Patricia MacLachlans Life Reflected in Sarah, Plain, and Tall :: Biography Biographies Essays

Patricia MacLachlans Life Reflected in Sarah, Plain, and TallBeyond MacLachlans basic interest in creating a good childrens novel in Sarah, Plain, and Tall, she also has a very personal investment in connecting her story and its characters with the many facets of her personal experiences family, her beliefs, and her biography.It suck inms odd that an notwithstanding child, from an intact family, would have the insight to write so detailed about the feelings of loss and a blended family. When asked Do you think a family means a sire, and a father, and a child? Surprisingly, MacLachlan replied, No, I dont think that. And I never had. MacLachlan went through a time when her own mother had Alzheimers disease and was losing her memory. MacLachlan stated, In a sense, she was leaving me, though not because she wanted to. (Author Information teachersran-dom.com) Her characters Anna and Caleb feel that same sense of loss as they remember their mother and learn to accept Sarah. MacLachlan f elt there were extended people who became your kind of parents. For a lot of children she was their mother/grandmother surrogate. We (MacLachlans family) are very strongly connected, my children, myself and even my nieces and nephews. What I am most concerned about is who we are as family and how we effect each other. I didnt have brothers or sisters, and this whitethorn be where it came from. (Author Information teachers-random.com). It is now easier to see how Anna and Caleb are so willing to take Sarah into their own family. The characters in the book dont fall to who was a part of their original family, but instead like MacLachlan, focus on how each character effects each other.MacLachlan also wrote a series of journal articles on adoption and foster mothers which had a major impact on her life. It was clear to me that much of the focus of my writing was sharpened by my interestingness and concern for families and children. This was partially the basis for her decision to wr ite for children. She spends a lot of time listening to people talk and begins stories in her head.(Author Information teachersrandom.com) It is clear to see that her inspiration came from many sources. What started out as a career in a seemingly separate field, overflowed into what is unique and central to the themes of her writings today.To understand the ambit of the book Sarah,