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Laura: The Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder
Courage, Adventure, Steadfast Love
From a little house set deep in the Big Woods of Wisconsin, across Indian territory and into the Dakotas, Laura's family moved westward right along the frontier.
Their true-life saga, beloved by countless millions of TV viewers and readers of the bestselling Little House books, is one of spirit and devotion in the face of bitter-cold winters, wilderness trails, and heartbreaking personal tragedy.
Here, for the first time, and drawing on her own unpublished memoirs is the endlessly fascinating full account of Laura's life — from her earliest years through her enduring marriage to Almanzo Wilder, the "farmer boy" of her stories.
Draws on documented records and Mrs. Wilder's unpublished memoirs to picture the people, places, and events that informed her ninety years and inspired her well-beloved Little House books
241 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1976
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 149 reviews
May 31, 2012
I’ve decided that I want to become a Laura expert, so this was my foray into a voluntary autobiographical study. My college lit professors would be so proud!
I must admit that at first, I could not stay awake while reading this book, but please don’t let that stop you from reading it. It wasn’t boring, exactly; I would call it soothing. And I was really tired. I absolutely loved the new things I learned. I’ll try to limit myself to listing just a few. I learned that Laura’s age was drastically changed in the Little House books. She was actually only about two-years-old when the family moved to Indian territory and therefore couldn’t have remembered the events of “Little House on the Prairie.� The family then moved back to the big woods until she was about four. Zochert also gives details about the family’s life in Burr Oak, Iowa, a sad chapter of Laura’s life that she chose to leave out of the books. The second half of the biography follows the Little House books more closely, so I don’t know if Laura was more autobiographical in these books or if Zochert found less research to add to this section. I was touched by his descriptions of Laura and Almanzo’s romance and teared up at the mention of Pa’s death.
Mostly, I was impressed with the way Zochert was able to portray Laura. He paints a picture of a quiet, strong, independent, self-assured girl who grew into a faithful, intelligent, loving woman. She is definitely someone I try to emulate.
Here are a few of Laura’s quotes that I want to remember:
“We who live in quiet places have the opportunity to become acquainted with ourselves, to think our own thoughts and live our own lives in a way that is not possible for those who are keeping up with the crowd.�
“I have never lost my childhood’s delight in going after cows.�
“The voices of nature do not speak so plainly to us as we grow older, but I think it is because, in our busy lives, we neglect her until we grow out of sympathy. Our ears and eyes grow dull and beauties are lost to us that we should still enjoy.�
“Life was not intended to be simply a round of work, no matter how interesting and important that work may be. A moment’s pause to watch the glory of a sunrise or a sunset is soul-satisfying, while a bird’s song will set the steps to music all day long.�
“The true way to live is to enjoy every moment as it passes and surely it is in the everyday things around us that the beauty of life lies.�
“Running through all the stories, like a golden thread, is the same thought of the values of life. They were courage, self-reliance, independence, integrity, and helpfulness. Cheerfulness and humor were handmaids to courage.�
I must admit that at first, I could not stay awake while reading this book, but please don’t let that stop you from reading it. It wasn’t boring, exactly; I would call it soothing. And I was really tired. I absolutely loved the new things I learned. I’ll try to limit myself to listing just a few. I learned that Laura’s age was drastically changed in the Little House books. She was actually only about two-years-old when the family moved to Indian territory and therefore couldn’t have remembered the events of “Little House on the Prairie.� The family then moved back to the big woods until she was about four. Zochert also gives details about the family’s life in Burr Oak, Iowa, a sad chapter of Laura’s life that she chose to leave out of the books. The second half of the biography follows the Little House books more closely, so I don’t know if Laura was more autobiographical in these books or if Zochert found less research to add to this section. I was touched by his descriptions of Laura and Almanzo’s romance and teared up at the mention of Pa’s death.
Mostly, I was impressed with the way Zochert was able to portray Laura. He paints a picture of a quiet, strong, independent, self-assured girl who grew into a faithful, intelligent, loving woman. She is definitely someone I try to emulate.
