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Pioneer Girl: A Novel
Jobless with a PhD, Lee Lien returns home to her Chicago suburb from grad school, only to find herself contending with issues she’s evaded since college. But when her brother disappears, he leaves behind an object from their mother’s Vietnam past that stirs up a forgotten childhood a gold-leaf brooch, abandoned by an American reporter in Saigon back in 1965, that might be an heirloom belonging to Laura Ingalls Wilder. As Lee explores the tenuous facts of this connection, she unearths more than expected—a trail of clues and enticements that lead her from the dusty stacks of library archives to hilarious prairie life reenactments and ultimately to San Francisco, where her findings will transform strangers’ lives as well as her own.A dazzling literary mystery about the true origins of a time-tested classic, Pioneer Girl is also the deeply moving tale of a second-generation Vietnamese daughter, the parents she struggles to honor, the missing brother she is expected to bring home—even as her discoveries yield dramatic insights that will free her to live her own life to its full potential.
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First published February 6, 2014
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About the author
Bich Minh Nguyen
13 books102 followersBich Minh Nguyen received the PEN/Jerard Award for her memoir Stealing Buddha's Dinner, which was a Chicago Tribune Best Book of 2007 and a BookSense pick. It was also selected as The Great Michigan Read for 2009-2010. Bich has appeared on programs such as The Newshour with Jim Lehrer. She lives in Chicago and Indiana, where she teaches literature and creative writing at Purdue University.
Also writes as Beth Nguyen.
Also writes as Beth Nguyen.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 407 reviews
January 16, 2015
Note: My thoughts are all over the place after finishing this book and my review may reflect that, sorry for random ramblings. I hope you get the gist.
Ever since I was a little kid, any mention of pioneers drew me in. Apparently I am still that same girl that becomes rapt with attention at the mention of anything from the “olden days”. I rarely read entire synopsis's of books since I feel that they often give way too much away, so when picking out books I read the back page's descriptions of books only until the very second where it catches my interest and then I jump in. So needless to say I didn't really know what to expect when I opened this book apart from it having something to do with Little House on the Prairie.
Well the result was that I could not put this book down, I found the main character's life so interesting, although that statement might be somewhat ironic since the mc is always going on about how she doesn't have a life. I suppose this just means that I have -life.
This is one of those books that's not really about much, I kind of feel that perhaps that is an unfair definition of this book, but the main plot is not exactly pulse racing material. It is slow and for me, I felt that it was more of a glimpse into a regular person's life rather than an over the top fable.
However I enjoy these types of books, and I am pretty patient with slow paced books (as long as they are written well, which this on is). The writing was perfection and I would definitely read more from this author.
Buy, Borrow or Bin Verdict: Buy ( if you don't mind slower paced books)
Note #2: I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
June 2, 2014
If this intriguing layered novel only told the family focused story of Lee Lien, a book-nerdy young woman with an on-hold academic career trying to straddle the contrasting cultures and conflicting expectations of modern America, where she was born, and traditional pre-war Vietnam, where her strong-willed mother and gracious grandfather spent the earlier parts of their lives, that would have been enough to capture my interest.
If instead Pioneer Girl was simply a literary mystery, with Lee Lien so obsessed by a book related incident that may connect her family’s former Saigon restaurant to the author(s) of the Little House on the Prairie series that she chases clues across the country, from dusty library shelves to colorfully painted San Francisco neighborhoods, even abandoning her normally somewhat passive upright nature long enough to slip archival materials into her handbag, I’d make sure to get my hands on a copy.
But Pioneer Girl is both books, and talk about obsessed, I couldn’t put it down. This isn’t the kind of mystery with dead bodies or definite answers, but that just made this coming of age quest all the more intriguing.
If instead Pioneer Girl was simply a literary mystery, with Lee Lien so obsessed by a book related incident that may connect her family’s former Saigon restaurant to the author(s) of the Little House on the Prairie series that she chases clues across the country, from dusty library shelves to colorfully painted San Francisco neighborhoods, even abandoning her normally somewhat passive upright nature long enough to slip archival materials into her handbag, I’d make sure to get my hands on a copy.
But Pioneer Girl is both books, and talk about obsessed, I couldn’t put it down. This isn’t the kind of mystery with dead bodies or definite answers, but that just made this coming of age quest all the more intriguing.
February 25, 2014
Fans of Little House on the Prairie, owners of the boxed set (either pale blue like mine or pale yellow if you are a bit younger than I), as I am, will be charmed by parts of this book.
I was. But it wasn't quite enough. In fact, the memoir The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie gave me those same feelings, but in a more cohesive unit. This "novel" felt derivative of that.
I put novel in quotes because it really reads like a memoir, from the long ambling passages about life in the Chinese buffet business, to her scholarly research, I kept wondering "How much of this is real?" But because it wasn't firmly in either camp, I think the structure suffered.
Fans of memoir -- as I am -- might like it. Fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder and/or Rose Wilder Lane will enjoy sharing the pages with a fellow fan. The story about Lee, a Vietnamese doctoral candidate, struggling between family roots and living her own life, is interesting as well. The secondary characters like her mother, brother, and grandfather, are well drawn.
I am hovering between 2 and 3 stars. For me, it was ultimately somewhat unsatisfying and I felt it straddled the genres of fiction and memoir without enough clarification. Even though it is written and sold as fiction, it feels very much like a project memoir, and I felt that discoveries made within the novel should have been clarified at the end. Most historical fiction that I've read that deals with real people will clarify what is based on fact or folklore and what is pure speculation.
*I received a copy of this book for review purposes*
I was. But it wasn't quite enough. In fact, the memoir The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie gave me those same feelings, but in a more cohesive unit. This "novel" felt derivative of that.
I put novel in quotes because it really reads like a memoir, from the long ambling passages about life in the Chinese buffet business, to her scholarly research, I kept wondering "How much of this is real?" But because it wasn't firmly in either camp, I think the structure suffered.
Fans of memoir -- as I am -- might like it. Fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder and/or Rose Wilder Lane will enjoy sharing the pages with a fellow fan. The story about Lee, a Vietnamese doctoral candidate, struggling between family roots and living her own life, is interesting as well. The secondary characters like her mother, brother, and grandfather, are well drawn.
I am hovering between 2 and 3 stars. For me, it was ultimately somewhat unsatisfying and I felt it straddled the genres of fiction and memoir without enough clarification. Even though it is written and sold as fiction, it feels very much like a project memoir, and I felt that discoveries made within the novel should have been clarified at the end. Most historical fiction that I've read that deals with real people will clarify what is based on fact or folklore and what is pure speculation.
*I received a copy of this book for review purposes*
June 5, 2015
Pioneer Girl offers a refreshing take on the “what if?” story. Nguyen uniquely links together the Vietnam War and the Little House series. I was completely drawn-in from the first page. I would highly recommend this book!
June 15, 2014
The story of Lee Lien, a second generation Vietnamese American was very frustrating. There is a lot of repetition-- she fights with her mother and loses, she fights with her brother and loses, she thinks about her family history, but never digs too deeply.
Lien (a thinly fictionalized version of the author) delves into the story of Rose Wilder Lane, the daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Nguyen here retreads old scholars, particularly the author of The Ghost in the Little House. There is nothing really new or interesting here if you are familiar with the story behind the story of the Little House books. The exception here is that Nguyen is extremely biased, painting Laura as a cold withholding mother and Rose as a creative genius, stifled by her mother's worldview.
In reality, Rose was bipolar and Laura most likely had to deal with her daughter's wild mood swings, along with Rose's shopping addiction (this was during the Great Depression when money was particularly scarce). Nguyen touches on and then dismisses these facts, choosing instead to focus on Lee Lien's cold mother and drawing parallels between her and Laura.
But, sketchy historical facts aside, what frustrated me the most about this book is Lien's journey. She travels the United States aimlessly, has sexual relationships that mean nothing and lead nowhere, and remains unchanged by the end of her journey. No conclusions are drawn by her research into Rose or her own family. In the end, she ends up wandering again into a pointless job that will lead nowhere, fighting with her family without getting answers, and remaining unchanged in her identity. She learns nothing and remains unchanged. Because of this, the book is extremely disappointing and seemed pointless by the time I reached the end. It's a shame because the premise of the book was wonderful, but it tried to be too much and in the end it lead nowhere.
