Sarah Plain and Tall

This historical fiction book takes place in the late 19th century. The setting is on a midwestern farm.Sarah who is from Maine comes to meet a widowed farmer.He has two children who are looking for a mother type model.The children are intrigued by the stories Sarah tells of Maine. They also wonder whether or not Sarah will stay in the midwest or will return to Maine.Sarah eventually learns the ways of the midwest and decides to stay.
The story is fairly accurate for the time period. Sarah traveled by train and when the family went into town it was by horse and buggy.The conflicts occured when the children didn't want to trust Sarah right away and she wasn't so sure about the farm she had arrived at. This is not a difficult story for children to understand at all. The English is authentic, but not to advanced for children to not understand.
As for the theme, it becomes about trust and abandonment all at the same time.The children and the father are worried about Sarah leaving and Sarah has to learn to gain trust from the family in which she was invited to.