Here are a few of Laura’s quotes that I want to remember:
“We who live in quiet places have the opportunity to become acquainted with ourselves, to think our own thoughts and live our own lives in a way that is not possible for those who are keeping up with the crowd.�
“I have never lost my childhood’s delight in going after cows.�
“The voices of nature do not speak so plainly to us as we grow older, but I think it is because, in our busy lives, we neglect her until we grow out of sympathy. Our ears and eyes grow dull and beauties are lost to us that we should still enjoy.�
“Life was not intended to be simply a round of work, no matter how interesting and important that work may be. A moment’s pause to watch the glory of a sunrise or a sunset is soul-satisfying, while a bird’s song will set the steps to music all day long.�
“The true way to live is to enjoy every moment as it passes and surely it is in the everyday things around us that the beauty of life lies.�
“Running through all the stories, like a golden thread, is the same thought of the values of life. They were courage, self-reliance, independence, integrity, and helpfulness. Cheerfulness and humor were handmaids to courage.�
August 16, 2009
This is a must-read for anyone who's read the Little House books. Especially if you--like I did for many years--accept the LIW/RWL versions of events as gospel truth. Much of the Little House books were tweaked to make a 'better story'; author Zochert has done the legwork to track down the mundane truth of matters and set the record straight with regard to How Things Really Were.
Some examples:
'Nellie Oleson' was actually a composite character, combining the attributes of 2-3 different little girls in different towns.
'Pa' wasn't necessarily the dashing adventurer, but rather a man with terrible luck at business and one who couldn't hold down a job so he forced his family into repeatedly packing up stakes and moving.
I don't mean to give the impression that this is a sensationalist book. It isn't at all. But it is very useful on several levels. Not only does it tell a less rose-coloured version of events, it also is useful to students of folklore. In reading both the populist versions authored by Laura and Rose and then the dry accounts of same uncovered by Zochert one can see the threads of myth's origin in the truth.
Some examples:
'Nellie Oleson' was actually a composite character, combining the attributes of 2-3 different little girls in different towns.
'Pa' wasn't necessarily the dashing adventurer, but rather a man with terrible luck at business and one who couldn't hold down a job so he forced his family into repeatedly packing up stakes and moving.
I don't mean to give the impression that this is a sensationalist book. It isn't at all. But it is very useful on several levels. Not only does it tell a less rose-coloured version of events, it also is useful to students of folklore. In reading both the populist versions authored by Laura and Rose and then the dry accounts of same uncovered by Zochert one can see the threads of myth's origin in the truth.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2018
Good in that it makes you want to investigate all sides of Laura fact and fiction. It really gives you all the true details of her life on the Great Plains. I looked up all the places she lived, historical sites, births/marriages/deaths of her family members and videos of the like. The only thing I found annoying in all this is the people who only watched the TV series and miss all the richness of her prose. Oh well.
July 25, 2014
Zochert's was published in the days of auld lang syne by my generation's standards--1976--but it was one of the earliest biographies about Laura and thus remains a starting source for any hardcore Little House fan. Although I mostly enjoyed Zochert's biography, it had some vexing weaknesses: most notably, its emphasis on description rather than facts and its romanticization of Laura's youth.
Early on, Zochert says he hopes to write this biography like Laura wrote about her life. As a result, the book reads like a rushed and substandard amalgam of Laura's actual Little House series. Most readers of this book will already know Laura's story; they want to know what she left unwritten. Although Zochert provides information about Laura's various neighbors, I felt his emphasis on these characters removed the focus from Laura herself. I finished the book without learning much new about Laura (but maybe this is less of a fault on Zochert's part and more so a testament to Laura's storytelling ability--I felt that I knew her well enough after completing the series).
