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Little House: The Rose Years #8
Bachelor Girl
The eighth and final installment in the Rose Years series, which tells the story of the spirited daughter of the author of the beloved Little House series.
Rose Wilder has become an independent young woman. She leaves Rocky Ridge Farm, first for Kansas City to learn how to be a telegrapher, then for San Francisco. Her dream is to work for a year or two, save a little money, and then marry Paul Cooley, her childhood sweetheart. But the big city has all sorts of surprises in store for Rose, and she finds that she's destined to travel a road she never even imagined.
Rose Wilder has become an independent young woman. She leaves Rocky Ridge Farm, first for Kansas City to learn how to be a telegrapher, then for San Francisco. Her dream is to work for a year or two, save a little money, and then marry Paul Cooley, her childhood sweetheart. But the big city has all sorts of surprises in store for Rose, and she finds that she's destined to travel a road she never even imagined.
243 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1999
13 people are currently reading
1878 people want to read
About the author
Roger Lea MacBride
66 books118 followersMacBride called himself "the adopted grandson" of writer and political theorist Rose Wilder Lane, the daughter of writer Laura Ingalls Wilder, and as such laid claim to the substantial Ingalls-Wilder's literary estate, including the "Little House on the Prairie" franchise. He is the author of record of three additional "Little House" books, and began the "Rocky Ridge Years" series, describing the Ozark childhood of Rose Wilder Lane. He also co-produced the 1970s television series Little House on the Prairie.
Controversy came after MacBride's death in 1995, when the local library in Mansfield, Missouri, contended that Wilder's original will gave her daughter ownership of the literary estate for her lifetime only, all rights to revert to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Library after her death. The ensuing court case was settled in an undisclosed manner, but MacBride's heirs retained the rights.
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ma...
Controversy came after MacBride's death in 1995, when the local library in Mansfield, Missouri, contended that Wilder's original will gave her daughter ownership of the literary estate for her lifetime only, all rights to revert to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Library after her death. The ensuing court case was settled in an undisclosed manner, but MacBride's heirs retained the rights.
For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ma...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
February 11, 2021
*Ranting below...and I do spoil a few things as well!*
As my family knows, I rant about this book all the time. It really does deserve one star. Shame on Rose. Shame on her! Seriously....Book six showed her attitude a little, then a bit more in book seven, and by this one it is full blown. I can't believe her. She cares nothing for Paul's feeling or for how her parents brought her up. Poor, poor Laura and Almonzo.
And then on top of that, I found out that the real Rose Wilder Lane had no romantic interest in Paul Cooley. So the author raises our hopes for no reason whatsoever and then brings them crashing down because, well, it isn't historically correct.
Still...poor Paul!
If I gave this more stars it would be merely for Paul. He needs his own story. I can't believe how shamefully Rose treated him, and she even had the audacity to think how PLAIN he is!!!
The first half of the book is better than the last half, but once Rose goes off to do her own thing, my opinion of her fell dramatically. I realize that Rose's character in this book is accurate for who she was as a person but that doesn't take away my disappointment in this story.
As my family knows, I rant about this book all the time. It really does deserve one star. Shame on Rose. Shame on her! Seriously....Book six showed her attitude a little, then a bit more in book seven, and by this one it is full blown. I can't believe her. She cares nothing for Paul's feeling or for how her parents brought her up. Poor, poor Laura and Almonzo.
And then on top of that, I found out that the real Rose Wilder Lane had no romantic interest in Paul Cooley. So the author raises our hopes for no reason whatsoever and then brings them crashing down because, well, it isn't historically correct.
Still...poor Paul!
If I gave this more stars it would be merely for Paul. He needs his own story. I can't believe how shamefully Rose treated him, and she even had the audacity to think how PLAIN he is!!!
The first half of the book is better than the last half, but once Rose goes off to do her own thing, my opinion of her fell dramatically. I realize that Rose's character in this book is accurate for who she was as a person but that doesn't take away my disappointment in this story.
October 27, 2018
You know what, good for Rose honestly. I didn't really get this book as a kid, but I get it now. This is a classic new adult book about a young woman leaving home and trying to make a life for herself.
For the first half of this book, Rose struggles to make enough to survive, just like her ancestors. Eventually, she actually starts to make good money, and she gets a bit nihilistic. Her life has always revolved around her family, so it's no surprise that she's so desperate to start one with Paul. She doesn't know how to focus on her own wants and needs.
I can't believe people are still saying she should have married Paul. If anything, it was annoying how the authors went out of their way to make it obvious that he was anti-feminism, and that Rose was always afraid to tell him what was really on her mind, lest she spoil their one day a year together, and that he wasn't being upfront with her about his plans for the future. Yes, they played together when they were kids, but they were long distance for seven years. Paul was a handsome boy that she had a crush on, around whom she built up a bunch of adolescent fantasies.
Was Gillette a worthy alternative? No, he was a guy she'd just met. But it's not like she got engaged to him immediately. Besides, I wouldn't have wanted a book about Rose fighting to gain her independence to end with a sweet little wedding like in These Happy Golden Years. It wasn't about Gil, it was about her realizing she should go out and dance and drink and flirt and enjoy being young. Oh, and have a career.
Bachelor Girl is a fitting end to this sprawling literary universe. For five generations, we readers watch this family caught between survival and adventure. They go from nobility in Scotland, to middle class blacksmiths in Boston, to farmers, to homeless farmers, to debt-ridden delivery wagon drivers. Every one of our heroines, no matter how spunky they were as little girls, ended up married to some impulsive guy with a dream that eclipsed theirs. Oh, Martha, things will be better in America, Charlotte, let's leave the city and be farmers so I can die at sea and leave you widowed with six kids, Caroline, these woods are getting too crowded, better drag the family away from all their aunts and uncles so we can illegally squat in Indian Territory, Laura, there's no droughts in the Land of the Big Red Apple, let's go. And for decades we watch their crops get eaten up by grasshoppers and blackbirds, and burnt up in prairie fires, and hailed on, and frozen by blizzards, and so on. Caroline never wanted to go west, but she did it for Charles. Laura begged Almanzo to quit farming, so he compromised and kept being a farmer anyway, until they were too deep in debt to get out.
