A White Bird Flying

by Bess Streeter Aldrich

Hardcover, 1931

Status

Available

Series

Abbie Deal (2)

Genres

Publication

D. Appleton (1931), Edition: 1st, 336 pages

Description

"" Abbie Deal, the matriarch of a pioneer Nebraska family, has died at the beginning of "A White Bird Flying," leaving her china and heavy furniture to others and to her granddaughter Laura the secret of her dream of finer things. Grandma Deal's literary aspirations had been thwarted by the hard circumstances of her life, but Laura vows that nothing, no one, will deter her from a successful writing career. Childhood passes, and the more she repeats her vow the more life intervenes.

User reviews

LibraryThing member aimless22

As a sequel to A Lantern in her Hand, I found this book a disappointment. I missed the loving attitude the characters in Lantern had toward the land, nature and their place in it. Times changed in the lives of the Deal family and with those changes came modern conveniences and modern attitudes. I

wanted more of the old pioneer spirit in these descendents of Abbie Deal. I missed her.

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LibraryThing member MerryMary

A sequel to "Lantern in Her Hand" that stands alone quite well. The story of Abbie Deal's grand-daughter Laura, and her coming of age in the earliest decades of the 20th century. Essentially a slice-of-life narrative, with various characters learning and growing, and coming of age. Well written, as

Aldrich's works usually are. An old favorite.

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LibraryThing member majorbabs

While others may point to Willa Cather to tell the pioneers story, I point people to this book and to its predecessor, A Lantern In Her Hand. Aldrich may not have the critical acclaim that Cather does, but I think she is much more a writer of the people, a writer of pioneer stories and a writer who

can capture the human heart. This story of the Deals -- and particularly Laura Deal -- is a treasure even if you've never been here. It's one of my very favorite and re-read books.

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LibraryThing member satyridae

Sweet but pale in comparison with A Lantern In Her Hand.

LibraryThing member kathleen586

The story starts out slow, but once I got to the main conflict I couldn't put it down. (This is a sequel to A Lantern in Her Hand, and both books are highly recommended!)

LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50

A White Bird Flying by Bess Streeter Aldrich is a sequel to A Lantern In Her Hand, but this book is about her granddaughter, Laura. In fact, Abby passes away in the opening chapter of this book. Laura was the grandchild that was closest to Abby, she visited her everyday and feels a great emptiness

in her life when her grandmother passes. Abby understood Laura and encouraged her dreams and her ambitions to become a writer. As Laura grows, she decides that marriage will not be for her, she will instead concentrate on becoming an author.

Laura stays true to her dream all through high school and university. She makes plans to leave Nebraska and go to New York but during the final summer months before she is to leave, she falls in love with a local boy, Allan. Allan wants her to stay, marry him and become a farmer’s wife. As this is an era when married women did not have careers, she knew it would have to be one thing or the other. Then during a horrific summer storm, she realizes just how much she does love Allan. She turns to her memories of her grandmother to help her make her final decision.

I found this book to be a charming and sentimental story. It highlights the issues that women were dealing with in the early years of the 20th century. This quiet, gentle read makes me appreciate that although women are still striving for equality, at least we are able to have marriage, family and a career today. Originally published in 1931, A White Bird Flying is another tribute to her home state and the author’s ideals of hard work and family.

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