While I would have appreciated Zochert to adopt a "just the facts ma'am" strategy, I feel that he provided small but sharp insights into Laura's character and captured the ideals Laura found most important. In particular, his exploration of Laura and Almanzo's courtship was well-done. I discovered many new facts here; for example, did you know Laura called Almanzo 'Manly' after mishearing 'Mannie,' his brother Royal's nickname for him? Or the story about how the couple turned off the clock before 11pm to sneak an extra hour together and then restarted it when Almanzo left at midnight? Most interestingly, did you know that Laura made Reverend Brown promise not to make Laura vow to obey her husband? A year ago it made a huge stir when Kate Middleton was the first British princess not to say that vow, so this detail demonstrates how much of a feminist Laura was and simply deepens my love for her and her stories. Zochert also has a knack for pulling the most Laura-y quotes from her unpublished memoir. About Almanzo's proposal Laura wrote: "he kissed me goodnight and I went into the house not quite sure if I were engaged to Manly or to the starlight and the prairie."
The true strength of is Zochert's keen understanding of what the stories reported in the Little House books meant to Laura. Appreciating the small joys of everyday, realizing how times are always changing, understanding the beauty of memory and childhood--these are the everlasting messages of Laura's Little House series which she applied to every single day of her life. In this biography, Zochert does not take a factual approach to discovering who Laura, our pioneer girl, truly was; instead, he presents the essence of Laura.
Early on, Zochert says he hopes to write this biography like Laura wrote about her life. As a result, the book reads like a rushed and substandard amalgam of Laura's actual Little House series. Most readers of this book will already know Laura's story; they want to know what she left unwritten. Although Zochert provides information about Laura's various neighbors, I felt his emphasis on these characters removed the focus from Laura herself. I finished the book without learning much new about Laura (but maybe this is less of a fault on Zochert's part and more so a testament to Laura's storytelling ability--I felt that I knew her well enough after completing the series).
While I would have appreciated Zochert to adopt a "just the facts ma'am" strategy, I feel that he provided small but sharp insights into Laura's character and captured the ideals Laura found most important. In particular, his exploration of Laura and Almanzo's courtship was well-done. I discovered many new facts here; for example, did you know Laura called Almanzo 'Manly' after mishearing 'Mannie,' his brother Royal's nickname for him? Or the story about how the couple turned off the clock before 11pm to sneak an extra hour together and then restarted it when Almanzo left at midnight? Most interestingly, did you know that Laura made Reverend Brown promise not to make Laura vow to obey her husband? A year ago it made a huge stir when Kate Middleton was the first British princess not to say that vow, so this detail demonstrates how much of a feminist Laura was and simply deepens my love for her and her stories. Zochert also has a knack for pulling the most Laura-y quotes from her unpublished memoir. About Almanzo's proposal Laura wrote: "he kissed me goodnight and I went into the house not quite sure if I were engaged to Manly or to the starlight and the prairie."
The true strength of is Zochert's keen understanding of what the stories reported in the Little House books meant to Laura. Appreciating the small joys of everyday, realizing how times are always changing, understanding the beauty of memory and childhood--these are the everlasting messages of Laura's Little House series which she applied to every single day of her life. In this biography, Zochert does not take a factual approach to discovering who Laura, our pioneer girl, truly was; instead, he presents the essence of Laura.
July 29, 2016
I read this before there was an internet and the facts of everyone's life at one's fingertips. I was and am a giant Little House nerd and not the least ashamed of that.
It's sort of shocking to realize that the author talked with many people who actually knew Laura, because the pioneer days are just not that far behind us. I mean, she traveled by covered wagon just barely ahead of the railroad, and lived to see atomic weapons, television, and the beginning of the space program.
Anyway, this is a gentle introduction to the "real" Laura, and I recommend it for people looking for more info but not quite ready to face the fact that Pa was essentially a deadbeat and other alarming myth busters.
It's sort of shocking to realize that the author talked with many people who actually knew Laura, because the pioneer days are just not that far behind us. I mean, she traveled by covered wagon just barely ahead of the railroad, and lived to see atomic weapons, television, and the beginning of the space program.
Anyway, this is a gentle introduction to the "real" Laura, and I recommend it for people looking for more info but not quite ready to face the fact that Pa was essentially a deadbeat and other alarming myth busters.
