content: I happened upon this book by accident while cleaning out a garage and I am so glad I did. I had heard of the author years ago but didn't try to read any of her books. I'm glad it was A Lantern In Her Hand that I found.I could not put it down; reading till the wee hours of the dark a.m., about falling asleep with it, only to finish it as soon as I could awaken.I found myself in Abbie Deal's story as a wife, mother, and now grandmother, over and over again. What we give up for and what we do for, our children and husbands goes largely unappreciated, but we would do it all over again just as Abbie would. This story speaks to the heart of every wife, mother, and grandmother. It somehow validates what we have done and why.It is an old-fashioned story and not for you unless you appreciate settling the west in covered wagons on a prairie, living off the land, and learning how to 'make do' with what one has at hand.