Sarah, Plain and Tall

Sarah, Plain and Tall Summary | Plot Summary

Sarah, Plain and Tall is a heartwarming tale of a family in search of a mother. Anna and Caleb are two motherless children, who live all alone with their father in an isolated, rural community in turn of the century America. Life is difficult on the farm for the three lonely family members. The nearest neighbors are a half-day's drive from the farm by wagon, and although it's been several years since Papa was widowed, there are no eligible women in the area for him to meet. Little Caleb, in particular, needs a mother. Mama died after giving birth to Caleb, and he has never known the love of a mother. This loss tears at Anna's heart every time Caleb asks her what life was like when Mama was alive.

One day, Papa announces to his children that he has placed an ad in the paper for a new wife and mother. What's more, he has received a reply from a lady named Sarah Elisabeth Wheaton. Sarah lives by the seashore in Maine, and although Sarah loves her home, her brother has just married a nice, young lady, and Sarah wishes to move out and find a home of her own so her brother and his wife can enjoy their new life together. Papa, Anna, and Caleb each write Sarah a letter, hoping to learn more about her. Sarah sends them all a nice reply, and even encloses a book about sea birds so they can learn more about where she currently lives.

Little Caleb reads the books so many times he memorizes it by heart. He carries Sarah's letter everywhere he goes, and Anna begins to worry that Caleb will be terribly disappointed if Sarah decides not to become their new mother. Caleb's hopes shoot sky high when Sarah writes to inform them that she is coming for a month-long visit in the spring. If things go well, Papa tells the children, he and Sarah will be married in the summertime. Sarah arrives by train, as planned. Papa brings her from the train station back to the farm, and the family begins to get to know Sarah.

Sarah, as she described herself in her letter, is plain and tall. She loves to sing, and on the very first night, she has Papa singing again for the first time since Mama died. The family dogs instantly fall in love with Sarah. Caleb quickly becomes attached to Sarah, too. He follows her everywhere, telling her all about himself, their family, and life on the farm. Papa and Anna also come to love Sarah, but Anna is shy like her father, and they are not as open about their feelings as Caleb. The more Caleb comes to love Sarah, the more frightened he becomes that she will decide not to stay with the family. Sarah seems to care about them all, but the children can tell she is homesick, and misses the sea. Anna and Caleb wish that they lived by the sea instead of in a vast prairie. They try everything they can think of to make Sarah like their new home, but no matter what they do, she still misses the sea.

One day, the neighbors from the south, Matthew and Maggie, come to visit the family. Matthew, like Papa, had placed an ad in the papers seeking a wife, and Maggie had come all the way from Tennessee to marry him. She has brought the laughter and joy back into the lives of Matthew and his two young children. Maggie helps Sarah feel at home by bringing her flowers for planting a garden. Maggie explains to Sarah that although Maggie misses her old home in Tennessee, she is happy with her new home and family. Maggie suggests that Sarah drive the wagon to Maggie's house for visits. The next day, Sarah insists that Papa teach her how to drive the wagon so that she can come and go as she pleases. Caleb doesn't want Papa to teach her, for he is afraid that Sarah will leave and never come back. Sarah learns quickly, and insists on driving away by herself the next day.

It is a very long day for Caleb, Anna, and Papa. Anna and Caleb cry over the idea of never seeing Sarah again. Caleb, especially, is certain that she will not return, because she misses the sea too much. The entire family is overjoyed when Sarah returns to them that evening, as night falls. In town, she has bought colored pencils of gray, green, and blue, so that she can draw pictures with the colors of the ocean. That night, she tells them she has decided to stay and join their family. She and Papa will be married in the summer. The whole family rejoices, and Caleb learns a valuable lesson: Love cannot be forced, only accepted. Gladly, he accepts his new Mama's love.