Lien (a thinly fictionalized version of the author) delves into the story of Rose Wilder Lane, the daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Nguyen here retreads old scholars, particularly the author of The Ghost in the Little House. There is nothing really new or interesting here if you are familiar with the story behind the story of the Little House books. The exception here is that Nguyen is extremely biased, painting Laura as a cold withholding mother and Rose as a creative genius, stifled by her mother's worldview.
In reality, Rose was bipolar and Laura most likely had to deal with her daughter's wild mood swings, along with Rose's shopping addiction (this was during the Great Depression when money was particularly scarce). Nguyen touches on and then dismisses these facts, choosing instead to focus on Lee Lien's cold mother and drawing parallels between her and Laura.
But, sketchy historical facts aside, what frustrated me the most about this book is Lien's journey. She travels the United States aimlessly, has sexual relationships that mean nothing and lead nowhere, and remains unchanged by the end of her journey. No conclusions are drawn by her research into Rose or her own family. In the end, she ends up wandering again into a pointless job that will lead nowhere, fighting with her family without getting answers, and remaining unchanged in her identity. She learns nothing and remains unchanged. Because of this, the book is extremely disappointing and seemed pointless by the time I reached the end. It's a shame because the premise of the book was wonderful, but it tried to be too much and in the end it lead nowhere.
March 16, 2015
This was a cute book with ties to The Little House on the Prarie. I grew up reading those books with my mom and sister, so I knew I would like this. Vietnamese American woman coming to terms with her mothers passing, a surprising object and a missing brother. Right up my alley kind of book.
January 6, 2016
I honestly thought Pioneer Girl was nonfiction; I really did. Somehow the very clear “a novel” printed on the front cover of the book escaped me completely. Imagine my surprise to find that, though this book has all the trappings of a memoir, Bich Minh Nguyen actually telling a quite made-up story. It took me a little while to realize that, but once it did, my approach and perspective in reading this book shifted dramatically.
Because, what I thought was going to be an investigative look into Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life was more of a comparison, a parallel, between one Vietnamese immigrant woman’s life and that of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Nguyen draws comparisons between the two stories that capture something of the American spirit, regardless of race or century, and it’s a really interesting way to look at things, once I quite liked.
Of course, my favorite aspects of Pioneer Girl were the commentary on how the Little House books are so drastically different from the realities of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life. That’s always been a point of extreme interest to me, and I thought the author did a good job of speaking to that without turning this into an info-dumpy recapping of how sanitized the Little House books really were.
However, Laura Ingalls is not the protagonist of this book. Lee Lien, a recently graduated PhD student, is. Without a tenure-track teaching position (or really any teaching position at all), she winds up living with her mother and grandfather, Vietnamese immigrants who’ve recently opened their own cafe after years of wandering around the Midwest. She rediscovers a gold pin in her mother’s jewelry box that as a child she thought bore remarkable significance to one that Almanzo Wilder reportedly gave as a gift to his fiancée, Laura Ingalls. And from there, Lee sets off on a “literary mystery”, delving deep into Rose Wilder Lane’s life, going from Iowa to Missouri to California in search of the truth.
Pioneer Girl is very much a novel of discovery and identity, and I think Nguyen handled the dual storylines (Lee’s and Rose’s) very well. Though seemingly as unalike as possible, both women have much in common, and the author intertwines their narrative threads with a lot of skill and believability. Though I must admit to being sad and more than a bit disappointed that Rose Wilder Lane never did leave a family heirloom on a cafe table in Saigon, or had a son out of wedlock that she adopted out. Pioneer Girl, with its pseudo-memoir narrative, tells such a good tale that the reader really wants it to be true, even if it’s mostly made-up.
For me, Pioneer Girl was a cleverly-written and insightful book that bridges the gap between fiction and nonfiction, and draws surprising comparisons between two very disparate American subcultures. Bich Minh Nguyen did an excellent job with the novel altogether, and I think Pioneer Girl not only cements my appreciation for Laura Ingalls Wilder, but also gives me new contexts to view her legacy in.
Because, what I thought was going to be an investigative look into Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life was more of a comparison, a parallel, between one Vietnamese immigrant woman’s life and that of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Nguyen draws comparisons between the two stories that capture something of the American spirit, regardless of race or century, and it’s a really interesting way to look at things, once I quite liked.
Of course, my favorite aspects of Pioneer Girl were the commentary on how the Little House books are so drastically different from the realities of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life. That’s always been a point of extreme interest to me, and I thought the author did a good job of speaking to that without turning this into an info-dumpy recapping of how sanitized the Little House books really were.
However, Laura Ingalls is not the protagonist of this book. Lee Lien, a recently graduated PhD student, is. Without a tenure-track teaching position (or really any teaching position at all), she winds up living with her mother and grandfather, Vietnamese immigrants who’ve recently opened their own cafe after years of wandering around the Midwest. She rediscovers a gold pin in her mother’s jewelry box that as a child she thought bore remarkable significance to one that Almanzo Wilder reportedly gave as a gift to his fiancée, Laura Ingalls. And from there, Lee sets off on a “literary mystery”, delving deep into Rose Wilder Lane’s life, going from Iowa to Missouri to California in search of the truth.
Pioneer Girl is very much a novel of discovery and identity, and I think Nguyen handled the dual storylines (Lee’s and Rose’s) very well. Though seemingly as unalike as possible, both women have much in common, and the author intertwines their narrative threads with a lot of skill and believability. Though I must admit to being sad and more than a bit disappointed that Rose Wilder Lane never did leave a family heirloom on a cafe table in Saigon, or had a son out of wedlock that she adopted out. Pioneer Girl, with its pseudo-memoir narrative, tells such a good tale that the reader really wants it to be true, even if it’s mostly made-up.
For me, Pioneer Girl was a cleverly-written and insightful book that bridges the gap between fiction and nonfiction, and draws surprising comparisons between two very disparate American subcultures. Bich Minh Nguyen did an excellent job with the novel altogether, and I think Pioneer Girl not only cements my appreciation for Laura Ingalls Wilder, but also gives me new contexts to view her legacy in.
March 4, 2014
An interesting look at second generation immigrants from Viet Nam. Lee Lien was always looking for home, her mother and grandfather ran
Chinese buffets alternately owning their own strip mall Chinese restaurants. They went from one place in the Midwest to another and Lee and her brother Sam disdained their way of life.
Lee, after a story her grandfather told about Rose Wilder Lane and a piece of jewelry she left in their place of business in Vietnam, starts piecing together the life of Laura and Rose.
I never read the LIttle House on the prairie books but I found her research and the many paths and places this took her, to be fascinating.
All set to give this four stars but than when she meets Gregory something happens that I found predictable and stereotypical, did not feel it was at all necessary to the story and the aftermath included some awkward dialogue. So for me this derailed the storing bit. Still it is an very good piece of work and the revelations and discussion about these literary icons were fascinating.
The book does make me want to read The LIttle House on the Prairie books. Very easy to read, flows right along, a good blending of the immigrant experience, family and research.
Chinese buffets alternately owning their own strip mall Chinese restaurants. They went from one place in the Midwest to another and Lee and her brother Sam disdained their way of life.
Lee, after a story her grandfather told about Rose Wilder Lane and a piece of jewelry she left in their place of business in Vietnam, starts piecing together the life of Laura and Rose.
I never read the LIttle House on the prairie books but I found her research and the many paths and places this took her, to be fascinating.
All set to give this four stars but than when she meets Gregory something happens that I found predictable and stereotypical, did not feel it was at all necessary to the story and the aftermath included some awkward dialogue. So for me this derailed the storing bit. Still it is an very good piece of work and the revelations and discussion about these literary icons were fascinating.
The book does make me want to read The LIttle House on the Prairie books. Very easy to read, flows right along, a good blending of the immigrant experience, family and research.
August 5, 2020
I love a surprise, especially when one appears between the pages of a book.
First— a confession. Like the main character Lee, the Little House on the Prairie books were some of the first I read... or more like devoured. I still remember receiving the first one for my 8th birthday. I think my mom wanted to encourage a shy young girl to read more. She had no idea that books would become, and remain, that child’s number one occupation. And for that I am forever grateful. Oh the countless happy hours I spent reading about Ma, Pa, Half-pint and the 19th century Midwest, or reenacting all those Prairie moves in a wagon with any kid who would play Little House inspired make-believe with me.
Which is why this book was such a lovely surprise. I could not imagine a story about a second generation young Vietnamese-American woman (and millennial) and the vagabond life of Rose Wilder Lane and her mother, Laura Ingalls Wilder could so seamlessly be interwoven and yet it worked wonderfully.
Maybe because my own life shares similarities with Lee, Rose and Laura, I enjoyed every page. Every anecdote, and more importantly, every realization about familial relationships and unresolved conflict that becomes acceptance and understanding, rather than resolution. And moving around a lot— which has touched me in ways only another child of wanderlust fathers can understand.
A few take-ways in no particular order: I’ll never think of Asian buffets the same way again, I need to go to Missouri, did Rose Wilder really have a house in the same small CT city I lived in and I never knew it, and lastly, I gotta try bahn mi (forgive the potentially wrong spelling.)
In my quest this year to read stories from other places and cultures, I’ve read some wonderful books. This is another to add to that list.
First— a confession. Like the main character Lee, the Little House on the Prairie books were some of the first I read... or more like devoured. I still remember receiving the first one for my 8th birthday. I think my mom wanted to encourage a shy young girl to read more. She had no idea that books would become, and remain, that child’s number one occupation. And for that I am forever grateful. Oh the countless happy hours I spent reading about Ma, Pa, Half-pint and the 19th century Midwest, or reenacting all those Prairie moves in a wagon with any kid who would play Little House inspired make-believe with me.
Which is why this book was such a lovely surprise. I could not imagine a story about a second generation young Vietnamese-American woman (and millennial) and the vagabond life of Rose Wilder Lane and her mother, Laura Ingalls Wilder could so seamlessly be interwoven and yet it worked wonderfully.
Maybe because my own life shares similarities with Lee, Rose and Laura, I enjoyed every page. Every anecdote, and more importantly, every realization about familial relationships and unresolved conflict that becomes acceptance and understanding, rather than resolution. And moving around a lot— which has touched me in ways only another child of wanderlust fathers can understand.
A few take-ways in no particular order: I’ll never think of Asian buffets the same way again, I need to go to Missouri, did Rose Wilder really have a house in the same small CT city I lived in and I never knew it, and lastly, I gotta try bahn mi (forgive the potentially wrong spelling.)
In my quest this year to read stories from other places and cultures, I’ve read some wonderful books. This is another to add to that list.
Read
July 29, 2017After reading the Little House books last summer, it really made me wonder if those books had meaning to girls who weren't middle class and white Americans. And that's sort of at the premise of this book, though this is about a woman who has just completed her PhD and begins to see the ways her life mirrors much of Rose Wilder, Laura's mother. Lee is Vietnamese American who finds herself back at home helping her mother and grandfather run the family restaurant. She dreams of finding her way out and making a claim of her own, and it's through a story she invents about Rose Wilder and a pin her family received from a traveler back in Vietnam that sets her off to establish her own.
What I loved most about this book is how much it read like a memoir. It was hard to remember it's fiction and not real, but Nguyen is a master of voice and perspective here. The parallels are well-drawn, and while I don't think this one has huge appeal for general teen YA readers, certainly those with a love for the Little House books or well-done, well-paced literary fiction that doesn't get self-indulgent will find a lot here to enjoy.
My first Nguyen read won't be my last.
What I loved most about this book is how much it read like a memoir. It was hard to remember it's fiction and not real, but Nguyen is a master of voice and perspective here. The parallels are well-drawn, and while I don't think this one has huge appeal for general teen YA readers, certainly those with a love for the Little House books or well-done, well-paced literary fiction that doesn't get self-indulgent will find a lot here to enjoy.
My first Nguyen read won't be my last.
February 15, 2015
At first, I wanted to love Pioneer Girl. I then settled for wanting to like it. It has an interesting premise: A Vietnamese coming-of-age story with a Little House connection. Lee grew up reading the Little House books. She may not want to admit to liking or loving the TV show, but, the books she loves, has always loved. Her parents came from Vietnam to America in the 1970s. She was born and raised in the Midwest. Her parents, particularly her mother and her grandfather, were almost always in the restaurant business: managing bad buffets mostly. The older she got the more she wanted to distance herself.
So where is the connection to Laura Ingalls Wilder?! Well, her grandfather brought a gold pin with him to America. It was a pin that had belonged to an older woman, a white woman, a reporter doing a story on the war. Lee, as an adult, is convinced that woman was Rose Wilder Lane. Furthermore, she has a feeling that the pin is *the* pin described in These Happy Golden Years, a gift from Almanzo to Laura. The novel also introduces a "what-if" mystery.
The book drifts between her structured thoughts on Laura Ingalls Wilder, Rose Wilder Lane, and the Little House books AND her own meaningless (at least in the moment as she sees it) life. She's a twenty-something young woman, still sorta in school, but wanting to find something more in life: a good job would be nice, but validation maybe that she's made it. Lots of family drama. Bit of angst. These two focuses connect now and then. Lee travels and does research. Or should I just call it what it is: theft.
The BIG, BIG, BIG problem I have with the novel is Lee herself. Lee goes to a library with a special research collection: Lee steals a photograph from the collection. Lee goes to a museum: Lee not only breaks the rules and enters rooms she's not supposed to enter at all, but, she steals more stuff. A letter. A first edition book with scribbles/notes from Rose. Does she have a guilty conscience? No! In fact, she's proud and thinks herself the cleverest of all. I exaggerate perhaps. But the fact that she does think herself super-clever and is proud of what she's done and tells of her exploits says something about her character.
Pioneer Girl is a new adult novel. It's a thoughtful novel, reflective in places. Lee poses a good question now and then, seeking insight into deeper matters. But the book left me unsatisfied.
So where is the connection to Laura Ingalls Wilder?! Well, her grandfather brought a gold pin with him to America. It was a pin that had belonged to an older woman, a white woman, a reporter doing a story on the war. Lee, as an adult, is convinced that woman was Rose Wilder Lane. Furthermore, she has a feeling that the pin is *the* pin described in These Happy Golden Years, a gift from Almanzo to Laura. The novel also introduces a "what-if" mystery.
The book drifts between her structured thoughts on Laura Ingalls Wilder, Rose Wilder Lane, and the Little House books AND her own meaningless (at least in the moment as she sees it) life. She's a twenty-something young woman, still sorta in school, but wanting to find something more in life: a good job would be nice, but validation maybe that she's made it. Lots of family drama. Bit of angst. These two focuses connect now and then. Lee travels and does research. Or should I just call it what it is: theft.
The BIG, BIG, BIG problem I have with the novel is Lee herself. Lee goes to a library with a special research collection: Lee steals a photograph from the collection. Lee goes to a museum: Lee not only breaks the rules and enters rooms she's not supposed to enter at all, but, she steals more stuff. A letter. A first edition book with scribbles/notes from Rose. Does she have a guilty conscience? No! In fact, she's proud and thinks herself the cleverest of all. I exaggerate perhaps. But the fact that she does think herself super-clever and is proud of what she's done and tells of her exploits says something about her character.
Pioneer Girl is a new adult novel. It's a thoughtful novel, reflective in places. Lee poses a good question now and then, seeking insight into deeper matters. But the book left me unsatisfied.
July 9, 2023
read on myra's recommendation, and it is kind of a perfect rec for me. it's kind of gabrielle donnelly's little women letters x cecile pin's wandering souls, and the re-fictionalization of historical fiction is something i have decided i do enjoy
i think there are a few things the book does quite well—pretty turns of phrase, interesting interludes about history and record-keeping and ownership, the uncertainty of family. it does read as incredibly 2014, with its tentative prods at asian americanness and liminality. it felt deeply familiar and resonant to me as someone who, like lee, grew up an asian american girl obsessed with the little house series and the idea of a parametrized freedom, liberty shackled to family. it was a very comforting book to read, even if i could see the end coming, because there is only one real way for a post-generational biography involving immigration and war and trauma to end. i'm torn on the intra-familial ugliness; i get it with the brother, i get it less with the mother & grandfather, who i feel remain opaque to us in ways that textually make sense but are narratively frustrating
BUT my biggest gripe with the book is even if it heavily fictionalizes aspects of rose wilder lane's life it does not touch on her insane politics whatsoever! i feel like it could've done more w that! rose was not just an independent woman; she was a conservative and a raging libertarian and it was crazy out there. i was also shocked that maria wilkes and melissa wiley's and especially roger lea macbride's paratexts were not mentioned at all, esp because macbride does show up in this book.
i think there are a few things the book does quite well—pretty turns of phrase, interesting interludes about history and record-keeping and ownership, the uncertainty of family. it does read as incredibly 2014, with its tentative prods at asian americanness and liminality. it felt deeply familiar and resonant to me as someone who, like lee, grew up an asian american girl obsessed with the little house series and the idea of a parametrized freedom, liberty shackled to family. it was a very comforting book to read, even if i could see the end coming, because there is only one real way for a post-generational biography involving immigration and war and trauma to end. i'm torn on the intra-familial ugliness; i get it with the brother, i get it less with the mother & grandfather, who i feel remain opaque to us in ways that textually make sense but are narratively frustrating
BUT my biggest gripe with the book is even if it heavily fictionalizes aspects of rose wilder lane's life it does not touch on her insane politics whatsoever! i feel like it could've done more w that! rose was not just an independent woman; she was a conservative and a raging libertarian and it was crazy out there. i was also shocked that maria wilkes and melissa wiley's and especially roger lea macbride's paratexts were not mentioned at all, esp because macbride does show up in this book.
March 2, 2015
“Pioneer Girl” is an absolutely wonderful novel about a Vietnamese woman born to immigrant parents in the 1970s.
As a child, Lee Lien was obsessed with the Little House on the Prairie books as she and her family moved from place to place, looking for a better life. As an adult, she begins to trail a story that goes back to her mother’s childhood in Saigon. The search for the full story makes for a wonderful literary mystery that would be enough to make a good read on its own. However, there is much more.
Soon Lee, and the reader, begins to connect the lives of her family with those of the Wilders. The search for a better life is something that spans all cultures and generations, and never has book so captured the American Dream as eloquently as “Pioneer Girl”. It is something unchanging, and will hopefully be embraced and extended to all of those yet to come. Don’t we all want what is best for those we love?
I learned more about Vietnamese culture than all of what I knew previously combined. It was extremely educational, and I don’t think I will ever be able to eat at a Chinese Buffet again. More diverse books are desperately needed, and this is an excellent addition toward that goal of universal diversity. Thank you to the author for your work.
I recommend “Pioneer Girl”. While it is an adult book, the subject matter can be appreciated by upper middle graders and up. It will be extra enjoyable to all “Little House on the Prairie” fans.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
As a child, Lee Lien was obsessed with the Little House on the Prairie books as she and her family moved from place to place, looking for a better life. As an adult, she begins to trail a story that goes back to her mother’s childhood in Saigon. The search for the full story makes for a wonderful literary mystery that would be enough to make a good read on its own. However, there is much more.
Soon Lee, and the reader, begins to connect the lives of her family with those of the Wilders. The search for a better life is something that spans all cultures and generations, and never has book so captured the American Dream as eloquently as “Pioneer Girl”. It is something unchanging, and will hopefully be embraced and extended to all of those yet to come. Don’t we all want what is best for those we love?
I learned more about Vietnamese culture than all of what I knew previously combined. It was extremely educational, and I don’t think I will ever be able to eat at a Chinese Buffet again. More diverse books are desperately needed, and this is an excellent addition toward that goal of universal diversity. Thank you to the author for your work.
I recommend “Pioneer Girl”. While it is an adult book, the subject matter can be appreciated by upper middle graders and up. It will be extra enjoyable to all “Little House on the Prairie” fans.
This review is based upon a complimentary copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Read
August 7, 2017At times a bit dull, but mostly a great read that weaves a believable ending to Rose Wilder Lane's life, though it fluffed over her more assholish libertarian beliefs. The novel does really speak to me as a fellow nonwhite girl who was obsessed with Little House growing up, while being all too aware of its problems and knowing full well it didn't love us back. I obviously also found myself in the academic struggles, even though I'm not even at comps yet. I'm curious if the parallels of mother-daughter relationships are as obvious to folks who aren't huge Little House fangirls. A good book overall.
May 15, 2025
"In this way I could imagine the future washing the past, not negating it exactly, but nonetheless polishing it, wearing down the stones."
Looooved this. One of the most true explorations of American identity in a contemporary novel I've read, and mostly avoids the now-tired Asian-American child of immigrants narrative
Looooved this. One of the most true explorations of American identity in a contemporary novel I've read, and mostly avoids the now-tired Asian-American child of immigrants narrative
January 18, 2015
**Thank you Penguin and Netgalley for providing this in exchange for an honest review**
3.5 Stars
Lee is a second generation Vietnamese American who is trying to find her place in the world. She has recently finished her PhD, and like many recent graduates of her generation, can't find employment. After awhile, she admits defeat and returns home. While this never part of anyone's plan, most people would receive a sense of comfort from returning. Most people would receive support from their parents. They would be returning to home, a safe place where they can be themselves and know they would be accepted. Unfortunately, home doesn't feel that way for Lee. Her mother is a first generation Vietnamese American and still lives by many of the traditions and rules of her mother country. She puts her son up on a pedestal, while Lee feels she is treated like a second class child because she is the second child, and even worse, a girl. Her brother, Sam, is given cars, money, and one day will be given whatever business their mother happens to own at the time. All this even though Sam has repeatedly stolen from their mother and leaves the family without warning. Even though Lee and her mother have a rocky, at best, relationship, Lee has always tried to do right for her family. The one saving grace for her at home is her Ong Hai. He has always showed her love, respect, and support. He has always tried to keep the household as peaceful as possible. He understands why his daughter can't let go of the traditions she grew up with, but he also understands why they make Lee feel trapped.
Ong Hai is the one who plants the seed that will begin Lee on her journey. In 1965, Ong Hai owned at cafe called Cafe 88 in Saigon. One day, a American women steps in the cafe. Her name was Rose, and she was a reporter sent to write about the war from a women's perspective. Ong Hai is delighted when the women continues to return to hear more of his stories. On her last visit, Rose leaves a gold pin behind. Ong Hai saves the pin, but Rose never returns for it. The pin is one of the few things Ong Hai and Lee's mother bring with them to America. It is this little pin that will send Lee on here back and forth journey to find out the true history of the pin, and maybe find her self along the way.
Ok, confession time. I have never read any of the Little House on the Prairie books or watched the show. I vaguely remember reading parts of Farmer Boy in 4th grade class and it boring me to tears. I never felt the urge to seek out anything to do with the series after that. I might have liked the story more if I had, but even as a non-LHotP fan, I still enjoyed it. My sister is going through the same thing as Lee profession wise. She has just completed her Masters (is going for PhD), and she can't find anything out there. She is still working as a waitress and has had to return home a few times when tips just weren't paying the bills. I can easily see Lee's frustration and the little amounts of defeat Lee feels every time my sister has to turn home. You spend years going on almost no sleep just so you can go to college and work. You're always tired, stressed, and just one frozen burrito away from a mini-freak out. And what do you have to show for it when you graduate? You're back home working at the same restaurant you were at before all of it. It was really easy for me to connect with Lee because of that. I can't imagine how someone could deals with the normal stress of college life along with the added cultural pressures some second generation Americans must receive from their families.
Well worth the read. I really enjoyed Nguyen's storytelling and plan to read her Short Girls novel soon.
3.5 Stars
Lee is a second generation Vietnamese American who is trying to find her place in the world. She has recently finished her PhD, and like many recent graduates of her generation, can't find employment. After awhile, she admits defeat and returns home. While this never part of anyone's plan, most people would receive a sense of comfort from returning. Most people would receive support from their parents. They would be returning to home, a safe place where they can be themselves and know they would be accepted. Unfortunately, home doesn't feel that way for Lee. Her mother is a first generation Vietnamese American and still lives by many of the traditions and rules of her mother country. She puts her son up on a pedestal, while Lee feels she is treated like a second class child because she is the second child, and even worse, a girl. Her brother, Sam, is given cars, money, and one day will be given whatever business their mother happens to own at the time. All this even though Sam has repeatedly stolen from their mother and leaves the family without warning. Even though Lee and her mother have a rocky, at best, relationship, Lee has always tried to do right for her family. The one saving grace for her at home is her Ong Hai. He has always showed her love, respect, and support. He has always tried to keep the household as peaceful as possible. He understands why his daughter can't let go of the traditions she grew up with, but he also understands why they make Lee feel trapped.
Ong Hai is the one who plants the seed that will begin Lee on her journey. In 1965, Ong Hai owned at cafe called Cafe 88 in Saigon. One day, a American women steps in the cafe. Her name was Rose, and she was a reporter sent to write about the war from a women's perspective. Ong Hai is delighted when the women continues to return to hear more of his stories. On her last visit, Rose leaves a gold pin behind. Ong Hai saves the pin, but Rose never returns for it. The pin is one of the few things Ong Hai and Lee's mother bring with them to America. It is this little pin that will send Lee on here back and forth journey to find out the true history of the pin, and maybe find her self along the way.
Ok, confession time. I have never read any of the Little House on the Prairie books or watched the show. I vaguely remember reading parts of Farmer Boy in 4th grade class and it boring me to tears. I never felt the urge to seek out anything to do with the series after that. I might have liked the story more if I had, but even as a non-LHotP fan, I still enjoyed it. My sister is going through the same thing as Lee profession wise. She has just completed her Masters (is going for PhD), and she can't find anything out there. She is still working as a waitress and has had to return home a few times when tips just weren't paying the bills. I can easily see Lee's frustration and the little amounts of defeat Lee feels every time my sister has to turn home. You spend years going on almost no sleep just so you can go to college and work. You're always tired, stressed, and just one frozen burrito away from a mini-freak out. And what do you have to show for it when you graduate? You're back home working at the same restaurant you were at before all of it. It was really easy for me to connect with Lee because of that. I can't imagine how someone could deals with the normal stress of college life along with the added cultural pressures some second generation Americans must receive from their families.
Well worth the read. I really enjoyed Nguyen's storytelling and plan to read her Short Girls novel soon.
May 21, 2017
4, maybe even 4.5.
I saw this book at the university library when I was looking for a different book. I was drawn by the cover--I loved the artwork on it. I didn't actually check it out because the jacket copy tied it so intimately to Little House on the Prairie, and I read one of those book as a kid, but I was like, how much do I really care about someone's ties to that book? But the next time I was in the library it still seemed to be calling to me, so I went ahead and checked it out.
I'm really glad I did. I liked this book quite a bit. It's a story narrated by a second-generation Vietnamese woman whose parents and grandparent fled the war in Vietnam to come to the US. She's an academic--or trying to be; finishing her dissertation isn't going so well, and she hasn't had any job offers. So she moves back in with her mom and grandfather who run a small Vietnamese restaurant. When her brother comes back for a short visit, trying to find some mysterious money that he claims his mom owes them, she falls into this Little House storyline, discovering what might be connections of her family with theirs.
The book reads like a memoir and I was kind of having an Inception moment because she's studying someone else's memoir-ish writing, and reading their journals, and it made me think about my own journaling. The whole thing is pretty understated. It only has like 3.35 stars on Goodreads, which is kind of a low rating, and I wonder if that's part of the reason why. It feels very realistic and doesn't have any huge overarching plots or overtly satisfying character arcs, but because of that it felt very real and true-to-life for me. I did find it pretty engrossing, but in reality I guess it was kind of "slow" or "unexciting." But I thought it worked really well; the tone, the pacing, the story, the characters, they all worked together well.
I found the book to be a pretty interesting snapshot. It's also pretty short, at only 296 pages of largish print and largish line spacing. It was easy to read and felt very realistic. I could definitely go for more of this kind of book/story.
I saw this book at the university library when I was looking for a different book. I was drawn by the cover--I loved the artwork on it. I didn't actually check it out because the jacket copy tied it so intimately to Little House on the Prairie, and I read one of those book as a kid, but I was like, how much do I really care about someone's ties to that book? But the next time I was in the library it still seemed to be calling to me, so I went ahead and checked it out.
I'm really glad I did. I liked this book quite a bit. It's a story narrated by a second-generation Vietnamese woman whose parents and grandparent fled the war in Vietnam to come to the US. She's an academic--or trying to be; finishing her dissertation isn't going so well, and she hasn't had any job offers. So she moves back in with her mom and grandfather who run a small Vietnamese restaurant. When her brother comes back for a short visit, trying to find some mysterious money that he claims his mom owes them, she falls into this Little House storyline, discovering what might be connections of her family with theirs.
The book reads like a memoir and I was kind of having an Inception moment because she's studying someone else's memoir-ish writing, and reading their journals, and it made me think about my own journaling. The whole thing is pretty understated. It only has like 3.35 stars on Goodreads, which is kind of a low rating, and I wonder if that's part of the reason why. It feels very realistic and doesn't have any huge overarching plots or overtly satisfying character arcs, but because of that it felt very real and true-to-life for me. I did find it pretty engrossing, but in reality I guess it was kind of "slow" or "unexciting." But I thought it worked really well; the tone, the pacing, the story, the characters, they all worked together well.
I found the book to be a pretty interesting snapshot. It's also pretty short, at only 296 pages of largish print and largish line spacing. It was easy to read and felt very realistic. I could definitely go for more of this kind of book/story.
July 2, 2018
“Where does it stop? Does it ever? I want to believe it all leads to something grander than the imagination, grander than the end-of stop of the Pacific. Or is that it; You get to the place where you land; you are tired now; you settle.”
I bought this book on a total whim, knowing nothing about it. I was ever so pleasantly surprised to find it about a recent PhD graduate whose obsession with Laura Ingalls Wilder and her own Vietnamese family history intersect in an interesting way. In fact, I read Little House in the Big Woods (for the first time as an adult) because I was so inspired by this title.
Nguyen makes interesting parallels between the relationship of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter Rose Wilder Lane and the main character’s difficult connection to her own immigrant mother as well as between the life of a white settler moving ever westward in the 19th century in search of a better life and that of an immigrant landing in the U.S. in the 20th century. Sometimes the reach is a little strained, but over all I really enjoyed the story and the characters.
I bought this book on a total whim, knowing nothing about it. I was ever so pleasantly surprised to find it about a recent PhD graduate whose obsession with Laura Ingalls Wilder and her own Vietnamese family history intersect in an interesting way. In fact, I read Little House in the Big Woods (for the first time as an adult) because I was so inspired by this title.
Nguyen makes interesting parallels between the relationship of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter Rose Wilder Lane and the main character’s difficult connection to her own immigrant mother as well as between the life of a white settler moving ever westward in the 19th century in search of a better life and that of an immigrant landing in the U.S. in the 20th century. Sometimes the reach is a little strained, but over all I really enjoyed the story and the characters.
June 1, 2015
Having grown up in the Bay Area with a lot of second generation Vietnamese friends, some who even ran restaurants, I connected more with that aspect of the story more than the Little House references. And were the Little House references true? Was that part of the story real? The story didn't feel complete in any way, there were absolutely no conclusions to any of the plot lines, not one. It could have been really interesting but basically fell flat leaving me only with a craving for Banh Mi sandwiches.
July 23, 2014
I really dug this; lots of moving parts and I liked the way they fit together. The comments on academia seemed as deeply true as the comments on being first generation and on being part of a restaurant family. As far as I remember (it's been a few months), the Laura Ingalls Wilder info was close to excellent, but Nguyen was definitely more of a Rose Wilder Lane admirer than I'll ever be. Still, it comes across as a valid viewpoint, and I'm a Rose-hater, so.
January 30, 2015
edited January, 2015: my reread
this review goes live on the blog 02/03 along with a giveaway!
Shortly after obtaining her PhD yet still unable to find a job, Lee Lien returns home. Her relationship with her mother is frosty at best, yet her beloved grandfather always finds a way to smooth things over. The family's latest restaurant, the Lotus Leaf, has a steady string of customers, and Lee is more than ready to try a few changes, switch things around in an attempt to really get business booming. The Liens' world comes to a halt with the unexpected return of Sam, Lee's brother. As the oldest (and the male), Sam is the golden child, the one who is set to inherit the restaurant (whether he wants it or not), and his actions are always forgiven. In his mother's eyes he can do no wrong. So when he empties the cash register - and his mother's jewelry box - to start a new life out west, Mrs. Lien cleans the entire house and waits for the day when he'll return.
With Sam's departure, Lee discovers a token he left behind for her: a small pin from a lifetime ago in Vietnam. Since she was a child, Lee has heard her mother and grandfather tell stories about their cafe in Saigon and how they were visited by a nice American woman. Whether she purposefully left the pin behind they can't say, but it has remained with them decades later, making the trip to America and a new life. As Lee digs deeper into the pin's story, she uncovers a hidden history that could potentially link her family to Laura Ingalls Wilder.
I had been looking forward to Pioneer Girl since I first heard about it last year and I'm thrilled to say it did not disappoint! In fact, it exceeded all expectations and then some! Essentially there are two stories in this novel: Lee's and Rose's. When I read novels where the focus is on multiple characters, I usually find myself preferring one over the other but I'm pleased to say that was not the case in Pioneer Girl. I was as invested in Lee's story as I was in Rose Wilder Lane's and because of that, I wound up breezing through the book much quicker than I would have liked (this is a novel to be slowly savored).
As interesting as Lee's family was, Rose was an equally fascinating woman in her own right. Prior to Pioneer Girl I had a rough idea of who the Wilder family was and what The Little House on the Prairie series was all about. Somehow I managed to skip these books as a child, but Pioneer Girl piqued my interest. Especially with the rumors that Rose was actually the writer, not Laura, and that Rose would fudge details and expand upon anecdotes for the sake of a good story. She even demanded that Laura write solely in third person in their letters!
Despite being a history buff (and spending many elementary school computer classes playing Oregon Trail), I tend to see the Old West and prairie life through rose-colored glasses. While reading Pioneer Girl it became all too evident that times were hard - if not downright brutal - for pioneers. Rose was the only child of the Wilders to survive to adulthood and she herself lost her only child after a few days. Her relationship with Laura was hardly affectionate and she wound up leaving home to make it on her own in a city. Rose married for sex and divorced the man a few years later, determined to lead an independent life. As her journalism career took off, Rose traveled the world - most notably to Vietnam where she covered the war in the 1960s. Her vocal political stance took on a life of its own and she's now considered to be one of the founders of the American Libertarian Movement, along with Ayn Rand.
If I could go back and read Pioneer Girl all over again (I definitely see a re-read of this book in the future!) I would take my time with it and really sink into this world of Vietnamese cuisine and farmsteads. Nguyen doesn't have many books to her name at this point: Short Girls and a memoir entitled Stealing Buddha's Dinner, but they're now on my radar and I can't wait to track down my own copies! Whether you're looking for diversity (her novels feature Vietnamese families and culture) or simply want a good book, Bich Minh Nguyen is an author to keep your eye on.
this review goes live on the blog 02/03 along with a giveaway!
Shortly after obtaining her PhD yet still unable to find a job, Lee Lien returns home. Her relationship with her mother is frosty at best, yet her beloved grandfather always finds a way to smooth things over. The family's latest restaurant, the Lotus Leaf, has a steady string of customers, and Lee is more than ready to try a few changes, switch things around in an attempt to really get business booming. The Liens' world comes to a halt with the unexpected return of Sam, Lee's brother. As the oldest (and the male), Sam is the golden child, the one who is set to inherit the restaurant (whether he wants it or not), and his actions are always forgiven. In his mother's eyes he can do no wrong. So when he empties the cash register - and his mother's jewelry box - to start a new life out west, Mrs. Lien cleans the entire house and waits for the day when he'll return.
With Sam's departure, Lee discovers a token he left behind for her: a small pin from a lifetime ago in Vietnam. Since she was a child, Lee has heard her mother and grandfather tell stories about their cafe in Saigon and how they were visited by a nice American woman. Whether she purposefully left the pin behind they can't say, but it has remained with them decades later, making the trip to America and a new life. As Lee digs deeper into the pin's story, she uncovers a hidden history that could potentially link her family to Laura Ingalls Wilder.
I had been looking forward to Pioneer Girl since I first heard about it last year and I'm thrilled to say it did not disappoint! In fact, it exceeded all expectations and then some! Essentially there are two stories in this novel: Lee's and Rose's. When I read novels where the focus is on multiple characters, I usually find myself preferring one over the other but I'm pleased to say that was not the case in Pioneer Girl. I was as invested in Lee's story as I was in Rose Wilder Lane's and because of that, I wound up breezing through the book much quicker than I would have liked (this is a novel to be slowly savored).
As interesting as Lee's family was, Rose was an equally fascinating woman in her own right. Prior to Pioneer Girl I had a rough idea of who the Wilder family was and what The Little House on the Prairie series was all about. Somehow I managed to skip these books as a child, but Pioneer Girl piqued my interest. Especially with the rumors that Rose was actually the writer, not Laura, and that Rose would fudge details and expand upon anecdotes for the sake of a good story. She even demanded that Laura write solely in third person in their letters!
Despite being a history buff (and spending many elementary school computer classes playing Oregon Trail), I tend to see the Old West and prairie life through rose-colored glasses. While reading Pioneer Girl it became all too evident that times were hard - if not downright brutal - for pioneers. Rose was the only child of the Wilders to survive to adulthood and she herself lost her only child after a few days. Her relationship with Laura was hardly affectionate and she wound up leaving home to make it on her own in a city. Rose married for sex and divorced the man a few years later, determined to lead an independent life. As her journalism career took off, Rose traveled the world - most notably to Vietnam where she covered the war in the 1960s. Her vocal political stance took on a life of its own and she's now considered to be one of the founders of the American Libertarian Movement, along with Ayn Rand.
If I could go back and read Pioneer Girl all over again (I definitely see a re-read of this book in the future!) I would take my time with it and really sink into this world of Vietnamese cuisine and farmsteads. Nguyen doesn't have many books to her name at this point: Short Girls and a memoir entitled Stealing Buddha's Dinner, but they're now on my radar and I can't wait to track down my own copies! Whether you're looking for diversity (her novels feature Vietnamese families and culture) or simply want a good book, Bich Minh Nguyen is an author to keep your eye on.
February 4, 2015
This review was originally posted on Between My Lines
Hands up, I have to admit that I ADORE The Little House on the Prairie- both the books and the TV show. I read these with my mother and they are the ultimate in comfort books for me. So as soon as I saw Pioneer Girl, I knew I needed it in my paws!
First Line of Pioneer Girl by Bich Minh Nguyen
“In August 1965 a woman named Rose walked into my granfather’s cafe in Saigon.”
My Thoughts on Pioneer Girl by Bich Minh Nguyen:
There are three things you need to know about this book:
I loved it!
It doesn’t have the innocent, warm feel that Little House gives you
It is fiction
OK, with all that clear, let me tell you a bit more about it. It features Lee who is second-generation Vietnamese American and the possible connections between her family and Rose Wilder Lane (Laura’s daughter to the uninitiated). She also illustrates the similarities between the families such as the constant moving around, the ongoing search for a better life and the mother/daughter tensions.
What I adored while reading this was how diverse and authentic it felt. I was hooked by how displaced Lee felt and how much she just wanted to fit in. It felt like such a struggle and it really made me think long and hard about how displaced and unsettled it might feel to be a second-generation immigrant.
I also loved how the facts about Little House and the Ingalls history meshed in with the story. It does read a bit like a memoir as you are mixing in factual history with fictional but it really worked for me. I was absorbed in the facts and by how Lee set about researching the links. I have to say she isn’t exactly a squeaky clean character and definitely does some shady things during her research but I loved how passionate she was about it all.
I have already read a lot about Laura Ingalls so nothing in the book came as a shock to me. It does strongly imply however that Rose had a lot to do with the writing/editing of those books which is something I firmly believe. If you don’t like or are unaware of that view though, some of the story might dismay you.
The other aspect I love was the rocky relationship that Lee has with her mother and brother. I can see why she got obsessed with Little House and it’s depictions of the ideal American family. As this is what she longed to be part of.
Lee is a very unique character and her darker moments shake up the pace of the book. Her mother was very alien to me and difficult to comprehend but I enjoyed how complex she was. And you have to love Ong Hai, her peace-making grandfather. I was also partial to the huge theme of food, yum! I want Ong Hai to cook for me!
So overall this book is NOTHING like Little House on the Prairie and the reasons I picked it up had nothing to do with how I ultimately enjoyed it. The huge pluses for me were the character development, the diversity of it and only then The Little House tie-ins. And I know I want to read more by this author as I loved how she brought this Vietnamese family to life for me. Not in a superficial way but in a way that helped me understand the culture and consider other perspectives.
Who should read Pioneer Girl by Bich Minh Nguyen?
I’d highly recommend this book to you if you are looking for an authentically diverse main character and a story that makes you think about the challenges of immigration. If you love Little House, just be aware that this is not similar to that but I still adored the Little House tie-ins.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
Hands up, I have to admit that I ADORE The Little House on the Prairie- both the books and the TV show. I read these with my mother and they are the ultimate in comfort books for me. So as soon as I saw Pioneer Girl, I knew I needed it in my paws!
First Line of Pioneer Girl by Bich Minh Nguyen
“In August 1965 a woman named Rose walked into my granfather’s cafe in Saigon.”
My Thoughts on Pioneer Girl by Bich Minh Nguyen:
There are three things you need to know about this book:
I loved it!
It doesn’t have the innocent, warm feel that Little House gives you
It is fiction
OK, with all that clear, let me tell you a bit more about it. It features Lee who is second-generation Vietnamese American and the possible connections between her family and Rose Wilder Lane (Laura’s daughter to the uninitiated). She also illustrates the similarities between the families such as the constant moving around, the ongoing search for a better life and the mother/daughter tensions.
What I adored while reading this was how diverse and authentic it felt. I was hooked by how displaced Lee felt and how much she just wanted to fit in. It felt like such a struggle and it really made me think long and hard about how displaced and unsettled it might feel to be a second-generation immigrant.
I also loved how the facts about Little House and the Ingalls history meshed in with the story. It does read a bit like a memoir as you are mixing in factual history with fictional but it really worked for me. I was absorbed in the facts and by how Lee set about researching the links. I have to say she isn’t exactly a squeaky clean character and definitely does some shady things during her research but I loved how passionate she was about it all.
I have already read a lot about Laura Ingalls so nothing in the book came as a shock to me. It does strongly imply however that Rose had a lot to do with the writing/editing of those books which is something I firmly believe. If you don’t like or are unaware of that view though, some of the story might dismay you.
The other aspect I love was the rocky relationship that Lee has with her mother and brother. I can see why she got obsessed with Little House and it’s depictions of the ideal American family. As this is what she longed to be part of.
Lee is a very unique character and her darker moments shake up the pace of the book. Her mother was very alien to me and difficult to comprehend but I enjoyed how complex she was. And you have to love Ong Hai, her peace-making grandfather. I was also partial to the huge theme of food, yum! I want Ong Hai to cook for me!
So overall this book is NOTHING like Little House on the Prairie and the reasons I picked it up had nothing to do with how I ultimately enjoyed it. The huge pluses for me were the character development, the diversity of it and only then The Little House tie-ins. And I know I want to read more by this author as I loved how she brought this Vietnamese family to life for me. Not in a superficial way but in a way that helped me understand the culture and consider other perspectives.
Who should read Pioneer Girl by Bich Minh Nguyen?
I’d highly recommend this book to you if you are looking for an authentically diverse main character and a story that makes you think about the challenges of immigration. If you love Little House, just be aware that this is not similar to that but I still adored the Little House tie-ins.
Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.
February 24, 2014
There's a reason the book cover says, right under the title, "A Novel." That's for folks like me, who picked it up thinking it was a memoir (it reads like one), and then are bitterly disappointed that it's all fictional.
Narrator Lee Lien is an English PhD with no job yet, who returns to the family restaurant to kill time until she figures out what to do next. Her own family's conflicts draw her into unraveling a family mystery: whether the little gold pin left in 1965 in her grandfather's cafe in Saigon by a reporter "Rose" actually belonged to Rose Wilder Lane. Lee goes on to visit Little House sites and research the troubled relationship between Laura Ingalls Wilder and RWL, using it as a frame to understand her own trouble relationship with her mom.
Loved the Little House stuff, skimmed the Vietnamese stuff (sorry), and found it harder to keep going with the "literary mystery" when I realized it was all a fictional add-on. Boo.
After our own recent visit to Plum Creek, MN, I remember reading in one of the guide books I bought a sad quote from an eyewitness after all the Ingalls' were dead and gone. Someone was cleaning out the DeSmet house, and all sorts of papers and personal items were just getting thrown in the trash. Aaaak!!! Now there's a lost treasure I hope someone digs up someday. Little Cache in the Prairie Dump.
Narrator Lee Lien is an English PhD with no job yet, who returns to the family restaurant to kill time until she figures out what to do next. Her own family's conflicts draw her into unraveling a family mystery: whether the little gold pin left in 1965 in her grandfather's cafe in Saigon by a reporter "Rose" actually belonged to Rose Wilder Lane. Lee goes on to visit Little House sites and research the troubled relationship between Laura Ingalls Wilder and RWL, using it as a frame to understand her own trouble relationship with her mom.
Loved the Little House stuff, skimmed the Vietnamese stuff (sorry), and found it harder to keep going with the "literary mystery" when I realized it was all a fictional add-on. Boo.
After our own recent visit to Plum Creek, MN, I remember reading in one of the guide books I bought a sad quote from an eyewitness after all the Ingalls' were dead and gone. Someone was cleaning out the DeSmet house, and all sorts of papers and personal items were just getting thrown in the trash. Aaaak!!! Now there's a lost treasure I hope someone digs up someday. Little Cache in the Prairie Dump.
February 12, 2014
THIS BOOK.
You remember that fairly recently I mainlined my way through the Little House on the Prairie books which, somehow, I managed to not read as a child. This book managed to bring the delight of that back.
Granted, it's more about Lee's life and family but there are obviously a lot of parts that deal with Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter, Rose. This book is so smart and funny and touching, and I absolutely loved Lee.
I love the idea that you could somehow find a connection in your life to books that are so important to you---and actual connections, not just "Oh, I love this book and this other person loves this book so clearly we are bashert." I mean that you could somehow find an artifact from a book in your own life. But that's like that Cornelia Funke series, right? Inkheart? Well, not in this book.
But, like I said earlier, the thing that makes this book so amazing is the fact that Lee seems like someone we know. She has complicated relationships with her family and isn't entirely sure she's on the right career path. And then she stumbles across this mystery that has a direct connection to her life, and it's like it reinvigorates her.
This book is a perfect surprise in the best way.
Highly recommended.
You remember that fairly recently I mainlined my way through the Little House on the Prairie books which, somehow, I managed to not read as a child. This book managed to bring the delight of that back.
Granted, it's more about Lee's life and family but there are obviously a lot of parts that deal with Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter, Rose. This book is so smart and funny and touching, and I absolutely loved Lee.
I love the idea that you could somehow find a connection in your life to books that are so important to you---and actual connections, not just "Oh, I love this book and this other person loves this book so clearly we are bashert." I mean that you could somehow find an artifact from a book in your own life. But that's like that Cornelia Funke series, right? Inkheart? Well, not in this book.
But, like I said earlier, the thing that makes this book so amazing is the fact that Lee seems like someone we know. She has complicated relationships with her family and isn't entirely sure she's on the right career path. And then she stumbles across this mystery that has a direct connection to her life, and it's like it reinvigorates her.
This book is a perfect surprise in the best way.
Highly recommended.
August 27, 2014
Two and one half stars. Interesting premise- an American girl born to Vietnamese parents, tries to put her life into perspective by exploring the life of Rose Wilder Lane.
There were no big revelations here. Nguyen draws on Lane's diaries, and the current consensus that Lane and her Mother worked together on Wilder's beloved Little House books.
One of her research points was incorrect- Almanzo and Laura lived in Westville in Florida's panhandle, for less than a year working with Laura's cousin Peter and other family members, not the Everglades which is in South Florida. A small error, but historically incorrect.
