A Lantern in Her Hand

Amid the rough-and-tumble world of frontier Iowa, eight-year-old Abbie Mackenzie treasured a secret dream, a fantasy of growing up to become a fine lady like her aristocratic Scottish grandmother, devoting herself to music, art, and cultural events. But at eighteen Abbie found a different dream, turning away from the promise of a comfortable future as a doctor's wife in New York City to marry Will Deal. Handsome, quiet Will, who, with Abbie at his side eagerly accepted the challenge of homesteading in Nebraska territory, where the prairies stretched as far as the eye could see and only the strongest survived for long. This is Abbie's story-a story of struggle against unexpected perils, of love and laughter, of the land she helped conquer and the family she raised. It is a story that has captivated generations of readers through its heart-stirring recreation of the American pioneering spirit.