cassie is learning to adapt to the increasing cognitive awareness of her little brother, realizing that he's growing into a child who hears and understands what he is told, even about such abstract concepts as life and death. Grandfather hasn't always been around for his family, and the sad, pressing reality is that he's not always going to be around, either, but for now he is in their lives to the fullest extent possible, and each moment of that experience is right there to be savored and stored away in their hearts while there's still time. As the days of sorrow change place back and forth with the days of joy, continually overlapping and exchanging position and never settling in for too long before the other one takes over again, Cassie is made aware in a single unforgettably poignant moment that Jack understands the concepts of death and loss, that though he's still very young and doesn't always express himself perfectly in words, his actions are demonstration enough that the profundity of loss isn't beyond his tender grasp. In his own way, Jack comprehends the reality of missing someone who is gone more completely than do any of the others.
I think that it's always losing someone―even if it's only the idea or possible threat of that loss―that allows us a realistic perspective on how big a hole that person fills in our lives. When one really ponders such a loss, it becomes easy to see the indispensable role that the person plays, what gaps will be left unfilled when one day he or she is gone. It's not always so easy for the full effect of that emotion to be felt when reading about a family losing someone in a book. The holes that will be left by the death of that person have to be demonstrated for us so that we can see and feel them ourselves, so that the loss will feel as profound as the losses that we have felt in our own lives. This is what Grandfather's Dance accomplishes so beautifully, and it's why the book will linger in the hearts and minds of readers for a very long time. I can't see how a better job could have been done of weaving the emotions of the story into the reader's own experiences, and the overall effect of the novel is significantly enhanced by it.
When all is said and done, Patricia MacLachlan will probably best be remembered for the books of the Sarah, Plain and Tall cycle. This is her legacy, and what a powerful legacy it is to own. If she does, in fact, end up being best remembered for these five books, then Patricia MacLachlan will be thought of in future generations as a flawlessly sensitive portrayer of the prairie way of life, which will always be so important to the history of the United States. She will be thought of, too, as an author who clearly understood the souls of children to an extent that even the greatest juvenile authors rarely have attained, and served them tremendously through her writing all the way to the end of her life. When I was given the privilege of meeting Patricia MacLachlan in person, she signed my copy of her picture book All the Places to Love "To Josiah...with Love, Patricia MacLachlan". That is what her writing truly is, an expression of her love to young readers that will live on for as long as her books are still read. How wonderful is it that her stories are a love gift to us? Not all authors would give up such a piece of themselves, but that is why Patricia MacLachlan's books will always find a home in the hearts of sensitive children. My hope is that everyone who has read Sarah, Plain and Tall will eventually find themselves at the other end of the quintet, closing the back cover on Grandfather's Dance to complete the cycle and be able to fully understand, in the end, the gift that they have been given. There will never again be anything quite like it.
May 12, 2022
Another sweet and nostalgic story concluding the saga of the Witting family. Grab your hankies because this one is about the relationship between a grumpy grandfather and the grandchildren who adore him. Anna is now grown and getting married. Everyone is coming, including the aunts and William from Maine.
If you forgot or missed the other books, the characters remember events of the past.
The family memories jogged mine and I remembered the stories in which those events occurred. This story is about the family and their past, present and future. Less focus is on the specific wedding. The Witting family has expanded to include Sarah and Papa's children, Cassie and now Jack and Papa's father, Jacob. Little Jacob "Jack" is Grandpa's shadow. He copies everything Grandpa says and does, much to the amusement of the family. Grandpa pretends to be annoyed but everyone knows he loves Jack. Cassie is the storyteller of the family. I really like her and can relate to her writing stories in her journal. I think she will be a writer someday. The book is narrated by Cassie, now 10, and gives her impressions of her family. She feels special because she found Grandfather in the barn and brought him home to be a part of the family. They share a close bond. He always listens to her stories and dances with her in the prairie grass.
I love the aunts from Maine and I can see where Sarah learned to be independent and strong. Aunt Lou is a hoot. Sarah is just like her! Papa is kind and indulgent. He loves his family and through his struggles has come to see how much they mean to him.
The writing is sweet and lovely but not quite so lyrical as the first book. (Or missing the nostalgia factor since this didn't come out until I was grown). It requires a hankie at the end. I think adults can see what's coming but some warning might be necessary for sensitive young readers.
An author's note states this book is dedicated to her father on whom Grandfather is modeled. The setting is her childhood and her parents' childhoods spent on the Midwestern plains before moving east. She never forgot or stopped loving Wyoming and it shows in her books. I think this is as much a love letter to her childhood home as it is to her father. Readers of the series won't be disapointed.
If you forgot or missed the other books, the characters remember events of the past.
