Read the book. I did when I was 14.

It has influenced me for over 30 years. I have lived by many of Nancy's (and her father's) values.

I will never ever regret spending my hard-earned pennies to get that book in some souvenir shop while my family was on our "go West" summer trip. I always thought long and hard before buying anything, but after leafing through a few pages and reading passages from Bess Streeter Aldrich's book, I would have asked my parents for extra money to buy the book. Luckily, I had enough.

It's the best investment I have ever made.

Karen K. (Schmidt) Gregory

Intrigue - romance - good old-fashioned values - beautiful sentences - believable characters. Having grown up in the Midwest, this book brought back all the seasons, smells, rhythms and beauty of prarie living. Bess Streeter Aldrich's prose is timeless - I am thankful to have discovered her work. What a pleasant surprise!

This is a good book, well worth reading. I like mysteries, and this one has a mystery in it! I won't tell you what it is, you'll have to find out, but it is not a 'scary' type of mystery, just enough to make you not want to put the book down. I just wanted to say that I have 'Rim of the Prairie', and really enjoyed it! If you live in Nebraska, you will enjoy this book, and even if you don't, you should still read it.

A heavy reader, I have excellent recall but there is one book I read in my teens which I have always looked for and could not find. I am happy to be able to order it here.

It is a story of simple young love which is thwarted by a number of societal rules...and as we watch the two parallel lives unfold, we are startled, near the end, to watch them pass one another again...our emotions never recover. That is why I must read it again as I ender old age myself.

This book is a delightful and enchanting story

I first read this book as an almost high school freshman; it stayed with me through the years and I had to 'find' it again through the same library almost 30 years later. The story has not lost any of its power and charm; the love and constancy of Amalia and Matthew for each other, and their ability to carry on despite separation, hardship and heartbreak is still a strong story. The story is a thorough, clear picture of the life of a settler, when what we now call the midwest was wilderness. Duty, the greater good of the community, just getting to the end of the day/planting season/year was an accomplishment. To do this well, with honor and simple love, carries the lead characters through. When they separate, in spite of all their intentions to stay together, your heart almost breaks, yet cheers for them as they continue. When they are 'almost' brought back together, I smiled at the irony and justice of this beautiful example of the full 'circle of life.'

Cutters is one of my favorite "Keep it in perspective" books. I feel I need to read this humorous endearing book every once in a while to remind myself what has value and what does not. Each chapter has Mrs. Cutter dealing with struggles that every mother has, and coming to see how wonderful her life really is! There's the chapter where a new and respected woman comes to town and says "Here's a new and better way to discipline your children." Mrs. Cutter thinks, "Yes, I don't want to be old-fashioned. I must use this new way." Of course, everything falls apart, the children get out of hand, and Mrs. Cutter sees her folly. There's a chapter in which she longs for a newer and better house, deciding to sacrifice everything in order to get one. Or the time she's told the only right way to live is to get rid of all the clutter in the house, even your dearest oldest treasures. Though written long ago, it seems to be right where so many of us live today. The book is cheering, uplifting, and so very enjoyable!

"The Cutters", is a book about a family in the earlier 1900's, with 3 boys, one girl, Grandma and Ed and Nell Cutter. Nell Cutter is the mother, and the main character, although her children are sometimes the main characters in other chapters. She always has something to do, as most mothers of four do, and is always on the go. However, that does not mean that she does not have time for her family. Nell realizes in the end that her family means all the world to her, and that mothers should enjoy their children while they still have them at home, because one day, they won't be. This book would be a good read-a-loud for the family, as it has no questionable content, or bad language.

In my family, this is a favorite of three generations-my grandma, in her 80s, my mother, in her 50s, and me, in my 20s. We all find the characters to be believeable, and they stay with us long after we have finished the story. This book appeals to readers on many different levels. First of all, there is the historical aspect of the struggle of life on the prairie when Iowa was just becoming state. Added to that is the impact of the Civil War. Second, there is the story of a young girl, unsure of herself, growing to womanhood and finding out who she really is as she faces events that are out of her control. We witness Suzanne's first infatuation, her crushing disappointment when she realizes her feelings are not returned, and, eventually, a true love that will outlast anything, even war. The reader realizes that though the times may change, the emotions of growing up do stay the same. Lastly, this book is a wonderful break from the stories of today that feel they must contain some sex, violence and profanity. At times, we just need a good, old-fashoined story where that stuff doesn't get in the way. I can't begin to describe the well-worn condition of my grandma's original book. It just shows that it has been a close, personal friend to three women who love it dearly.

I read this book while I was in high school. I loved it so much that I wrote a term paper on it. That was 10 years ago. I recently picked it up again and rediscovered every description of the prairie, every breathless detail. It still remains my favorite book of all time. I was so endeared to it again that I am searching for all titles written by Bess Streeter Aldrich. It is amazing how she writes such timeless words that touch your heart and senses.

While this book will appeal to fans of prairie or pioneer literature, it has depths that will actually appeal to almost anyone. Set in the early 1900s in small-town Nebraska, it follows the childhood and early womanhood of Laura Deal. Laura is the beloved granddaughter of Abby, the heroine of Aldrich's "A Lantern in Her Hand", and this book picks up right after Abby has died.

