A Lantern in Her Hand

A Lantern in Her Hand is a historical novel for children written by Bess Streeter Aldrich and published in 1928. The novel follows the life of a pioneer woman named Abbie as she navigates the trials and tribulations of life in the wild, motherhood, loss, and joy. Prominent themes include The Importance of Family, The Pioneer Spirit, and The Power of Art. The novel is based on Aldrich’s own experiences moving from Iowa to Nebraska in the 19th century. Aldrich is the author of 200 short stories and 13 novels. She died in 1954 and was added to the Nebraska Hall of Fame in 1971.

This guide is based on the Tingle Books 2022 e-book edition.

Plot Summary

The novel opens with a family moving to a new town in Iowa. The family is comprised of a few siblings and a mother, the father having died a few years before. They travel together through rough terrain, eager to make it safely to their new home. In this family is Abbie, a young girl with a singing talent. When she and her family settle in Iowa, Abbie commits herself to her singing. She grows up and is courted by two young men, Will Deal and Ed Matthews. Ed is wealthy and openly adores Abbie. She is tempted by his offer to move to a city and invest in her singing career, but she worries about Ed’s temperament and the rumors about his drinking. What’s more, Abbie can’t stop thinking about Will. Abbie leaves Ed and marries Will because she’s in love with him.

Will decides they need to get out of his parents’ farm and make their own life. He settles on a barren expanse of land in Nebraska. Abbie doesn’t want to leave her mother behind but has no choice but to follow her husband on his pioneering journey. They make the arduous trip to Nebraska and set up camp with a small group of other pioneers. Their labor is difficult and never-ending, but they take pride in their work. Abbie stops singing, but the true joy of her life is her children. Becoming a mother fills Abbie with joy. As the years go by, Will and Abbie make more of a life in Nebraska. They build a house and slowly, a town starts to form. Throughout these growing years, Abbie often finds herself saddened and frustrated by their poverty, but she holds on to the love of her family to keep her going.

As Abbie’s children grow up, she resolves not to force them into sacrificing their passions as she did. She invests in their futures and their dreams. One by one, her children get older and leave home for work off the farm. Will dies while working, but Abbie continues to feel his presence with her in the house. Abbie takes comfort in her memories of Will and the partnership they had for decades.

Abbie’s children grow into adulthood. The original pioneer community has grown into a proper town called Cedartown. Abbie’s happiness is multiplied when her children start getting married and having children of their own. Everything is progressing well in Abbie’s life, except for one thing. Abbie misses her artistic side. She gave up singing a long time ago but still craves self-expression through art. She resolves to write a book about her life but finds that she can’t come up with the right words to correctly and movingly capture her story. Rather than continue to nurture her art, Abbie nurtures the art of her children and grandchildren.

In Abbie’s elderly years, she takes great comfort from a close relationship with her granddaughter Laura. Laura is a poet and loves to hear Abbie’s stories from the past. When Abbie dies, peaceful and happy, Laura will keep her memory and legacy alive.