And then there's Rose. Maybe she got into telegraphy because of a boy. But by the end of the books, she's dreaming for herself. She doesn't marry a childhood neighbor and have four to six children and scold them when they make too much noise on the Sabbath. Instead, she *gasp*, starts wearing makeup and drinking lemon sours and hanging out with people who are not perfect. She managed to break the endless cycle of delusion and self-sacrifice that is the pioneer woman's life. As much as I enjoyed reading about the struggles of virtuous farm girls in these books, I don't blame Rose for wanting more out of life, and I'm glad she got it.
For the first half of this book, Rose struggles to make enough to survive, just like her ancestors. Eventually, she actually starts to make good money, and she gets a bit nihilistic. Her life has always revolved around her family, so it's no surprise that she's so desperate to start one with Paul. She doesn't know how to focus on her own wants and needs.
I can't believe people are still saying she should have married Paul. If anything, it was annoying how the authors went out of their way to make it obvious that he was anti-feminism, and that Rose was always afraid to tell him what was really on her mind, lest she spoil their one day a year together, and that he wasn't being upfront with her about his plans for the future. Yes, they played together when they were kids, but they were long distance for seven years. Paul was a handsome boy that she had a crush on, around whom she built up a bunch of adolescent fantasies.
Was Gillette a worthy alternative? No, he was a guy she'd just met. But it's not like she got engaged to him immediately. Besides, I wouldn't have wanted a book about Rose fighting to gain her independence to end with a sweet little wedding like in These Happy Golden Years. It wasn't about Gil, it was about her realizing she should go out and dance and drink and flirt and enjoy being young. Oh, and have a career.
Bachelor Girl is a fitting end to this sprawling literary universe. For five generations, we readers watch this family caught between survival and adventure. They go from nobility in Scotland, to middle class blacksmiths in Boston, to farmers, to homeless farmers, to debt-ridden delivery wagon drivers. Every one of our heroines, no matter how spunky they were as little girls, ended up married to some impulsive guy with a dream that eclipsed theirs. Oh, Martha, things will be better in America, Charlotte, let's leave the city and be farmers so I can die at sea and leave you widowed with six kids, Caroline, these woods are getting too crowded, better drag the family away from all their aunts and uncles so we can illegally squat in Indian Territory, Laura, there's no droughts in the Land of the Big Red Apple, let's go. And for decades we watch their crops get eaten up by grasshoppers and blackbirds, and burnt up in prairie fires, and hailed on, and frozen by blizzards, and so on. Caroline never wanted to go west, but she did it for Charles. Laura begged Almanzo to quit farming, so he compromised and kept being a farmer anyway, until they were too deep in debt to get out.
And then there's Rose. Maybe she got into telegraphy because of a boy. But by the end of the books, she's dreaming for herself. She doesn't marry a childhood neighbor and have four to six children and scold them when they make too much noise on the Sabbath. Instead, she *gasp*, starts wearing makeup and drinking lemon sours and hanging out with people who are not perfect. She managed to break the endless cycle of delusion and self-sacrifice that is the pioneer woman's life. As much as I enjoyed reading about the struggles of virtuous farm girls in these books, I don't blame Rose for wanting more out of life, and I'm glad she got it.
September 1, 2017
Rose is definitely her own person. She makes some questionable choices, and doesn't always follow the path her parents laid out for her, but she isn't meek and obedient, either.
She pays back the money her parents lent her, often by going hungry. She wants to make her own way, fight for her own living... and fight for the rights of others, like the working class and suffragettes.
She loves the idea of being in love, but slowly realizes that Paul wants her to be a happy, pretty homemaker while he goes out to be a racist go-getter... and realizes that a match between them won't work.
I think she does an amazing job of coping with being 17, still in puberty, on her own in the city, dealing with (probably) being bipolar, being broke, refusing her friends' encouragements to kiss men and drink alcohol, and having a very high intelligence at a time when women were supposed to be ditzy & dependent.
I see the rants from other readers who were 'ashamed' of Rose. Apparently they just wanted yet another good girl, not a 20th century feminist. Shame on them for dissing the story that they could have read, had they read with more care, instead of missing the story they wanted to read.
Re' accuracy: Sure, some Facts are wrong. But I get the impression that the Truth of this pioneering woman is here, ready for the open-minded reader.
She pays back the money her parents lent her, often by going hungry. She wants to make her own way, fight for her own living... and fight for the rights of others, like the working class and suffragettes.
She loves the idea of being in love, but slowly realizes that Paul wants her to be a happy, pretty homemaker while he goes out to be a racist go-getter... and realizes that a match between them won't work.
I think she does an amazing job of coping with being 17, still in puberty, on her own in the city, dealing with (probably) being bipolar, being broke, refusing her friends' encouragements to kiss men and drink alcohol, and having a very high intelligence at a time when women were supposed to be ditzy & dependent.
I see the rants from other readers who were 'ashamed' of Rose. Apparently they just wanted yet another good girl, not a 20th century feminist. Shame on them for dissing the story that they could have read, had they read with more care, instead of missing the story they wanted to read.
Re' accuracy: Sure, some Facts are wrong. But I get the impression that the Truth of this pioneering woman is here, ready for the open-minded reader.
July 22, 2013
This is my least favorite of the Rose Wilder Lane books. I've decided that I'm disappointed in Rose, period. I've read enough about her now from other sources to know that Mr. MacBride did a very good job writing about her, and he stayed true to the Little House on the prairie format, but I just didn't enjoy her life choices. This is the final book in the Rose series, and she pretty much throws her old life out and chooses a wild new life as a swinging single girl.
Finished the series as a read-aloud. Kids lost interest and I pretty much read the rest when they were mostly comatose.
Poor Laura. It was the end of the line, and it sounds like it was a really wild party line.
Finished the series as a read-aloud. Kids lost interest and I pretty much read the rest when they were mostly comatose.
Poor Laura. It was the end of the line, and it sounds like it was a really wild party line.
June 10, 2014
Wow... This book starts out with Rose as a country girl. In love with Paul and wishing they could go ahead and get married, she goes out and starts work as a telegraph operator to help earn money so that she and Paul can be married. Well, along the road, she meets some friends that live very differently than she, and she starts to adapt to their ways. She does things that are so different from her country roots. Things that you can just see Laura and Almonzo being shocked about. After she has changed, she sees Paul again and they break up because they have both changed, and then Rose just goes off with this other guy to "sell real estate" and eventually marries him. I thought that this was a horrible ending to Laura's family, and was terribly different from the sweet, country life lead in the Laura books.
August 31, 2014
I thoroughly enjoyed this series, giving the previous 7 books a deserving 5 stars. This book, however, was my least favourite. I gave it 3 stars, not because the writing was poor but because Rose did not fulfill my expectations of displaying wisdom and good judgement after moving out on her own. At the start of the book, Rose had returned home to Mansfield with her parents after she spent a year with her aunt in Louisiana while studying and graduating from high school. Her parents were back living on Rocky Ridge farm. Paul, her hometown sweetheart, returned to Mansfield for a time, but soon left again to another telegraph operator post. In an effort to speed their planned marriage, delayed because of limited financial resources, and in order to escape the dull small town, Rose borrowed $100 from her parents to move to Kansas City to attend a three month telegraphy school with guaranteed employment afterwards. The school, however, was something of a sham, run by an absentee alcoholic school owner/sole instructor. Rose did not become proficient in telegraphy at the school, but became more proficient during her various jobs. While in KC, she stayed in a questionable lodging, but was ungracious and rather rude when a woman from the Eastern Star, distantly connected to her mother, took an interest in her situation and invited her to stay in her home. Rose whined to get her first job and managed her money poorly, periodically requesting advances in her salary (which, in truth, was lower than the men in the office). Impulsively, she took a job in San Francisco as an operator in order to earn more money to pay back her parents and save up for her hopeful wedding to Paul. Rose was lonely and unhappy in Mansfield, KC, and also in SF. Paul visited periodically, but she was uncomfortable disagreeing with him about his views that he didn't want Rose to work, that he didn't like the wave of immigrants, etc. Rose eventually moved in with an operator and her mother who went out drinking and dancing all night and every night. Rose changed jobs to work only days so she could join them in the evenings. She and Paul didn't have much in common anymore with Rose's change in lifestyle, and Rose found herself attracted to the older and wild Mr. Lane (who she eventually marries and divorces, although that is not described in the book). Rose is 19 at the end of the book. Rose writes letters that are somewhat deceitful as she communicates with her family and Paul, and she comes across as a naive and immature young women who goes with the party crowd to cope with the state of her unsatisfying life.
October 14, 2012
The last one in this series. And the most disappointing one. Laura, Rose's mother, used to be my childhood heroine. I adore Laura, and I often imagined that I was her. And Rose... Argh.
So, in this story, Rose went to Kansas City to do a course for being a telegraph operator. She did this for her own ambition, and also to save some money so she and Paul can get married. However, bad things happened. Not having enough money and being underpaid, Rose was forced to leave her job and moved to San Fransisco to have another job there. She found new friends, had some "fun", and met Lane.
I don't know what happened with her, but Rose became quite annoying here. At first she was so deeply in love with Paul, but then things really changed when she moved to San Fransisco, where she made friends and lived with her friends. On one hand, she didn't seem to enjoy the parties that she went to, the drinking, the dancing. But there are times when it seems that she demanded that she deserved to have fun. Considering her background, her mother, her father, I just can't find the logic why she thought that the lifestyle that she had in San Fransisco was acceptable. And I hate that she broke up with Paul, just because Paul said that she changed.
Disappointing. Oh well, Rose was not Laura, anyway.
So, in this story, Rose went to Kansas City to do a course for being a telegraph operator. She did this for her own ambition, and also to save some money so she and Paul can get married. However, bad things happened. Not having enough money and being underpaid, Rose was forced to leave her job and moved to San Fransisco to have another job there. She found new friends, had some "fun", and met Lane.
I don't know what happened with her, but Rose became quite annoying here. At first she was so deeply in love with Paul, but then things really changed when she moved to San Fransisco, where she made friends and lived with her friends. On one hand, she didn't seem to enjoy the parties that she went to, the drinking, the dancing. But there are times when it seems that she demanded that she deserved to have fun. Considering her background, her mother, her father, I just can't find the logic why she thought that the lifestyle that she had in San Fransisco was acceptable. And I hate that she broke up with Paul, just because Paul said that she changed.
Disappointing. Oh well, Rose was not Laura, anyway.
May 4, 2012
I will start this off by saying that I do not like the character of Rose at all. She is flighty, annoying and naiive. Really naiive. Not in the sense of not knowing anything about how things work in the city, or all the new things to see there. But really in the sense of just being so carlessly stupid about the people she associates with, her ideas of "having a good time", and her knowledge of love. So, she though she was in love with Paul, and she wanted to marry him, but then he got all stubborn about not letting her work and trying to make her wait until he has earned enough money for them to get married. So of course she went off to San Francisco to work, and then she meets this other guy named Gillette Lane. After they have known each other for a while she convinces herself that she loves him, and when he asks her to go with him to (get this!) sell real estate, she is like "Okay, sure!" And this is the guy she later marries. If he had been an international thief, she probably wouldn't have figured it out until it was too late!
But maybe it was just the writing. The writing was really bad. Maybe it was because this was published after the author died. Yeah, that was probably it...
But maybe it was just the writing. The writing was really bad. Maybe it was because this was published after the author died. Yeah, that was probably it...
August 26, 2015
I really liked the book in that it was very well written but as it covered Rose's life during some of her more tempestuous years, I have to admit I didn't enjoy it as much as the others. Her innocence was severely compromised and she willfully walked in a path that led her far from the nurturing elements her parents and grandparents had fought so dearly to preserve. Her life, like the life of America in general, seems to be a one of willful hardening of the heart, selling the good and the beautiful for something cheap and glittering. It was over all a sorry tale that could not be countered by any cheerful "growing-up & empowerment" theme.
February 10, 2011
This is by far my least favorite of the Rose series. Rose moves to San Fran to become a telegraph operator, makes poor friends, and becomes selfish and shallow. I'm pretty sure the whole Paul Cooley character is fictional...it better be. Or else Rose is an idiot. Overall, Bachelor Girl provides a poor ending to the series. (Although, Rose Wilder Lane's real life does not have a happy ending...so I guess it's fitting.) I wouldn't recommend reading this one with kids.
January 12, 2015
Thank God! They are FINISHED!!!
I have finally made it through some of the WORST books that I have EVER read.
I couldn't believe it, but I actually gave this final one 3 stars. Why? Because it made Rose more "human". Let her be a little restless, spoiled, not think before acting, et.c. Why not? All the morals and "goodness" of this series was extremely hard to take. It was actually refreshing for Rose to be a little "bad". And when you have a mother (as MacBride likes to portray Laura) like Rose did, I bet it would feel so good to do whatever you wanted to.
Problems with the book? Of course. The main issue is the whole Rose Wilder-Gillette Lane thing. I am OK with this guy - being the way that he is written - charming her. I am fine with it. I have no problem whatsoever with it. My problem is how it ends. Rather than have it end with Rose going off with an uncertain, but optimistic, future, they make her kind of "gush" over this man. That bothers me because anyone who knows anything knows how the marriage ended. Yes, in the beginning she couldn't predict it, but still, I don't think the ending should've put so much focus on that man. It should've really just covered her career prospects and how life could be (without a man).
Now, let's get down to the series as a whole. I appreciate what Roger Lea MacBride has done as far as the TV show is concerned (yes, I am obsessed with the "Little House On the Prairie" TV show). But I think he should've stopped there. In my opinion, these books should NEVER have been written. Or if they were destined to be so, they should've been written by someone else.
MacBride's writing is very repetitive. He isn't a good story teller. He uses the same words and phrases over and over again. He constantly feels the need to explain characters. How many times do we need to be told who the Cooleys are? If you've gotten to the 6th book, I think you know who they are! His choice of expressions from a character are comical (i.e. land sakes, tarnation, jiminy, et.c.). I, personally, felt that it was a mockery of the people that he was writing about. He turned a person that I just loved into someone I absolutely despise. Having read his books, and the way that he portrayed her, I think Laura is one of the most aggravating people that ever existed in literature. As for the real one, I don't think she was like this. I am basing it on everything that I have ever read that she has written, and was written about her. But the CHARACTER of Laura....well, that is a different story. At least the character that MacBride created is. He turned her into absolute absurdity. Her morals got old pretty fast. Her judgment of people was uncalled for. So what if someone would wear a ball gown as it was described in the Victrola add?! Was it that important to make a comment like that? Or is that MacBride feeling that way and putting those words into Laura's mouth? She was religious. She liked to read from her Bible. If anyone should NOT judge, it should be Laura who does NOT do so! Oh, with a woman like Laura, I don't know how a man like Almanzo could stand it.
Almanzo Wilder. One of my biggest "crushes" in literature. With these books MacBride managed to turn such an incredible guy into a "hick". He may have been a farmer, but he most certainly was not a "hick". Anyone who spoke like he did, and acted the way that he did at times, is so unrealistic. He is a frontiersman. Yes, he essentially is. And those men are not going to act or speak that way unless they are a character straight out of a 1950's western TV show. He turned Almanzo into someone that I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to spend their life with.
I understand the connection that MacBride had with Rose. But I don't think anything he did was out of respect, or love, for that woman. I think his reasons were completely financial. I understand there are many people out there that would enjoy these (and probably disagree with me). I, unfortunately, am not one of them. I really feel like he wrote these just to make money. If I am wrong, then I am wrong. So be it! I couldn't care less! I am never going to read these again.
I just feel bad for having spent my birthday and Christmas money on these all those years ago when I was a kid. I could've used it towards something much more worthy of it.
I have a friend on here who likes to say that even reading something unenjoyable is still a positive thing because it still gives you the experience of reading it. I know for a fact that she has never read these. I think her mind would be changed then! When you dislike something as much as I disliked these, I wish I never even had the experience of them. They were boring, ridiculous and a complete waste of time and money. And it makes me regret reading them because I maybe could've spent my time reading something better. I am never getting the time back now!
I did get a kick out of the fact that MacBride had Paul Cooley say "damn". I enjoyed seeing the word in print in a Little House book. But the enjoyment disappeared as soon as he brought up some "moral" point about the character swearing. GIVE IT A REST!!!
So, yes, I did REALLY like the first two books in the series. And, yes, there are some 2 star books. But as a whole, I really do think I would give it only 1 star. These books were just utter nonsense.
And thanks to Mr. MacBride, I have been completely turned off from all things Little House. And anyone who knows me well enough would go into shock when they read that statement. These books drained me. I need a big break from anything Little House On the Prairie. I need time to block all of this from my mind before I can start to truly enjoy the world of Laura Ingalls Wilder again.
I have finally made it through some of the WORST books that I have EVER read.
I couldn't believe it, but I actually gave this final one 3 stars. Why? Because it made Rose more "human". Let her be a little restless, spoiled, not think before acting, et.c. Why not? All the morals and "goodness" of this series was extremely hard to take. It was actually refreshing for Rose to be a little "bad". And when you have a mother (as MacBride likes to portray Laura) like Rose did, I bet it would feel so good to do whatever you wanted to.
Problems with the book? Of course. The main issue is the whole Rose Wilder-Gillette Lane thing. I am OK with this guy - being the way that he is written - charming her. I am fine with it. I have no problem whatsoever with it. My problem is how it ends. Rather than have it end with Rose going off with an uncertain, but optimistic, future, they make her kind of "gush" over this man. That bothers me because anyone who knows anything knows how the marriage ended. Yes, in the beginning she couldn't predict it, but still, I don't think the ending should've put so much focus on that man. It should've really just covered her career prospects and how life could be (without a man).
Now, let's get down to the series as a whole. I appreciate what Roger Lea MacBride has done as far as the TV show is concerned (yes, I am obsessed with the "Little House On the Prairie" TV show). But I think he should've stopped there. In my opinion, these books should NEVER have been written. Or if they were destined to be so, they should've been written by someone else.
MacBride's writing is very repetitive. He isn't a good story teller. He uses the same words and phrases over and over again. He constantly feels the need to explain characters. How many times do we need to be told who the Cooleys are? If you've gotten to the 6th book, I think you know who they are! His choice of expressions from a character are comical (i.e. land sakes, tarnation, jiminy, et.c.). I, personally, felt that it was a mockery of the people that he was writing about. He turned a person that I just loved into someone I absolutely despise. Having read his books, and the way that he portrayed her, I think Laura is one of the most aggravating people that ever existed in literature. As for the real one, I don't think she was like this. I am basing it on everything that I have ever read that she has written, and was written about her. But the CHARACTER of Laura....well, that is a different story. At least the character that MacBride created is. He turned her into absolute absurdity. Her morals got old pretty fast. Her judgment of people was uncalled for. So what if someone would wear a ball gown as it was described in the Victrola add?! Was it that important to make a comment like that? Or is that MacBride feeling that way and putting those words into Laura's mouth? She was religious. She liked to read from her Bible. If anyone should NOT judge, it should be Laura who does NOT do so! Oh, with a woman like Laura, I don't know how a man like Almanzo could stand it.
Almanzo Wilder. One of my biggest "crushes" in literature. With these books MacBride managed to turn such an incredible guy into a "hick". He may have been a farmer, but he most certainly was not a "hick". Anyone who spoke like he did, and acted the way that he did at times, is so unrealistic. He is a frontiersman. Yes, he essentially is. And those men are not going to act or speak that way unless they are a character straight out of a 1950's western TV show. He turned Almanzo into someone that I couldn't imagine anyone wanting to spend their life with.
I understand the connection that MacBride had with Rose. But I don't think anything he did was out of respect, or love, for that woman. I think his reasons were completely financial. I understand there are many people out there that would enjoy these (and probably disagree with me). I, unfortunately, am not one of them. I really feel like he wrote these just to make money. If I am wrong, then I am wrong. So be it! I couldn't care less! I am never going to read these again.
I just feel bad for having spent my birthday and Christmas money on these all those years ago when I was a kid. I could've used it towards something much more worthy of it.
I have a friend on here who likes to say that even reading something unenjoyable is still a positive thing because it still gives you the experience of reading it. I know for a fact that she has never read these. I think her mind would be changed then! When you dislike something as much as I disliked these, I wish I never even had the experience of them. They were boring, ridiculous and a complete waste of time and money. And it makes me regret reading them because I maybe could've spent my time reading something better. I am never getting the time back now!
I did get a kick out of the fact that MacBride had Paul Cooley say "damn". I enjoyed seeing the word in print in a Little House book. But the enjoyment disappeared as soon as he brought up some "moral" point about the character swearing. GIVE IT A REST!!!
So, yes, I did REALLY like the first two books in the series. And, yes, there are some 2 star books. But as a whole, I really do think I would give it only 1 star. These books were just utter nonsense.
And thanks to Mr. MacBride, I have been completely turned off from all things Little House. And anyone who knows me well enough would go into shock when they read that statement. These books drained me. I need a big break from anything Little House On the Prairie. I need time to block all of this from my mind before I can start to truly enjoy the world of Laura Ingalls Wilder again.
May 24, 2022
Not really a good way to end a series. I think as some of the other reviews have stated. It's better to read book six or seven and stop there.
November 24, 2015
This was a disappointing end in some ways. I did like how Rose was on her own and got started with her life. That sounded extremely hard, but I love how she met each challenge!
On another note, I liked Rose's friends, but they were so different than Rose and had so many different values than her, that I felt bad for her. She made some choices that I don't think she should have, but she's grown up now! I did like Mr. Lane I guess. And that brings us to the second point!
PAUL. One of the best chapters was the boat ride one. It was so sweet and they were together and just YESSSS. BUT PAUL MAKE UP YOUR MIND. I get why he left her. She changed soooo much. But wasn't that kind of his fault for just leaving her. Not that Paul would have forced her to stay a certain way, but Rose wouldn't have been pushed to change if she was with Paul living the cutest dream ever! Ughh a little bit was Rose's fault, but most of it was Paul's. What do you expect! She's seriously been living in a different world for 2 years! UGHHHH It probably wouldn't have worked out anyway :(
I like how it ended with Rose off to new adventures with a nice guy who we all know eventually married her. Although it ended on a positive, I still feel that Rose changed too much in this book and the previous one for me to love her like I did. And I totally understand if you still love her. She has many lovable qualities! I just love her younger self a lot more.
On another note, I liked Rose's friends, but they were so different than Rose and had so many different values than her, that I felt bad for her. She made some choices that I don't think she should have, but she's grown up now! I did like Mr. Lane I guess. And that brings us to the second point!
PAUL. One of the best chapters was the boat ride one. It was so sweet and they were together and just YESSSS. BUT PAUL MAKE UP YOUR MIND. I get why he left her. She changed soooo much. But wasn't that kind of his fault for just leaving her. Not that Paul would have forced her to stay a certain way, but Rose wouldn't have been pushed to change if she was with Paul living the cutest dream ever! Ughh a little bit was Rose's fault, but most of it was Paul's. What do you expect! She's seriously been living in a different world for 2 years! UGHHHH It probably wouldn't have worked out anyway :(
I like how it ended with Rose off to new adventures with a nice guy who we all know eventually married her. Although it ended on a positive, I still feel that Rose changed too much in this book and the previous one for me to love her like I did. And I totally understand if you still love her. She has many lovable qualities! I just love her younger self a lot more.
September 30, 2016
Like many people I found this book and series to be disappointing. I knew that Rose would be different that Laura but wow what a HUGE difference. Rose ended up hanging out with the wrong crowd when in California. I can't say that I'm surprised that her and Paul didn't end up together. He wanted her to be a housewife and it was clear since she was young that is not what she wanted. All I can say is that I definitely liked the books about Laura better.
August 19, 2014
So glad to finally finish this series. I came to the realization a couple of books ago that I really dislike Rose. My boys hated the last three or four books too. I looked her up on Wikipedia and it seems her choices followed her throughout life. I do wonder what Laura thought of her, if she ever admitted how she was living. I think she was partly ashamed of where she was in this book.
June 27, 2019
Rather disappointing end to the series. I kept hoping that she would come to her senses, but in the end she just plunged deeper into the mire. It was a sad ending to what could have been a sweet story, made all the sadder knowing that it was true.
July 4, 2019
The series is finally over and I’m a bit disappointed in it to be completely honest. Not that I wanted it to go on forever, but the ending was pretty lacklustre.
As I’ve said in the previous reviews, the author had died prior to publishing book 5 and Rose’s character had changed quite frequently. There is no consistency to her. As books 7 and 8 are considerably shorter than the earlier six, I feel like they could have been condensed into one single volume and cut some of the crap.
This is the “woe is me, nothing is going the way I want it to” Rose, following on from the brat and the studious character. She pines after Paul, but won’t force his hand, or try and make a go of things elsewhere.
The only stand out moment in this book, is a character called Gillette appearing, on page 156. We only find his name in a telegram to begin with, but he does become a part of Rose’s life. Obviously, considering she married him. (And divorced.)
But dear god, what an ass he is. I felt like reaching into the book and shaking Rose to try and make her see sense. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, whether the fact that I knew their marriage only lasted 9 years wasn’t influencing my thoughts of him. But he was a pretentious, cocky ass! He was written very badly and came across as a totally unlikeable character, against poor dependable Paul.
And whatever happened to Paul? Well, we don’t really know. I would have liked to have seen some sort of closure there. He just leaves.
But really, the book just kind of ends. It just stops. It doesn’t show Rose (happily) married, like her mother and grandmother before her (and probably her great grandmother and great great grandmother but I haven’t read those books.) It just ends with her running off to California to be with a man (call me old fashioned) that she barely knows. After harping on about Paul for the last half of the series. Jeez Rose, make up your mind. I was kind of thinking Mr Skidmore from the previous book might come back and we might finally find out his first name.
Overall? The series just falls a bit flat after the author dies. Sure his daughter and publisher/ghostwriter have done their best, but there’s something missing and the rest of the books have just been a bit dull. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend these. I will still be keeping them, but I prefer the Laura/Caroline books.
As I’ve said in the previous reviews, the author had died prior to publishing book 5 and Rose’s character had changed quite frequently. There is no consistency to her. As books 7 and 8 are considerably shorter than the earlier six, I feel like they could have been condensed into one single volume and cut some of the crap.
This is the “woe is me, nothing is going the way I want it to” Rose, following on from the brat and the studious character. She pines after Paul, but won’t force his hand, or try and make a go of things elsewhere.
The only stand out moment in this book, is a character called Gillette appearing, on page 156. We only find his name in a telegram to begin with, but he does become a part of Rose’s life. Obviously, considering she married him. (And divorced.)
But dear god, what an ass he is. I felt like reaching into the book and shaking Rose to try and make her see sense. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, whether the fact that I knew their marriage only lasted 9 years wasn’t influencing my thoughts of him. But he was a pretentious, cocky ass! He was written very badly and came across as a totally unlikeable character, against poor dependable Paul.
And whatever happened to Paul? Well, we don’t really know. I would have liked to have seen some sort of closure there. He just leaves.
But really, the book just kind of ends. It just stops. It doesn’t show Rose (happily) married, like her mother and grandmother before her (and probably her great grandmother and great great grandmother but I haven’t read those books.) It just ends with her running off to California to be with a man (call me old fashioned) that she barely knows. After harping on about Paul for the last half of the series. Jeez Rose, make up your mind. I was kind of thinking Mr Skidmore from the previous book might come back and we might finally find out his first name.
Overall? The series just falls a bit flat after the author dies. Sure his daughter and publisher/ghostwriter have done their best, but there’s something missing and the rest of the books have just been a bit dull. Personally, I wouldn’t recommend these. I will still be keeping them, but I prefer the Laura/Caroline books.
December 31, 2022
The Little House series has made such an impact on me, even though I'm decades late to the party. I enjoyed Laura's perspective but it increased tenfold when I read about Rose Wilder. She was such a bright spark and was so much more relatable than her mother. Perhaps because it was in a different time period and it was less do or die making a living on the farm. There were plenty of hardships, but Rose had more technology and neighbors at her disposal than her mother did growing up on the prairie. The original author Roger Lea MacBride died in the middle of writing this series but he did leave behind 2 unfinished manuscripts. His absence was heavily felt and it was evident that a ghost writer had taken over the reins of the Rocky Ridge series. I do acknowledge it is difficult to create an exciting narrative when you're writing a collection of a real person's life. When Rose went to California, she turned into a totally different person and made poor decisions. She stayed with people she shouldn't have and broke off a relationship with the person we've invested in for the past 7 books. I understand she has the right to make her own choices and this happened in real life, but it felt like I was duped.
She was a political radical and it was at the forefront of the novel. The change in author wasn't a natural transition and it lost the magic of the babydoll fiction I've come to love. The book ended rather abruptly with Rose leaving San Francisco to sell real estate with the rich bachelor she would eventually marry and divorce. Although I was severely disappointed with this conclusion, I started the collection featuring her great great grandmother Martha in the Scotland series. I somehow managed to score the first two books at a Goodwill a few years ago but they're going for like $50 online and my library doesn't have them! Hopefully I can find them at future library sales or I may have to cough up the chump change for my Little House Legacy. This may have been the end of the Rocky Ridge Years, but I'm more than happy to hop up the branches of the family tree for more Little House stories!
She was a political radical and it was at the forefront of the novel. The change in author wasn't a natural transition and it lost the magic of the babydoll fiction I've come to love. The book ended rather abruptly with Rose leaving San Francisco to sell real estate with the rich bachelor she would eventually marry and divorce. Although I was severely disappointed with this conclusion, I started the collection featuring her great great grandmother Martha in the Scotland series. I somehow managed to score the first two books at a Goodwill a few years ago but they're going for like $50 online and my library doesn't have them! Hopefully I can find them at future library sales or I may have to cough up the chump change for my Little House Legacy. This may have been the end of the Rocky Ridge Years, but I'm more than happy to hop up the branches of the family tree for more Little House stories!
December 29, 2018
This is a review that by necessity must be full of caveats. If you're just looking for a continuation of the Little House books for a budding reader, they're very much in the same vein in the day to day of eking out a living and not bad at all. But if you've read Caroline Fraser's excellent Prairie Fires about the lives and mythmaking of both Laura Ingalls Wilder and daughter Rose Wilder Lane, you quickly realize this series like the original is a lot of romanticized and highly fictionalized nonsense that could at times be quite hamfisted into trying further both women's own extreme politics and idealizing the heroic settler pioneer. Worse, they're written by someone who never knew Laura at all and because of Rose's decidedly odd proclivities in "adopting" various young men until they no longer suited her, lucked into getting control of the entire Wilder estate and copyrights.
All that said, if I didn't know what a complete wackadoo the real Rose Wilder Lane turned into, I could probably like this final book in the series as a now-adult Rose is realizing that she's outgrown her earlier dreams of working enough to marry her childhood sweetheart and that she has to forge her own path. It's not a terrible young adult story of learning to pick and choose your friends and being taken in by the excitement of a life different from yours. Unfortunately, it can't be read in a vacuum separate from what we know Lane would turn into.
All that said, if I didn't know what a complete wackadoo the real Rose Wilder Lane turned into, I could probably like this final book in the series as a now-adult Rose is realizing that she's outgrown her earlier dreams of working enough to marry her childhood sweetheart and that she has to forge her own path. It's not a terrible young adult story of learning to pick and choose your friends and being taken in by the excitement of a life different from yours. Unfortunately, it can't be read in a vacuum separate from what we know Lane would turn into.
December 18, 2019
I read this one for a reading challenge for the category "A book from your childhood". I read the rest of the series as it came out, but outgrew it before this last book came out. It seemed like the perfect time to read it.
I remember bits and pieces of the series. But as an adult through an adult lens of life, this one was not my favorite. The charm and goodness of the previous books was gone. Rose chooses a more wild life and loses some of her values as she lives independently. I was a bit disappointed.