Laura is gentle and whimsical, and through her discerning eyes we get to view the other members of the family, many of whom are unintentionally humorous and certainly similar to those we know in real life. There is her practical, materialistic mother, about whom Laura one day thinks, "Mother has no poetry in her soul!" Her father John is quiet and hardworking, who carries some of the burdens of the town on his back but inside is afire with pioneer pride. Brother Wentworth dashes from one boyish pursuit to another. Her extended family, such as her flighty cousin Kathie, fussy Aunt Grace, and powerful Uncle Mack, are all interesting to read about. Outside of her family are several fascinating neighbors, including the attractive Alan and old Oscar, one of the town's founders, who lives in the past and can only find Laura to listen to tales of his glory days.

Although on the surface the story follows Laura's chronology in a fairly simple path, as she moves from school to college to a crisis of decision about how to proceed with her life, there are many other events, major and minor, occurring with everyone else in the story. There is her father's conflict with her uncle over bank monies lost, her cousin Kathie's gallivanting about rather than caring for her child, and old Christine's greediness for more land.

There are also lovely descriptions of the Nebraska countryside, and in the brief but beautiful details of life we get a sense of time and place. Having had a grandmother in Nebraska myself, it all felt so real to me when I read this wonderful book! I also felt breathless when it came time for Laura to decide if she would choose love or money, and the last sentence of the book is one of the best lines I've ever read. It should be quoted like Shakespeare. Quite simply, this is a book to cherish.

This book is a WONDERFUL commentary on how we deal with the connections between generations. Not only was Laura caught between the ancient and modern worlds, but her feelings of progression and independance conflicted with her feelings of love and friendship. The realization that Laura finally makes is in fact the realization that ties us to the past and to the future. It creates an appreciation for those who came before us and those who will follow.

I read this book first at age 14 and again at age 23. I feel more connected to Laura's emotions now, but her plight and hopes were some of the same that I had as I was growing up. There is an appreciation for all those people who stepped out of the safe world and traveled to the west, making a home for all of us who have followed.

This is a wonderful collection of Bess Streeter Aldrich's work. The volume includes a complete text of "A Lantern in Her Hand" and "Miss Bishop" along with five short stories written by Bess Streeter Aldrich. It is a wonderful selection to inclue in a colleciton of prarie pioneer stories. She writes with such knowledge of the past, and adds the mystery and characters to make the stories intreguing. I enjoyed it thoroughly! A must for you if you like Nebraska or midwestern historical stories without the sex and violence!

The Collected Short Works is basically Bess Streeter Aldrich's stories that she sent in to magazines. She put some of those stories in her books, although she did change a few names, etc. I liked the way each story had a little note telling about when she had had it published, the magazine that published it, and other misc. information on the story. And I'd say that it truly does deserve 5 stars! Or, maybe 4 1/2. I would recommend this book for anyone who enjoys Bess Streeter Aldrich books!

This delightful book follows the exploits and adventures of the Mason family. Smalltown life in Iowa is described in warm, friendly detail. An excellent book for relaxing on a lazy afternoon or a busy day escape.

I have loved this book ever since I read it the first time. The story line is ageless. I have been trying to find a copy of it to buy for years. I read this book several times in grammer school, (about 35 years ago) and I have never forgotten it. The story always touched me....a beautiful lady, who could have married into wealth and luxury, but instead chose true love. She lived to realize all her dreams through her children. The story never fails to bring tears to my eyes. I can't wait to receive my copy and read it again and again!!!

When Abbie Mckenzie was young she dreamed of becoming a lovely lady like her grandmother. She wanted to paint beautiful pictures and become a world famous singer. She even gets a chance to fulfill those dreams when the dashing young doctor hears her singing, falls in love, and offers to take her East and away from Iowa with him. But people's ideals change sometimes. Abbie finds love with poor but steady Will Deal. She gives up everything to move to Nebraska with him. Many obsticals awaited them there but together they made it. Abbie and Will were barely getting by, but their children were as happy as kings. Maybe that's because their lovely mother braught them up "with a song upon her lips and a lantern in her hand". As Abbie Deal grows old, she realizes that none of her old dreams will ever come true for her but they will through her children. And as an old woman, she can look back on her life with a smile. This book is beautiful and touching and will bring tears to your eyes. I recomend this book because I absolutely loved it every time I read it.

This is a great classic.I first read this book in junior high school and I searched for years before finally finding it here at Amazon.com. The story begins and ends with an old woman and then goes back through time to tell her tale.It is eloquent and moving,charming and insiteful.We see the world through the eyes of a small pioneer girl.We grow up with her,watch her love for her family and devotion to them grow and learn why she does what she does.You will laugh and cry right along with her and become a part of her world . Read this book if you want to hold a part of history in your heart.

This book is about a girl, Linnie, and her spoiled cousin, Cynthia. Linnie is visiting her cousin's family, and meets Lt. Norman Stafford at a party. She greatly admires him, because he seems to show respect for her, and is more mature than other men. However, Norman is in love with Cynthia, and that night, he proposes to her. Cynthia is a flirt, and ends up eloping with George Hemming, another young man. Linnie is in anguish, for she secretly is in love with Norman. She takes the tickets that Norman had intended for Cynthia, and gets on a steamboat headed for the fort at which he is at. You'll have to read to find out what happens next!