2009 One Book One Nebraska
A Lantern in Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich
First published in 1928, A Lantern in Her Hand has outlasted
literary fashions to touch generations of readers. In this classic story
of a pioneer woman, Bess Streeter Aldrich modeled protagonist Abbie Deal
on her own mother, who in 1854 had traveled by covered wagon to the
Midwest.
In A Lantern in Her Hand, Abbie accompanies her family to the soon-to-be-state of Nebraska. There, in 1865, she marries and settles into her own sod house. The novel describes Abbie’s years of child-raising, of making a frontier home able to withstand every adversity. A disciplined writer knowledgeable about true stories of pioneer days in Nebraska, Bess Streeter Aldrich conveys the strength of everyday things, the surprise of familiar faces, and the look of the unspoiled landscape during different seasons. Refusing to be broken by hard experience, Abbie sets a joyful example for her family—and for her readers.
One Book One Nebraska 2009 is sponsored by the Nebraska Center for the Book, Nebraska Humanities Council, Nebraska Library Association, Nebraska Library Commission, and the University of Nebraska Press. This is the fifth year for the project. Click the links below to find a wide variety of materials to support your exploration of A Lantern in Her Hand.
Resources
- Find a copy of this book @ your library®
- Borrow a book club kit (libraries and media centers only) from the Nebraska Library Commission or any of the six Regional Library Systems
- Press kit [pdf] — University of Nebraska Press
- View the proclamation
- Book club kit [pdf]
- Evaluation form [pdf]
- Poster [pdf] — University of Nebraska Press
- Digitized materials — Nebraska Memories, Nebraska Library Commission
Related Links
- One Book One Nebraska Official Website
- One Book One Nebraska Start Page — An introduction to the selections for each year
- Bess Streeter Aldrich Foundation Website