Caroline Fraser

"This book, written by the editor of the Library of America edition of the Little House books, is a thoroughly researched biography of not only Laura Ingalls Wilder, but of her daughter, Rose. Using unpublished manuscripts, letters, financial records, and more, Fraser gives fresh insight into the life of a woman beloved to many. Intensively researched, this is definitely a fascinating read, and one that I plan on reading again -- maybe the next time I re-read the Little House series. -- Jennifer Ohzourk for LibraryReads,"--Novelist.

The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Prairie Fires

Laura Mauler

Grim. 

The lives of small-time farmers that were venerated in the books of Laura Ingalls Wilder contain a bitter truth: there is no way to make a living on the prairie without government aid (rarely forthcoming) or tens of thousands of dollars already in your bank account. And the dark secret of the "Little House" series is that the Ingalls family did not make it. Charles and Caroline repeatedly took chances with their money, their labor, and the safety of their children, and none of those chances paid off; they never did make it as farmers on the prairie. Once Laura marries and has started a life of her own there is hope that circumstances will ease, but she has quite the daddy complex and marries a man just like Charles: one determined to be a farmer in a part of the country that is too arid to sustain crops, and one who is a spendthrift to boot. Life is grim and stays that way, and eventually a daughter named Rose grows up to cause a whole host of problems. 

For readers who grew up on the "Little House" books (as I did) this book is scandalous and fascinating and touching and grim. The author is thorough and precise in the details, and gives much-needed context to a life that we all thought we knew. A must-read.

A comprehensive historical portrait of Laura Ingalls Wilder draws on unpublished manuscripts, letters, diaries, and official records to fill in the gaps in Wilder's official story, sharing details about her pioneer experiences.

Wendy M Holt

I found this fascinating. I enjoyed it very much. Admittedly, I have a soft spot for anything that has to do with Little House on the Prairie. It doesn't matter if it's fiction or non-fiction.

Prairie Fires The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder

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