The family memories jogged mine and I remembered the stories in which those events occurred. This story is about the family and their past, present and future. Less focus is on the specific wedding. The Witting family has expanded to include Sarah and Papa's children, Cassie and now Jack and Papa's father, Jacob. Little Jacob "Jack" is Grandpa's shadow. He copies everything Grandpa says and does, much to the amusement of the family. Grandpa pretends to be annoyed but everyone knows he loves Jack. Cassie is the storyteller of the family. I really like her and can relate to her writing stories in her journal. I think she will be a writer someday. The book is narrated by Cassie, now 10, and gives her impressions of her family. She feels special because she found Grandfather in the barn and brought him home to be a part of the family. They share a close bond. He always listens to her stories and dances with her in the prairie grass.
I love the aunts from Maine and I can see where Sarah learned to be independent and strong. Aunt Lou is a hoot. Sarah is just like her! Papa is kind and indulgent. He loves his family and through his struggles has come to see how much they mean to him.
The writing is sweet and lovely but not quite so lyrical as the first book. (Or missing the nostalgia factor since this didn't come out until I was grown). It requires a hankie at the end. I think adults can see what's coming but some warning might be necessary for sensitive young readers.
An author's note states this book is dedicated to her father on whom Grandfather is modeled. The setting is her childhood and her parents' childhoods spent on the Midwestern plains before moving east. She never forgot or stopped loving Wyoming and it shows in her books. I think this is as much a love letter to her childhood home as it is to her father. Readers of the series won't be disapointed.
September 14, 2021
The last book of the series continues the life of the Witting family and closes a couple of episodes. It is in the same short and poetic style as the previous books.
August 4, 2015
What a beautiful end to a series! This book had everything, a little laughter, a few tears, and a little insight of what the meaning of family really is. This book could not have been any better and I cannot wait to re read them again, especially this story.
I loved seeing how far all the characters have come since the first book and I really enjoyed following their lives and seeing where they would end up in this final book.
I highly recommend it to everyone! I loved Sarah Plain and Tall when I was 10 years old in school and when I found out that there was a series I could not wait to read them, even if it was 9 years later... Amazing!
I loved seeing how far all the characters have come since the first book and I really enjoyed following their lives and seeing where they would end up in this final book.
I highly recommend it to everyone! I loved Sarah Plain and Tall when I was 10 years old in school and when I found out that there was a series I could not wait to read them, even if it was 9 years later... Amazing!
November 11, 2022
I enjoyed seeing Anna married, and little Jack was just about the most adorable thing. But this book's ending was very sad, but in a way it fit the series well.
November 19, 2018
This story mostly follows Cassie and Grandfather - which was really sweet - but for a conclusion, and with Anna's wedding, I would have liked to of heard/seen more of the wedding and had a little more experiences with the other family members too before saying goodbye.
Ages: 5 - 12
Cleanliness: Cassie makes up a game about marrying her dog. The grandfather teases about showing up to a wedding in his underwear. A toddler throws a tantrum. A reference to skinny-dipping in a previous book.
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!
Visit my website!
Ages: 5 - 12
Cleanliness: Cassie makes up a game about marrying her dog. The grandfather teases about showing up to a wedding in his underwear. A toddler throws a tantrum. A reference to skinny-dipping in a previous book.
**Like my reviews? I also have hundreds of detailed reports that I offer too. These reports give a complete break-down of everything in the book, so you'll know just how clean it is or isn't. I also have Clean Guides (downloadable PDFs) which enable you to clean up your book before reading it!
Visit my website!
May 20, 2021
This was a bittersweet end to the family saga. MacLaughlin has such a sensitive way of looking through not just the eyes of A child, but of SEVERAL children, all with unique personalities. It's a sweet, innocent way to watch the troubles and triumphs of a family play out over the course of many years.
December 18, 2023
Glad this series is over. Each book after the other ones are getting less. It gets more predictable and the same old. Easy read.
October 26, 2025
I don't want to give it away but I knew what was going to happen at the start of the book. Patricia MacLachlan did a wonderful job of concluding the series but...I don't think I will be able to manage reading the last book again.
February 11, 2024
Read to Davey. Poignant and sad, but well-written and enjoyable.
2024 revisit
Still a great story. The spare but powerful prose is downright moving at times, as is the story it tells. This is a fully realized portrait of a family, complete with joy, sorrow, grief, and hope, all in 83 pages.
I also really love the whimsy of Cassie’s journal.
2024 revisit
Still a great story. The spare but powerful prose is downright moving at times, as is the story it tells. This is a fully realized portrait of a family, complete with joy, sorrow, grief, and hope, all in 83 pages.
I also really love the whimsy of Cassie’s journal.
January 15, 2014
I loved the other books in this series. Especially Sarah, Plain and Tall. This one was just kind of a disappointment. There were a few phrases that reminded me of the other books, but something was missing...don't know what.
April 11, 2017
Awww! So sweet! I hate to admit it, but I cried (well, I didn't bawl, but I counted three tears on my cheek!). It was so sad! Yet, I wasn't like "WHY DID IT END LIKE THAT???!!!". The ending felt resolved. Somehow, I knew it was going to end THAT way.
June 27, 2022
An ending to the series that is happy and sad, touching and heartfelt -- I literally cried reading it at the park this afternoon. I love how the author brought everything around full circle by the ending. A really wonderful series.
