by Bess Streeter Aldrich
Genre: Historical Fiction / AR 6.4
This work spans the lifetime of Abbie Mckinzie Deal and her husband, Will. It is above all a love story, or actually three love stories. The first, is the story of Abbie and Will's love. The second is the love of a mother for her children. The third, is the love of the prairie by the pioneers. Tieing all of them together is the theme of sacrifice, delayed rewards, and the unflinching devotion that comes from patience and duty through it all. This book is beyond the reading level of most of our students. I confess, it's hard to imagine how our young students could ever fully appreciate the depth of Abbie's character. I don't think it will hinder their enjoyment of the story, if they can only be convinced to give it a try. Aldrich pens many beautifully written passages filled with a charity of spirit and hopefulness that all should be able to respect.
The entire text can be read online courtesy of the Gutenberg project. One of my favorite passages is near the end. In this scene, Abbie's youngest daughter has invited her to travel abroad to Europe. When Abbie refuses, Grace accuses her mother of having lived a "narrow" life.
Unwittingly, as so often she did, Grace had hurt her Mother's feelings. For a moment Abbie nursed her little hurt, and then she said quietly, "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 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 . . . 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 every one . . . you're not narrow . . . you're broad."
I've added the bold because I think it expresses such an elegant idea so simply. This book has a slow beginning and some sluggish parts (to me), but with writing like this throughout it is worth the time. I only hope I can convince some of our more advanced readers to give it a try.