I remember bits and pieces of the series. But as an adult through an adult lens of life, this one was not my favorite. The charm and goodness of the previous books was gone. Rose chooses a more wild life and loses some of her values as she lives independently. I was a bit disappointed.
September 23, 2016
This was a very disappointing book and series. I still like Paul; he's still a sweet man. I like Rose less than I did in the previous book. She was likeable in the first couple of books, but she became less likeable in each of the subsequent books. She made a lot of bad decisions throughout the series, but I think she made the worst decisions in this book.
February 23, 2008
If I was disappointed in Rose before, I was ashamed of her in this book. I was never happy with her adult life, so it shouldn't have surprised me. Very sad that Laura's legacy couldn't have continued as I thought it should.
January 30, 2019
I disagree with most reviewers. Rose is not awful. She is open-minded and determined. And this for a girl of her young age. Paul is the disappointment here, imho.
October 18, 2017
I happened to be in the children's section of the library and picked this up because I liked the Rose Years book when I was a kid. This book covers Rose leaving Rocky Ridge at age 17 to take a telegraphy course (which turned out to be a sham) in Kansas City. She works as an operator there for a while and basically gets fired because she and her visiting beau miss a train and have to stay out all night. Then she goes to San Francisco to work as an operator there. She eventually meets another girl operator and moves in with her and her mother. Louise and her mother are all about dancing and drinking til all hours. Rose is ambivalent, but she does go with them sometimes. Through them, she meets Gillette Lane, who is rich and a little moody as his fortunes change. At the end of the book, she agrees to go off with him to help sell land in California's San Joaquin Valley. Given that her name is Rose Wilder Lane, we can assume that she marries him. Oh, I wish there were a next book where that happens!
Thoughts: Were they *really* stuck on a slow, late boat? It's amazing what she endured, living with the pushy and disdainful Mrs. Campbell, working but not making enough to live on. Given that Paul found community in the church, why didn't Rose go to church and try to meet some people? It was cool to recognize the names of places in San Francisco. It's good that she left the city before the 1906 earthquake. The crazy language of the party set was funny. I didn't think people talked like that until the 1920s. I'm so disappointed that this series ends with this book!
Thoughts: Were they *really* stuck on a slow, late boat? It's amazing what she endured, living with the pushy and disdainful Mrs. Campbell, working but not making enough to live on. Given that Paul found community in the church, why didn't Rose go to church and try to meet some people? It was cool to recognize the names of places in San Francisco. It's good that she left the city before the 1906 earthquake. The crazy language of the party set was funny. I didn't think people talked like that until the 1920s. I'm so disappointed that this series ends with this book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 25, 2023
We have the whole Rose series and have been reading it aloud (my 7 yo and I) after falling in love with the Little House Books and feeling like nothing else could compare.
This book was to the Rose series what The First Four Years was to the Laura series.. positively disappointing.
The difference was that the writing style (or complete lack of) is what killed the First Four Years, for Bachelor Girl.. it was the story.
The reason many folks like myself keep reading series like these is to see right overcome wrong, good overcome bad, and the deepest and best traits of the characters to develop and shine through after adversity. They are so inspiring and make life feel so much more hopeful. (For an example of how inspiring the characters are to me: I used to dislike the name 'Charles'. But after reading the Little House books, and also the Little Britches series, I would be proud to name any child or grandchild Charles!)
This book went the other way. Rose's character went down the tubes and there was NO happy ending. "She was excited to see what the future would bring" or whatever the last line was was not a happy ending. And because it was the last book of the whole series, oh what an unhappy ending it was!
I only read the first little bit to my seven year old. She lost interest quickly (when she used to beg and beg me to read), also I realized where things were headed and didn't want to traumatize her.
As far as Rose herself... it's not my job to judge her. Everyone has done things they regret. I really hope she ended up having a happier life in her older years.. However, I can judge the books I choose to read, and this one isn't great.
This book was to the Rose series what The First Four Years was to the Laura series.. positively disappointing.
The difference was that the writing style (or complete lack of) is what killed the First Four Years, for Bachelor Girl.. it was the story.
The reason many folks like myself keep reading series like these is to see right overcome wrong, good overcome bad, and the deepest and best traits of the characters to develop and shine through after adversity. They are so inspiring and make life feel so much more hopeful. (For an example of how inspiring the characters are to me: I used to dislike the name 'Charles'. But after reading the Little House books, and also the Little Britches series, I would be proud to name any child or grandchild Charles!)
This book went the other way. Rose's character went down the tubes and there was NO happy ending. "She was excited to see what the future would bring" or whatever the last line was was not a happy ending. And because it was the last book of the whole series, oh what an unhappy ending it was!
I only read the first little bit to my seven year old. She lost interest quickly (when she used to beg and beg me to read), also I realized where things were headed and didn't want to traumatize her.
As far as Rose herself... it's not my job to judge her. Everyone has done things they regret. I really hope she ended up having a happier life in her older years.. However, I can judge the books I choose to read, and this one isn't great.
July 23, 2023
I am 34 years old, having read this book about a dozen times through my childhood, and here I am only now leaving a review, because I have some new perspective as an adult.
I am seeing a lot of people commenting that they are disappointed in Rose. When I was younger I devoured these series, and the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I didn't care much for this this book, at least the back half of it.
I just finished rereading the Rose series after getting into the podcast, Wilder (go listen to it!). The podcast is mostly about Laura's life, but of course that includes Rose, too.
The thing that I always found most awful about the book is about Rose and Paul's love for each other falling apart, and I believed it all to be true. Because of the podcast, I started researching more about Rose, and the Cooleys, too. Apparently, author Roger Lea McBride made the whole thing up! Rose and Paul were good friends their entire lives, but they never officially courted, or became engaged.
As a child, I had rooted for them to get together throughout the earlier books, even knowing how it ended. Now, I can see that Paul was written to have opinions that clashed from Rose's, straight from the beginning. It never would have worked out for them.
If all readers can look past that, her story and it's progression, I think, makes a little more sense. Any 18-19 year old couldn't help but getting swept up in the glamour of San Francisco.
I am seeing a lot of people commenting that they are disappointed in Rose. When I was younger I devoured these series, and the Little House series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I didn't care much for this this book, at least the back half of it.
I just finished rereading the Rose series after getting into the podcast, Wilder (go listen to it!). The podcast is mostly about Laura's life, but of course that includes Rose, too.