November 24, 2019
There is heart in every installment of this series. I do love it.
February 18, 2021
I read this book aloud to my 5 year old and 7 year old and it has been such a joy to share this beloved series with them. The preceding book and this one were not released when I first read the series and I am so glad I could read them now. This was a beautiful, emotional, and fitting conclusion to the series. I also loved the author's note at the end and learning about the inspiration for the story.
My kids adored Jack in this book and laughed so hard at the things he would say and smiled at the tender moments. His relationship with his grandfather is one of the most beautiful intergenerational depictions I have read.
Though I felt this was the perfect end to the series my kids were really sad to see it end. I told them they could imagine and decide what happens to the characters next and they immediately started making plans to write their own sequels. This series also inspired my son to start a journal.
My kids adored Jack in this book and laughed so hard at the things he would say and smiled at the tender moments. His relationship with his grandfather is one of the most beautiful intergenerational depictions I have read.
Though I felt this was the perfect end to the series my kids were really sad to see it end. I told them they could imagine and decide what happens to the characters next and they immediately started making plans to write their own sequels. This series also inspired my son to start a journal.
April 17, 2021
Grandfather's Dance is the final book of the Sarah,Plain and Tall series. It entwines the joy of a wedding with the love of family. It is about beginnings and endings but mostly it shows the joy of being known.
September 20, 2018
this book is great story but yet funnny cover
April 2, 2019
The fifth and final book of the sarah plain and tall series
December 31, 2025
Beautiful end to the series.
April 12, 2019
This was a little sad but a great ending to the series.
August 3, 2023
“Oh I suppose that’s what writing is for” said Grandpa
“ To change life and it come out the way you want it to.”
“ To change life and it come out the way you want it to.”
December 18, 2020
2.5 stars & 3/10 hearts. I feel like this book was a let-down. I liked John, and everyone else; but the constant thread about Cassie marrying her dog--and then when she actually DOES "marry" him--grossed me out. And then there were a couple mentions of kissing. I just couldn't enjoy it. I liked the characters--but not the storyline. I don't think I'll reread it.
October 13, 2013
“Grandfather’s Dance” is #5 in the “Sarah…” series. In this final episode, Anna and Justin’s wedding brings Sarah’s family from Maine to celebrate the happy event. Grandfather is getting more tired, but his sweet relationship with Cassie and little Jack becomes even more special as each day passes.
At first I was a bit confused by the dance scene, but in finishing the whole story, I thought it was definitely touching, and eloquent in a quiet way. Both the old, and the very young learn much about the passing of time, and most importantly, family love that will endure forever. It is a beautiful and tender conclusion to a heart-warming series.
Again, my elementary librarian experience still holds my recommendation to 2nd-5th graders. This whole "Sarah, Plain and Tall" series is one I will recommend to my grandkids' 2nd and 4th grade students when I read to them.
At first I was a bit confused by the dance scene, but in finishing the whole story, I thought it was definitely touching, and eloquent in a quiet way. Both the old, and the very young learn much about the passing of time, and most importantly, family love that will endure forever. It is a beautiful and tender conclusion to a heart-warming series.
Again, my elementary librarian experience still holds my recommendation to 2nd-5th graders. This whole "Sarah, Plain and Tall" series is one I will recommend to my grandkids' 2nd and 4th grade students when I read to them.
February 23, 2017
Very fun little book. Much of the first third of the book was reminding the reader of some of the most important things that had happened in the previous 4 books, but the last part was nice and sweet. We had a wedding of the oldest sister, our first storyteller from "Sarah, Plain and Tall," but the book wasn't about that at all. It was just a way for the author to gather in some family. But in very few words the author helps us learn to love John (the Grandfather) for who he is, and the story makes us think of those we have known and loved and how they made an impression in our lives. Very well done.
July 14, 2017
A big problem with this series is that although the books are told by different characters at different ages, they all sound the same and use language that isn't appropriate to the person and age in question. I also disliked the extended scene of an older woman having to convince a younger man that she could do what she wanted to do (drive the car). The treatment of the older aunts in this book perpetuates some gender stereotypes about older women as eccentric and unmanageable while giving a free pass to the grouchy grandfather.
February 13, 2018
The only thing I didn’t like about this book was I knew it was the last, the fifth, in a most enjoyable series written for young children and enjoyed by this old adult. There are so many almost hidden nuances throughout - easy to miss unless you enjoy it slowly. Family is the main theme in this one, the way you want family to be, even though sad moments are mixed in with the happy. I cried. Get the whole Sarah Plain and Tall series and get a 10 year old to read it with. Otherwise, still read it.
September 25, 2013
This is the last book of the 'Sarah, Plain and Tall' series, and, to be honest, I'm really going to miss the Witing clan! I loved how this book introduced Jack from Cassie's point of view, and that how her 'voice' while still undeniably 'Cassie', was also more mature and understanding from the previous book.
I adored this series, and I really have high hopes that the next Patricia MacLachlan book I read will be just as good!
I adored this series, and I really have high hopes that the next Patricia MacLachlan book I read will be just as good!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews