Charming addition to your Little House books!
Written: Feb 23 '02 (Updated May 10 '02)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: We get to read Laura's "grown-up" writing, plus Rose's great stories
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: Add this sampler to your Little House collection - you won't be sorry!
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| lkvanvoorhis's Full Review: Laura Ingalls Wilder, William T. Anderson, Rose Wi... |
A Little House Sampler is an enlightening collection of short stories, reminiscences, and insights from Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane. I think most of us have read the "Little House" books - if not, we've at least heard of them. Personally, I started reading this series the minute I knew how to read - and I've read them over and over again throughout the years, into adulthood. They're delightful and simple, and contain not only great stories of the Ingalls' family experiences, but also great lessons that are still valid today.
I said this sampler was enlightening. Why is that so? Because we get to read Laura's "grown-up" writing - the articles and stories targeted toward an audience of adults, as opposed to children. We all knew Laura could write great children's books, but a lot of us didn't know that she was much engaged in writing articles for adults long before she ever thought of the "Little House" series.
A Little House Sampler is also enlightening because we get to read the articles and short stories of Laura and Almanzo's daughter, Rose Wilder Lane. She is actually the "true writer" of the family. She may have gotten her storytelling ability from her mother, as well as her grandfather, but she was the first to decide to write it down and use her creativity in this way. Rose was a published writer by 1915, and continued writing successfully for another 50 or so years. It was Rose that encouraged Laura to start writing for publication and to write a novel about her childhood experiences in the Big Woods, on the plains, and on the prairies of South Dakota. Laura only planned one book, but that was just not enough. She ended up with 8 books (if you include The First Four Years) which were highly successful, translated into many languages, and delighted children all over the world - they continue to entrance children today.
Okay, back to this book. The writings in A Little House Sampler either had never been seen, or were published long ago, some in obscure publications (Laura wrote regularly for the Missouri Ruralist), all of which are probably hard to find today. The selections are arranged chronologically based on the lives of the Laura, Almanzo and Rose. You'll find 30+ different writings here, some fiction, some non-fiction. In some of them, Laura tells stories many of which are similar to those you may have read in the "Little House" books, but which were written before the books themselves - so a few differences may be noticed. (Remember the story of Laura and Nellie's two birthday parties - and the leeches Laura used to pay Nellie back? It's here!) We also find a story about Burr Oak, Iowa, where the Ingalls family ran a hotel. This was not covered in the "Little House" books, but happened between On the Banks of Plum Creek and By the Shores of Silver Lake. There are also amusing and very descriptive pieces by Laura about their Rocky Ridge farm and houses as well as letters written by Laura on her journey from South Dakota to Missouri.
As enjoyable it was to read Laura's writing, I must admit that it was Rose's stories and articles that kept me reading. Prior to this book, I had never read any of Rose's work. I had seen "Young Pioneers," which was a book made into a TV movie many years ago, but that's it. Rose is indeed a great storyteller!! She took several of her own memories and weaved interesting fiction stories around them. One especially memorable one was based on the very unhappy time Laura and Almanzo lived in Florida - they had moved there because of Almanzo's bad health and it was a total disaster! The story is eerie and so unlike Laura's children's tales, but it is so entertaining! Rose also wrote at least one ghost story that's included here, plus several reminiscences of her grandparents' house, her grandfather's fiddle, and other childhood places and things - while most of the facts are the same as those that Laura shared in her books, Rose's point of view makes us look at things differently.
I highly recommend A Little House Sampler for any "Little House" fan. The stories are easy to read and will please you as much as Laura's books. The book is 243 pages long, but reads very fast - but even if you don't have the time to read it through quickly, the stories are so disconnected that you can put it down and pick it up much later with no problem. Most of the stories even have an introduction to explain any necessary background information. Photographs are also in the book, so we see what the Ingalls and Wilder families really looked like, as well as some of the places they lived. I got this book at the Little House Bookstore in Mansfield, MO when I visited Rocky Ridge farm several years ago. It was a great purchase for someone so fond of the Little House books, and if you feel the same I can strongly recommend this book.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
lkvanvoorhis
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Member: Kelley
Location: West Tennessee
Reviews written: 141
Trusted by: 214 members
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