Take a story's temperature by studying its tone. Is it hopeful? Cynical? Snarky? Playful?
Seeking a Connection
Although the writing style of Sarah, Plain and Tall is pretty simple and plain, the actual tone of the book is filled with longing because it's told from Anna's perspective—and she really wants to connect with Sarah so this woman will decide to marry Jacob and stay:
Sarah brushed my hair and tied it up in back with a rose velvet ribbon she had brought from Maine. She brushed hers long and free and tied it back, too, and we stood side by side looking into the mirror. I looked taller, like Sarah, and fair and thin. And with my hair pulled back I looked a little like her daughter. Sarah's daughter. (4.34)
Anna's descriptions of their physical appearances are simple and not too overwrought, but her comment about how she looks like Sarah's daughter infuses the writing with a kind of wistfulness and longing. She obviously has a lot of hopes for this woman and her role in the Witting family, so it's a real relief when we find—at the end—that Sarah is staying.