Sonderbooks Book Review of More Perfect than the Moon

Reviewed June 20, 2005.
Joanna Cotler Books (HarperCollins), New York, 2004. 80 pages.
Available at Sembach Library (JF MAC).

More Perfect Than the Moon is another beautiful book in the series about Sarah, Plain and Tall, by Patricia MacLachlan. The other books are Skylark, and Caleb’s Story.

In the first book, Anna tells about how her father Jacob advertised for a mail-order bride after her mother died giving birth to Caleb. At first, they don’t know if Sarah will stay, since she doesn’t like the prairie as much as the sea she once lived by.

In this fourth book, the story is taken up by Cassie, Anna’s half-sister, child of Sarah and Jacob. Cassie is a writer. She watches people and writes about them. And she also writes about her wishes and dreams, hoping that they will come true. More changes come to the family, and Cassie records it all.

Part of the beauty of this series is how Patricia MacLachlan skillfully expresses deep emotions with the simplest of language. You believe that a child could have written this, because the language is straightforward and plain. Yet so much is conveyed in between the lines.

This is a beautiful story of a loving family and of the power of words.

Reviews of other books by Patricia MacLachlan:
Grandfather's Dance
My Father's Words
Bittle

Book Reviews by Sondra Eklund

*****More Perfect than the Moon*

by Patricia MacLachlan