July 11, 2016
By far the most detailed book I ever read about Laura Ingalls Wilder. It covers events that were not included in her books. So many more details, this is a book that die-hard Laura Ingalls fans will want on their shelves!
May 28, 2010
Zochert paraphrases the Little House books and provides scant material other than that. I found the cover so embarrassing that I found myself hiding the book from passers by.
June 24, 2012
An excellent book, especially for those people who only know about Laura from the TV series Little House on the Prairie. Even for those of us who read all her books and thought they were completely factual, it's quite interesting to find out that Laura changed things around a bit when writing her books, whether because that's how she remembered it or because it just made a better story (especially for little kids -- true pioneer stories ARE pretty harsh).
I'm giving this book 5 stars, but really it should be 4.5, taking off 1/2 a star for the cover "art". Both front and back covers have pictures of people who look suspiciously like the Little House on the Prairie TV actors. Maybe it's just so the TV fans would be drawn to the book, but it makes me grimace every time I see it. I wish this book would get re-released with a better cover.
I'm giving this book 5 stars, but really it should be 4.5, taking off 1/2 a star for the cover "art". Both front and back covers have pictures of people who look suspiciously like the Little House on the Prairie TV actors. Maybe it's just so the TV fans would be drawn to the book, but it makes me grimace every time I see it. I wish this book would get re-released with a better cover.
October 26, 2015
As interesting as this was, I will probably never read it again. Zochert's attempts at retelling the Little House stories with little bits of BRAND NEW INFORMATION every once and a while gets old real fast. However, he fills in the gaps of Laura's life quite nicely. I was most interested in the years she left out between Walnut Grove and Silver Lake when Mary went blind. Also, the years she and Almanzo shared after living in South Dakota were the best part.
Overall, not the best prose and maybe a tad too tedious at times, but interesting if you want to learn more about the facts of Laura's life and inspirations of her stories. The photographs in my edition were a bonus as well.
My advice? Skim it.
Overall, not the best prose and maybe a tad too tedious at times, but interesting if you want to learn more about the facts of Laura's life and inspirations of her stories. The photographs in my edition were a bonus as well.
My advice? Skim it.
April 15, 2019
Feels romanticised, but contains interesting facts and is an enjoyable read.
June 13, 2011
Anyone that enjoyed The Little House books or Rose Wilder's books, or even the tv series, back in the day, should read this book. I loved it! I picked it up randomly at a used book store. When I think of the Little House books I view them as very biographical in nature, so reading a biography-type book had never really occurred to me (as silly as that might sound). I learned so much about the more historical aspects of her, and her families life. Things that may have been touched on in her books, but now to greater detail. Census information was included, and more historical information about the locations in which she lived were given. I learned so much about Ma and Pa and there lives and families. And more information was given about the younger siblings, Carried and Grace. The pictures that were included were wonderful; and really, reading this book has made me want to plan a trip to these locations even more than I had considered before. There is location information given, if you should ever want to travel there yourself, for the various places talked about, in the back of the book, as well. I definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in this topic. I think it would be a great book for your older children to read as well.
February 27, 2011
The back cover art of my paperback copy was obviously done by an artist more used to illustrating bodice-rippers. Laura is depicted in the traditional long skirt, but her blouse is open to the waist and shows a very low bustier or chemise. Woo-hoo, Laura Ingalls Wilder shows some skin! Hardly authentic, but very amusing to see. The book itself contains some interesting facts, including that the "Olson" family was actually the "Jones" family, which pleased my Celtic soul. Also, the tortuous path some researchers have followed in order to verify or augment the facts of the Ingalls and Wilder family history was interesting to me. However, the author's attempt to copy the "Little House" style of writing is annoying. I don't know if the author intentionally copied the style or it crept up on him as he studied LAW's life, but it detracts from the book's impact. Still, even with its faults, this is a book worth reading by adult LAW fans.
July 13, 2008
I have been reading the Little House series to the kids over the last several months, so it was very interesting for me to get the real inside scoop on Laura's life. It was sad to find out that things weren't always as perfect as the Little House books made it seem. It gave a lot of insight into Laura's worldview. She was a strong woman, but she seemed to only have religion, no real relationship with God, which was sad.
