In 1932 Laura Ingalls Wilder published her first book in the famous Little House series, Little House in the Big Woods, and started on her path of becoming one of the best-loved authors of all time. In the years that followed, she would publish seven more stories chronicling her childhood days and preserving forever the experiences of her pioneer family. A ninth book, The First Four Years, was published in 1971, three years after the death of her daughter, Rose.
After 75 years, the popularity of Mrs. Wilder's stories has not diminished. Today they are still often missing from the library shelves due to their popularity, and multiple copies have to be ordered to satisfy the eager readers. From time to time I still page through my threadbare copies of the books, which my parents gave me so that the library copies would not fall apart from my constant borrowing of them. They do not lose their charm as the reader grows in age, despite the fact that they were written for children.
Many people are not aware that Mrs. Wilder was a published writer before she wrote the Little House books. She was a regular columnist for the Missouri Ruralist and also wrote articles for various magazines during the first two decades of the 20th century. Several books have been published in recent years that include collections of her writings. These writings, which are written in the same friendly style as her more famous books, give us a peek at the adult Laura and are surprisingly relevant to life today. A Little House Sampler, edited by William T. Anderson, Little House in the Ozarks, and I Remember Laura, both compiled by Stephen W. Hines, are filled with bits and pieces that when read together give us a different, yet equally charming view of this talented writer.
After 75 years, the popularity of Mrs. Wilder's stories has not diminished. Today they are still often missing from the library shelves due to their popularity, and multiple copies have to be ordered to satisfy the eager readers. From time to time I still page through my threadbare copies of the books, which my parents gave me so that the library copies would not fall apart from my constant borrowing of them. They do not lose their charm as the reader grows in age, despite the fact that they were written for children.
Many people are not aware that Mrs. Wilder was a published writer before she wrote the Little House books. She was a regular columnist for the Missouri Ruralist and also wrote articles for various magazines during the first two decades of the 20th century. Several books have been published in recent years that include collections of her writings. These writings, which are written in the same friendly style as her more famous books, give us a peek at the adult Laura and are surprisingly relevant to life today. A Little House Sampler, edited by William T. Anderson, Little House in the Ozarks, and I Remember Laura, both compiled by Stephen W. Hines, are filled with bits and pieces that when read together give us a different, yet equally charming view of this talented writer.
People often smile when I tell them that Laura Ingalls Wilder is my all-time favorite author. They find it amusing, but I think they really do understand why...at least if they've read the books. Mrs. Wilder has left us a historically significant record of the frontier days of the United States written in a manner that makes you feel like you're listening to a good friend. Her writing is like comfort food for the soul. As a history buff, parent and school teacher I come back to her time and time again.
Just as a side-note: I grew up in New York's North Country, nearby to the setting of Laura's second book, Farmer Boy, which tells of her husband Almanzo's boyhood in the town of Burke, NY, just outside the village of Malone. Almanzo would be 150 years old this year. The Almanzo Wilder Farm in Burke is the only homesite of the Little House books that boasts the original house. You can explore the kitchen and pantry, Father's attic workroom, the dining room with it's woven carpets, and of course, the parlour which once wore patched white and gold wallpaper to cover the splotch made from the blacking brush.
Please see the links at left for more information on Almanzo and Laura.
Just as a side-note: I grew up in New York's North Country, nearby to the setting of Laura's second book, Farmer Boy, which tells of her husband Almanzo's boyhood in the town of Burke, NY, just outside the village of Malone. Almanzo would be 150 years old this year. The Almanzo Wilder Farm in Burke is the only homesite of the Little House books that boasts the original house. You can explore the kitchen and pantry, Father's attic workroom, the dining room with it's woven carpets, and of course, the parlour which once wore patched white and gold wallpaper to cover the splotch made from the blacking brush.
Please see the links at left for more information on Almanzo and Laura.
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