Review: "A Lantern in Her Hand" by Bess Streeter Aldrich

This book was first published in 1928. It chronicles the life of Abbie Deal from the time of a young child of eight until her death at the age of 80. She started her life out in Chicago when it was just a small village. The story picks up when she is eight and on her way to the Blackhawk county in Iowa. There she grows into a young, beautiful woman who has the talent and ability to become an world renowned singer. She gives her dreams up to marry her sweetheart and they move to Nebraska. Times are hard but they persevere. They raise five children to adulthood and their farm slowly becomes prosperous. Although her life didn’t turn out as she planned, she is content.

In the beginning, this was not an easy book for me to become immersed. Because it was written 87 years ago, phrases and English are different and sometimes hard to follow. Since it came highly recommended, I kept reading and I’m glad I did. Abbie’s story is very captivating. Her life was not dull and there were many exploits that kept me turning pages. Another aspect that I found appealing was Abbie’s philosophical thoughts on her life. She never was able to do a lot of the items on her “bucket list” but still, she was happy. I found her beliefs inspiring and still pertinent for today.

I recommend this book. It is very informative in both physical and emotional ways. You will have plenty to think about after the last page is turned.