April 30, 2012
It was a very detailed (read ,a tad boring) but I did learn a lot about Laura's extended family and sisters I hadn't known. I like the connection of seeing the real family members and Laura as a young person.
March 27, 2016
It was good for the time it was written. There has been a lot more research since then. This book is like an introductory text for "Pioneer Girl". It's worth reading though, especially is you've only read the children's books.
September 3, 2014
This is a good book once you get into it. The issue is getting into it. It took me days to finish the first 20 pages. The only reason I read far enough into the story to discover that I enjoyed it is that I determinedly, painstakingly, agonizingly, (insert long list of adverbs) refused to read the book I was dying to read ( ) until I finished Laura . (I certainly hope Forgotten Beasts is worth it--I've been waiting half my life to read it--
Once I got past the background into the thick of Laura's story, it was absorbing. I was surprised to learn that the Little House books were not, in fact, gospel truth. When I read the series as a young(er) girl I took it for granted. The essence of the story is the same, but, as Laura said (or wrote?) on one occasion, "...At the time I had no idea I was writing history." There was a great deal that was familiar and almost as much that was completely new.
I was affectionately exasperated with the author, Donald Zochert. He is a conscientious biographer, to be sure, and fairly evenhanded, but he is absolutely dotty about Laura and her whole family (particularly Pa). By the time I got to his description of Laura's first photograph after the Long Winter I was quite annoyed with his sentimental descriptions.
However, there is enough of interest in the story to water down Mr. Zochert, and I was again convinced that I would love to be Laura's best friend. And Cap Garland's girlfriend--oops, was that out loud?
Once I got past the background into the thick of Laura's story, it was absorbing. I was surprised to learn that the Little House books were not, in fact, gospel truth. When I read the series as a young(er) girl I took it for granted. The essence of the story is the same, but, as Laura said (or wrote?) on one occasion, "...At the time I had no idea I was writing history." There was a great deal that was familiar and almost as much that was completely new.
I was affectionately exasperated with the author, Donald Zochert. He is a conscientious biographer, to be sure, and fairly evenhanded, but he is absolutely dotty about Laura and her whole family (particularly Pa). By the time I got to his description of Laura's first photograph after the Long Winter I was quite annoyed with his sentimental descriptions.
However, there is enough of interest in the story to water down Mr. Zochert, and I was again convinced that I would love to be Laura's best friend. And Cap Garland's girlfriend--oops, was that out loud?
January 18, 2010
I hated that this book used pictures from the TV version of Little House on the front cover.
September 1, 2013
I am a huge Laura fan, and this book had interesting factual information about the Ingalls family, but it was dry. Oh, so dry.
March 28, 2015
I also read this back in the 70s. Learned a lot about the Ingalls and Wlders that was not part of the Little House series. Also a big Laura Ingalls Wilder nerd!!
June 18, 2023
"in the furnace of hard times she came to learn the last lesson of growing up--that men and life have their limits, that there are dreams enough in simple things. She came to know the cost and eventually the comfort of the self-sufficient spirit."
This author has painstakingly gathered all of the writings, genealogy, and all kinds of historical archives pertaining to Laura Ingalls Wilder and lovingly crafted a faithful narrative of her entire life from pre-birth to her death at 90. He has fully rounded out all the gaps in the stories, and the final chapters of this book are especially poignant and add the finishing touches to the epic story of Laura and the Little House series.
This author has painstakingly gathered all of the writings, genealogy, and all kinds of historical archives pertaining to Laura Ingalls Wilder and lovingly crafted a faithful narrative of her entire life from pre-birth to her death at 90. He has fully rounded out all the gaps in the stories, and the final chapters of this book are especially poignant and add the finishing touches to the epic story of Laura and the Little House series.
October 5, 2021
Excellent companion to the Little House books and Pioneer Girl.
January 2, 2023
This is a much better biography than the other two I read. I enjoyed it. Laura lived life with grit, determination, humor, love of nature and many other good qualities and traits. She's still a hero of mine.