The thing that I always found most awful about the book is about Rose and Paul's love for each other falling apart, and I believed it all to be true. Because of the podcast, I started researching more about Rose, and the Cooleys, too. Apparently, author Roger Lea McBride made the whole thing up! Rose and Paul were good friends their entire lives, but they never officially courted, or became engaged.
As a child, I had rooted for them to get together throughout the earlier books, even knowing how it ended. Now, I can see that Paul was written to have opinions that clashed from Rose's, straight from the beginning. It never would have worked out for them.
If all readers can look past that, her story and it's progression, I think, makes a little more sense. Any 18-19 year old couldn't help but getting swept up in the glamour of San Francisco.
August 20, 2017
I'm waffling between 2 and 3 stars on this book. It suffered from the same disjointedness as the previous book (like that one, probably due to the author having died before finishing it). Like other readers, I'm not super fond of the person Rose has turned out to be ().
I think though, the ultimate cause of my dissatisfaction compared to the earlier books though, is that it was just badly written. I think I see what MacBride was trying to get at: Everywhere Rose goes, she is in but not of. Her new friends are missing the grounding of her life at home, but her life at home was a world being increasingly left behind. Rose was trying to find how to be an independent modern woman in a world where her main options were to be traditional or flighty. That's the tension I think the book was trying to navigate, but while MacBride's storytelling was sufficient for the earlier slice-of-life narratives, it did not live up to this more difficult challenge.
That said, I was glad to see Rose's childhood rounded off.
I think though, the ultimate cause of my dissatisfaction compared to the earlier books though, is that it was just badly written. I think I see what MacBride was trying to get at: Everywhere Rose goes, she is in but not of. Her new friends are missing the grounding of her life at home, but her life at home was a world being increasingly left behind. Rose was trying to find how to be an independent modern woman in a world where her main options were to be traditional or flighty. That's the tension I think the book was trying to navigate, but while MacBride's storytelling was sufficient for the earlier slice-of-life narratives, it did not live up to this more difficult challenge.
That said, I was glad to see Rose's childhood rounded off.
May 2, 2018
Wavered between 3 & 4 stars.
Rose really falls in love with Paul here. Unfortunately, he does not want women to work. And it’s more and more obvious why their relationship didn’t work out.
She moves to Kansas City to be a telegraph operaror.
For having lived in Louisiana and courted an older man, Rose is very naïve. It’s actually annoying.
She moves to San Francisco for a better job (and be closer to Paul). There needs a girl named Louise who is quite fashionable. And really, I find her a worse influence than the Mansfield gals. Then Rose feels she isn’t good enough and her negative feelings mean something is wrong with her. Again-TOO naive for having lived on her own. Her greed continuously makes me feel awful for her parents.
Yes, without her we wouldn’t have these books we all know and live. Laura and her family would have just been another forgotten family in the annals of history. Still, I don’t have to like her behavior....though it’s evident that she likely had clinical depression (she apparently self-diagnosed being bipolar, but that’s not something to self-diagnose IMO).
And I guess since MacBride didn’t mince words, it’s a good book.
Rose really falls in love with Paul here. Unfortunately, he does not want women to work. And it’s more and more obvious why their relationship didn’t work out.
She moves to Kansas City to be a telegraph operaror.
For having lived in Louisiana and courted an older man, Rose is very naïve. It’s actually annoying.
She moves to San Francisco for a better job (and be closer to Paul). There needs a girl named Louise who is quite fashionable. And really, I find her a worse influence than the Mansfield gals. Then Rose feels she isn’t good enough and her negative feelings mean something is wrong with her. Again-TOO naive for having lived on her own. Her greed continuously makes me feel awful for her parents.
Yes, without her we wouldn’t have these books we all know and live. Laura and her family would have just been another forgotten family in the annals of history. Still, I don’t have to like her behavior....though it’s evident that she likely had clinical depression (she apparently self-diagnosed being bipolar, but that’s not something to self-diagnose IMO).
And I guess since MacBride didn’t mince words, it’s a good book.
June 13, 2020
The last 4 books of the "Rose Years" were written after Roger Lea MacBride died. His daughter Abigail wrote the introduction for each book after his death, and explained that he had the material for the 4 books put together. As such, I think the last 4 books are probably the weakest of all the books. They cover the events in her life, but her character development is severely lacking.
I'm really sorry that this book did not end on a better note, it makes Rose seem quite the immature jerk. All of us are immature at that age, and what she accomplished at that time should not be discounted.... but perhaps this book should have ended with her marriage to Gillette Lane and her time as a realtor together with him. But the ending seems almost a premonition for the bad things that will come.... drifting all over the US with Gillette after they marry as they "sell" various schemes, the death of her baby, her nervous breakdown, her suicide attempt, then her divorce.
But as the book stands, I would not recommend it.
I'm really sorry that this book did not end on a better note, it makes Rose seem quite the immature jerk. All of us are immature at that age, and what she accomplished at that time should not be discounted.... but perhaps this book should have ended with her marriage to Gillette Lane and her time as a realtor together with him. But the ending seems almost a premonition for the bad things that will come.... drifting all over the US with Gillette after they marry as they "sell" various schemes, the death of her baby, her nervous breakdown, her suicide attempt, then her divorce.
But as the book stands, I would not recommend it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 11, 2022
Okay, this is hilarious. I'm reading this a day after finishing Lane's Diverging Roads and... this book is basically Roger Lea MacBride and whoever ghostwrote for him cribbing from Rose Wilder Lane writing fiction about herself.
Everyone who says this is unbelievable and terrible: it's not all MacBride's fault! Parts of it are Lane verbatim! If there had been a book nine, it would not have been The First Four Years redux, it would have been . Of course, since it's the As Told By Rose version, it's never her fault something goes wrong.
I'm digging back in! I liked Diverging Roads for the pulp it was! But it's gotta be read to be believed, and if you don't feel like 360 whole pages of Lane on the Internet Archive, try 250 of "MacBride". In much larger print.
Everyone who says this is unbelievable and terrible: it's not all MacBride's fault! Parts of it are Lane verbatim! If there had been a book nine, it would not have been The First Four Years redux, it would have been . Of course, since it's the As Told By Rose version, it's never her fault something goes wrong.
I'm digging back in! I liked Diverging Roads for the pulp it was! But it's gotta be read to be believed, and if you don't feel like 360 whole pages of Lane on the Internet Archive, try 250 of "MacBride". In much larger print.
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