What I found disappointing is the characters. Nguyen never gives us more than one or two dimensional characters. At times her portrayal of Lee's mother felt stereotypical and cardboard. I wanted to know more about her parent's time in Vietnam. I wanted to know what else shaped her mother, and I really wished to know her kind grandfather better.
Lee's brother is torn between obligation and tradition, too. But again we don't really learn enough about him.
I did enjoy her tie in with the Little House books, and the tours of the museum at Rocky Ridge Farm. I have always planned to take a trip to explore Laura's world.
There were no big revelations here. Nguyen draws on Lane's diaries, and the current consensus that Lane and her Mother worked together on Wilder's beloved Little House books.
One of her research points was incorrect- Almanzo and Laura lived in Westville in Florida's panhandle, for less than a year working with Laura's cousin Peter and other family members, not the Everglades which is in South Florida. A small error, but historically incorrect.
What I found disappointing is the characters. Nguyen never gives us more than one or two dimensional characters. At times her portrayal of Lee's mother felt stereotypical and cardboard. I wanted to know more about her parent's time in Vietnam. I wanted to know what else shaped her mother, and I really wished to know her kind grandfather better.
Lee's brother is torn between obligation and tradition, too. But again we don't really learn enough about him.
I did enjoy her tie in with the Little House books, and the tours of the museum at Rocky Ridge Farm. I have always planned to take a trip to explore Laura's world.
February 25, 2014
I must be really dumb, because it took me a third of this book to figure out that it was fiction, despite "A NOVEL" right there on the cover. I don't normally like most memoirs, so the fact that I was riveted from page one should have been a clue. This is an imaginative conception of how the world of the child of Vietnamese immigrants could intersect with that of the uber-American Little House books. I am not as on-board as the author (or at least the narrator) seemed to be with Rose's heavy hand on the Little House books, but I was able to put that aside and just enjoy the book. If you're a Little House fan, check it out.
P.S. PERFECT TITLE
P.S. PERFECT TITLE
January 19, 2014
I skimmed to the end. I didn't feel like the main character did a lot of growing. I'm going to assume much of what she found out about Laura Ingalls Wilder & Rose Wilder Lane is true, which is rather depressing. Basically, this book was not what I'd hoped it be. I also hoped that there would be an afterward or something that would tell about the author's research for this book but I had an advance copy--hopefully that will be included in the final edition.
April 6, 2018
What a treat: a novel that’s smart and yet not soul-crushing, in prose that’s breezy and unpretentious and yet not graceless. I had never heard of it, stumbled on it by chance, and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Many of its themes and plot points have been explored before, to be sure. Burning out of academia; boomeranging to your childhood home. Relationships between strait-laced sisters and drifter brothers; between stubborn mothers and stubborn daughters; between Midwesterners and coastal city dwellers; between older immigrants in America and their more Americanized children and grandchildren. (One element you might be surprised not to see much, however, is romance. The narrator ponders a friend-with-benefits situation and meets another man later through her research, but no love triangle emerges. Fine by me! Nothing against romantic drama; I just don’t think every book needs it!) Anyway, as I said, Pioneer Girl might hit some familiar notes – but there are reasons they have such wide appeal. Besides, Bich Minh Nguyen combines them all creatively.
Central to Pioneer Girl is the irresistible message that your favorite books can help you empathize with individuals whose lives are entirely unlike yours. In this case, the avid reader is Lee Lien, an erstwhile literary scholar begrudgingly working at her mother’s café while between adjunct teaching gigs. The beloved work is Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, originally conceived as a less-child-friendly memoir called Pioneer Girl (get it?). As Lee and presumably most of us adult readers are aware, Wilder had at least some writing assistance (exactly how much, we will never know but will still debate) from her daughter, then-famous novelist and journalist Rose Wilder Lane. Lee revisits her childhood favorite when she discovers a possible link between her Vietnamese-American family and Lane. As she delves into this literary mystery, she clarifies her own career and life goals.
If I have to add qualifiers, I’ll say Pioneer Girl’s dialogue might be a little clunky at times. Additionally, it seems like a slight cop-out that Rose Wilder Lane’s political beliefs are never mentioned -- surely Lee would have her own opinions about them and how they seeped into the Little House books. But these are just quibbles. Other reviewers have made a more substantial criticism that I suspect was actually intentional on the author’s part: there are often easier solutions to Lee’s dilemmas, yes, but she does everything the roundabout way for a reason. Subconsciously, she wanted and needed to have an adventure and break a few rules.
Many of its themes and plot points have been explored before, to be sure. Burning out of academia; boomeranging to your childhood home. Relationships between strait-laced sisters and drifter brothers; between stubborn mothers and stubborn daughters; between Midwesterners and coastal city dwellers; between older immigrants in America and their more Americanized children and grandchildren. (One element you might be surprised not to see much, however, is romance. The narrator ponders a friend-with-benefits situation and meets another man later through her research, but no love triangle emerges. Fine by me! Nothing against romantic drama; I just don’t think every book needs it!) Anyway, as I said, Pioneer Girl might hit some familiar notes – but there are reasons they have such wide appeal. Besides, Bich Minh Nguyen combines them all creatively.
Central to Pioneer Girl is the irresistible message that your favorite books can help you empathize with individuals whose lives are entirely unlike yours. In this case, the avid reader is Lee Lien, an erstwhile literary scholar begrudgingly working at her mother’s café while between adjunct teaching gigs. The beloved work is Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, originally conceived as a less-child-friendly memoir called Pioneer Girl (get it?). As Lee and presumably most of us adult readers are aware, Wilder had at least some writing assistance (exactly how much, we will never know but will still debate) from her daughter, then-famous novelist and journalist Rose Wilder Lane. Lee revisits her childhood favorite when she discovers a possible link between her Vietnamese-American family and Lane. As she delves into this literary mystery, she clarifies her own career and life goals.
If I have to add qualifiers, I’ll say Pioneer Girl’s dialogue might be a little clunky at times. Additionally, it seems like a slight cop-out that Rose Wilder Lane’s political beliefs are never mentioned -- surely Lee would have her own opinions about them and how they seeped into the Little House books. But these are just quibbles. Other reviewers have made a more substantial criticism that I suspect was actually intentional on the author’s part: there are often easier solutions to Lee’s dilemmas, yes, but she does everything the roundabout way for a reason. Subconsciously, she wanted and needed to have an adventure and break a few rules.
September 23, 2024
This novel reads very much like non-fiction. Protagonist Lee Lien runs down a rabbit hole of research when her brother gives her a gold pin that her mother brought with her from Viet Nam. The pin appears to be a piece of jewelry mentioned in one of the "Little House on the Prairie" books, a gift Almanzo had given to Laura. To add to that mystery, Lee's grandfather tells the tale of a journalist named Rose who visited his Cafe 88 in Saigon, leaving the pin behind, intentionally or not. Lee makes it her mission, even though she is in the midst of trying to finish her dissertation on Edith Wharton, to discover if the Rose who frequented her grandfather's cafe was, in fact, Rose Wilder Lane, Laura Ingalls Wilder's daughter.
The concept is a good one for fans of the "Little House" series. The writing is convincing; however, it does get repetitive at times. The ending, I believe left intentionally ambiguous, is disappointing.
The concept is a good one for fans of the "Little House" series. The writing is convincing; however, it does get repetitive at times. The ending, I believe left intentionally ambiguous, is disappointing.
March 29, 2020
I really enjoyed the book, at heart it had a great biography about Rose Wilder Lane and a great analysis of what made her tick. I have read so many secondary texts about Rose and Laura, but this one was really able to synthesize the material in a good and interesting way. It was interesting how the author was able to contrast Rose's life to her life and how she grew up/ her relationship with her mom. I never understand a family like theirs where the one child gets away with things but not the other, but ultimately it is up to the good one if they want to stay good. I like the line that said ,My mother would let him go to ensure that he would return. I like the line - " I could imagine the future washing the past, not negating it exactly, but nonetheless polishing it, wearing down the stones. I know that is how I live my life.
It would be great if some of the fiction parts are true - I fear they aren't though.
It makes me want to try to read some of Rose's books, but I've never been able to get through any of the adult ones - so I don't think I will try...
It would be great if some of the fiction parts are true - I fear they aren't though.
It makes me want to try to read some of Rose's books, but I've never been able to get through any of the adult ones - so I don't think I will try...
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