August 29, 2020
I had completely forgotten about this book; I remember when it came out and how much I wanted the book [it had PHOTO'S of LIW and I thought that was amazing. I was 9. Everything is amazing at 9].
I wonder what happened to my copy; I know it was held together with packing tape from me reading it so much. �
I wonder what happened to my copy; I know it was held together with packing tape from me reading it so much. �
May 10, 2016
I think that just about everyone who has read the "Little House" books loves them. I was raised up on Laura Ingalls Wilder. When I was very little my mum read to me. When I learned to read I was given a book of animal stories from the "Little House" series, and found a selection of picture books at the library telling stories from and . When I was eight I found and was hooked. The next time we went to the library my mom got the first set of CDs of the "Little House" books. When I was twelve I received an entire antique set for my birthday and read them until they literally fell to pieces. I love Laura Ingalls Wilder.
I have always adored American History. When I was little I read my history books for fun because I loved reading over and over again how my country came into being. My heroes were George Washington, Paul Revere, Abigail Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Hariet Tubman, Clara Barton, and last, but not least--especially not to my seven year old mind--Laura Ingalls Wilder.
When I was ten I found out that people were writing biographies about her. Sadly, my library didn't carry them, and I had to wait quite a while before I got my hands on a good, long biography. This one did not disappoint. It tells of her life, the one she didn't quite let you know about in her books. Little details she left out, little bits and pieces that make up who she was. This book was absolutely fascinating. I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Laura's books.
The ending was bittersweet. The characters you know and love slowly fade away, and at last, even Laura herself is gone. But she, and Pa, Ma, Mary, Carrie, Grace, Almanzo and all the others she held near and dear, will always live on in her books and in the hearts of her readers. She was an American girl to her core, full of spirit and fiercely independent. She put a love of days gone by into our hearts, and we will not forget her.
I have always adored American History. When I was little I read my history books for fun because I loved reading over and over again how my country came into being. My heroes were George Washington, Paul Revere, Abigail Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Abraham Lincoln, Hariet Tubman, Clara Barton, and last, but not least--especially not to my seven year old mind--Laura Ingalls Wilder.
When I was ten I found out that people were writing biographies about her. Sadly, my library didn't carry them, and I had to wait quite a while before I got my hands on a good, long biography. This one did not disappoint. It tells of her life, the one she didn't quite let you know about in her books. Little details she left out, little bits and pieces that make up who she was. This book was absolutely fascinating. I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of Laura's books.
The ending was bittersweet. The characters you know and love slowly fade away, and at last, even Laura herself is gone. But she, and Pa, Ma, Mary, Carrie, Grace, Almanzo and all the others she held near and dear, will always live on in her books and in the hearts of her readers. She was an American girl to her core, full of spirit and fiercely independent. She put a love of days gone by into our hearts, and we will not forget her.
July 30, 2015
The Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder is as the title suggest a book about Laura's life. We know a lot from her own little house series but in Donald Zochert's book we deal with what Laura didn't write and with the things that in Laura's books were fiction.
We begin with pa and ma's families. When they were born, how and where they grew up and how they met each other. Then we move through the stories we think we know so well only to discover that there was so much more we didn't and yet more we will never know. The book ends as any good biografi should when Laura dies.
Also in the middle of the book there are 16 pages with pictures, they are of cause old and therefore rather faded, so you shouldn't buy the book for them. However they are a nice addition.
I am going to start out by saying that I loved this book. It was the perfect combination of facts and still telling a story. You could tell that Donald Zochert, as so many of us also do, loves Laura. The way he describes her and her doings with a tenderness of someone who cares a lot.
I was impressed with how much I didn't realise when reading the little house books, a lot of the facts are still there, but I never realised how much responsiablility Laura got at such a young age, and not just in her own home. She was independant and seemed trustworthy to other adults than her own family.
When reading her own books and she seems like an adult I just in my mind saw her as one, by when reminded by dates and years that she wasn't I suddenly had another piece of information about Laura.
This was just one such realisation.
Throughout the book we are also given backstories to some of the people Laura writes about. They start to seem more real. For instance Laura's cousin Lena who she rides the ponies with in "By the Shores of Silver Lake" is only a couple of months older than Laura yet it seems years. Why this is, is made clear to us.
This book is not as Laura's a children's book, which means that all the bad times also gets to be told. This was quite amazing as we get to hear about the dark side to a story that seems so idyllic.
Donald Zochert manages to tell the story from a big perspective and yet bring in little anecdotes that Laura never told.
This book is a must read for anyone who love the little house books.
Small warning for those who like me easily gets emotional. I cried through the last 30 pages and the following appendixes.
We begin with pa and ma's families. When they were born, how and where they grew up and how they met each other. Then we move through the stories we think we know so well only to discover that there was so much more we didn't and yet more we will never know. The book ends as any good biografi should when Laura dies.
Also in the middle of the book there are 16 pages with pictures, they are of cause old and therefore rather faded, so you shouldn't buy the book for them. However they are a nice addition.
I am going to start out by saying that I loved this book. It was the perfect combination of facts and still telling a story. You could tell that Donald Zochert, as so many of us also do, loves Laura. The way he describes her and her doings with a tenderness of someone who cares a lot.
I was impressed with how much I didn't realise when reading the little house books, a lot of the facts are still there, but I never realised how much responsiablility Laura got at such a young age, and not just in her own home. She was independant and seemed trustworthy to other adults than her own family.
When reading her own books and she seems like an adult I just in my mind saw her as one, by when reminded by dates and years that she wasn't I suddenly had another piece of information about Laura.
This was just one such realisation.
Throughout the book we are also given backstories to some of the people Laura writes about. They start to seem more real. For instance Laura's cousin Lena who she rides the ponies with in "By the Shores of Silver Lake" is only a couple of months older than Laura yet it seems years. Why this is, is made clear to us.
This book is not as Laura's a children's book, which means that all the bad times also gets to be told. This was quite amazing as we get to hear about the dark side to a story that seems so idyllic.
Donald Zochert manages to tell the story from a big perspective and yet bring in little anecdotes that Laura never told.
This book is a must read for anyone who love the little house books.
Small warning for those who like me easily gets emotional. I cried through the last 30 pages and the following appendixes.
January 3, 2014
This book took me back to my childhood (I know I read an adult biography on Laura Ingalls Wilder in 3rd or 4th grade for a book report project because I remember being impressed with myself that I had to take out an adult book since I couldn't find one on her in the children's section, but I don't think it was this one, but one never knows). Anyway, I LOVED the Little House books and read the series several times from first grade until probably middle school (and maybe even reread the only 2 I owned in high school). Overall, this book was a pretty comprehensive biography about Laura's life. The author went back into census records and other pieces of documentation to try to piece together Laura's life and pull out the fact vs fiction of the Little House series. I've read some reviews that didn't like the author's style and felt he was trying too hard to replicate Laura's style of writing. I didn't mind his style and felt that he wrote a pretty engaging biography. I did agree with the criticisms of the cover art- it's pretty dated to the 1970s in terms of color scheme and style (and making the pictures slightly resemble the TV series actors) and the back cover looks like something that should be on a Harlequin romance or something! :-P If you loved the Little House books and want to learn more about Laura's life, then this biography is one that you should enjoy.
July 29, 2010
Not precisely bad though not overwhelmingly good. The book is written in a style clearly meant to echo Laura's. Aside from some details about Laura's more distant family, there really wasn't a lot of information that isn't easily available elsewhere. I certainly don't feel as though I know any of the characters from the books or the people who inspired them any better.
Most of the book is devoted to summarizing the events of the Little House books while filling in some detail.
There is not as much information about the years following Laura and Almanzo's marriage as I'd hoped and virtually nothing about their daughter Rose.
For some reason Zochert focused on how terrible life was for Laura and Almanzo in the early years of their marriage to the point of redundancy in some cases. While their lives certainly were difficult, especially in those early years, I doubt either of them dwelled on it over much.
I will say that the cover is hilarious. The front is fairly innocuous - they were clearly capitalizing on the TV show. The back cover, though, features a young woman who is supposed to be Laura with her blouse unbuttoned down to her waist (wearing a lacy corset beneath) giving a sort of Neanderthal-looking Almanzo a come-hither look over her shoulder.
Most of the book is devoted to summarizing the events of the Little House books while filling in some detail.
There is not as much information about the years following Laura and Almanzo's marriage as I'd hoped and virtually nothing about their daughter Rose.
For some reason Zochert focused on how terrible life was for Laura and Almanzo in the early years of their marriage to the point of redundancy in some cases. While their lives certainly were difficult, especially in those early years, I doubt either of them dwelled on it over much.
I will say that the cover is hilarious. The front is fairly innocuous - they were clearly capitalizing on the TV show. The back cover, though, features a young woman who is supposed to be Laura with her blouse unbuttoned down to her waist (wearing a lacy corset beneath) giving a sort of Neanderthal-looking Almanzo a come-hither look over her shoulder.
August 13, 2013
For the most part it was a slightly more prose-like retelling of the little house books. I was hoping for a little more information, but with the exception of a few minor details here and there, that didn't really happen. There were some parts left out of Laura's books-- a trip back to the big woods, etc, but really not a ton. There is also sort of an ongoing debate about whether the little house books should count as biography, or historical fiction. It does not take a lot of detective work to figure out that Laura stretched a few things. I would have liked the author to address a few of those-- Nellie Olsen's name was really Nellie Owens. Why the change? And that little bird Pa found after the blizzard gets mentioned but not actually explained (I would like to have known what kind of bird it really was, and if it was unexpected to have found it where they did?) The last 50-60 pages do go past where the little house books end, so there was some new information. I wouldn't say this book was a complete waste of time, but you could be forgiven for doing a fair bit of skimming.
June 18, 2015
Laura Ingalls Wilder's books were so beloved by me in my childhood that I read them over and over (always being able to find something new with each reading). It's been quite a few years since I read them, though. I wish I'd taken the time to reread them before diving into this book, which I see as actually a supplement to the children's books. I couldn't tell you if anything outstandingly new is being revealed.
This book was written in the 1970s, and I get a giggle out of the fact that the Ingalls family illustrated on the cover suspiciously resembles the actors from the TV show. But that's fine with me, since I always picture Pa as Michael Landon anyway.
For me, this book grew especially interesting once Laura entered adulthood. There is a nice selection of photos included. I love the picture of Laura and Almanzo in their later years. I think it's the only picture of Laura smiling, and it's such a beautiful smile.
Overall, it was a decent read and is an inspiration to me to rediscover the Laura Ingalls Wilder books I once adored.
This book was written in the 1970s, and I get a giggle out of the fact that the Ingalls family illustrated on the cover suspiciously resembles the actors from the TV show. But that's fine with me, since I always picture Pa as Michael Landon anyway.
For me, this book grew especially interesting once Laura entered adulthood. There is a nice selection of photos included. I love the picture of Laura and Almanzo in their later years. I think it's the only picture of Laura smiling, and it's such a beautiful smile.
Overall, it was a decent read and is an inspiration to me to rediscover the Laura Ingalls Wilder books I once adored.
July 3, 2011
I enjoyed this history of Laura Ingalls Wilder. The author filled in some gaps and inconsistencies from the tv show to the books that I thought were made up but were in fact more true than I realized. I did not appreciate his retelling of the stories already told in the books Wilder wrote. It seemed he was filling space to make his own book longer. I took my daughter to the Laura Ingalls Wilder home in Pepin, Wisconsin, when she as little. A small cabin that was built as a replica to the home that they lived in. It as quite small and gives a person a first hand look at the inside of a cabin in the 1800s. The home sits on a bluff in a grassy area. It is not the big woods of Laura's time but still a beautiful area to visit. I am from Wisconsin and my own family were homesteaders on the other side of the state when Laura was in Wisconsin. Her books give me a glimpse of what life might have been like for them. She was a strong and spirited woman for her time.
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