The Little House Books, Vol. 2: By the Shores of Silver Lake / The Long Winter / Little Town on the Prairie / These Happy Golden Years / The First Four Years

by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Caroline Fraser (Editor)

The final five novels of the Little House series are novels of youth and precarious adulthood, beginning with By the Shores of Silver Lake (1939), in which Laura’s parents at last find what they’ve been searching for—a livable homestead—in De Smet, Dakota Territory. In The Long Winter (1940), De Smet is threatened with near extinction when, during the seven-month blizzard of 1880–81, the supply trains stop running. In a combination of selflessness and high spirits, two young townsfolk, Almanzo Wilder and Cap Garland, risk their lives to find a cache of wheat hidden twenty miles from town—sixty precious bushels that save the community from starvation. Little Town on the Prairie (1941) and These Happy Golden Years (1942) tell of Laura’s and Almanzo’s courtship, deepening love, and plans to marry. The series is capped by the posthumously published The First Four Years (1971), an account of the newlyweds’ vain attempt to start a farm on the unforgiving Dakota plains.

These five novels, like the four that precede them, are presented by Library of America without the illustrations and typographical trappings of editions for young readers. Here Wilder’s prose for the first time stands alone and can be seen for exactly what it is—a triumph of the American plain style. An appendix contains two little-known sketches in which Wilder presents scenes from her life following the events of These Happy Golden Years.

Genres: Fiction, Literature

856 pages, Hardcover

First published August 30, 2012

About the author

Laura Ingalls Wilder was an American author, journalist, and educator whose "Little House" series transformed the arduous reality of the American frontier into a foundational pillar of children's literature. Born in the "Big Woods" of Wisconsin to Charles and Caroline Ingalls, Laura’s childhood was a nomadic journey through the heart of a shifting nation. Her family moved across Kansas, Missouri, Minnesota, Iowa, and the Dakota Territory—often staying just ahead of legal evictions or chasing the promise of fertile soil. These years were marked by extreme hardship, including the "Hard Winter" of 1880–81 in De Smet, South Dakota, where the family survived near-starvation. Despite the struggle, these experiences provided the raw material for her eight-volume record of pioneer life, a series that has since been translated into over forty languages.
Before becoming a world-renowned novelist in her sixties, Wilder lived several distinct lives. At fifteen, she became a teacher in one-room prairie schools, a job she took primarily to support her family financially. In 1885, she married Almanzo Wilder, beginning a partnership that endured fire, paralysis from diphtheria, and the heartbreaking loss of an infant son. These trials eventually led them to Mansfield, Missouri, where they established Rocky Ridge Farm. It was here that Laura developed her voice as a professional writer, serving as a columnist and editor for the Missouri Ruralist for over a decade.
The Great Depression and the 1929 stock market crash wiped out the Wilders’ savings, providing the ultimate catalyst for Laura to pen her memoirs. Her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane—a successful author in her own right—encouraged her mother to adapt her autobiography, Pioneer Girl, into a format more suitable for children. This resulted in a complex and often rocky literary collaboration; while Lane provided the professional "style," Wilder provided the "substance" and narrative heart. The first book, Little House in the Big Woods, was published in 1932 when Laura was sixty-five.
Wilder’s legacy is a blend of immense literary success and modern historical scrutiny. While her books remain staples in classrooms for their vivid descriptions of 19th-century domestic life, her portrayals of Native Americans and African Americans have led to recent reevaluations. In 2018, the American Library Association renamed the "Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal" to the "Children's Literature Legacy Award" to reflect these evolving cultural sensitivities. Nonetheless, Wilder remains a monumental figure in American letters, a woman who successfully "saved the American soul" by documenting the grit, faith, and unyielding persistence of the pioneer spirit.

Reviews

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I liked all these books except The Long Winter. It was just to long and to cold and that was all it talked about. How cold and blizzardly it was. But I guess that was the idea. At the end of the compilation, there was a section what happened to the people in the book. I found this interesting. It was not all the people, I was interested in Mr. Edwards, and he was not there. But Mary Powers and Cap and a few others was in it. I can see how this would grab a middle schooler.

[Sylvie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As noted regarding the previous volume of this set, I decided to reread these because I was travelling to the Midwest and Great Plains and was planning on reading Prairie Fires on the trip. As a child, I read every book in the series but I only revisited certain books. In this set, that was mostly Town and Happy Golden Years. And, in fact, re-reading them now I realize the events of the two had combined into one mega-volume in my memory (Town) and so I was surprised when I got to the end of Town and Laura was not yet married. I'm not sure I ever had re-read By the Shore of Silver Lake before, probably because it contains some of the saddest moments in the series. While its structure and thin plot could be improved (particularly the abrupt ending), I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would. I love the surveyor's house and the Boasts. I also appreciated The Long Winter a lot more as an adult, so much so that I reread it again while under shelter-in-place orders. It certainly makes you appreciate being stuck at home but in relative comfort. The books lose steam somewhat after Mary's departure, but I still find all the details about life on the frontier and Laura's teaching gigs fascinating.

[Shawn Rathbun · Rating 5 out of 5]

After visiting DeSmet, SD, we (hubby and I) decided to reread the Little House books. Actually, he had never read them. These books are pure joy! I loved them as a child and I still love them as an adult! As an adult, I better appreciate the hardships and the resilience of the these people. My grandparents homesteaded in Minnesota, so it is especially interesting! Laura is so good at describing the "wildflowers nodding", the waves of prairie grass, etc that you can picture it so well in your mind. Pure joy to read for so many reasons!

[David Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent prose for the young readers as well as for the old. Simplistically & Fabulously woven into eight (vols. Ⅰ& Ⅱ) little house books. ideally written for nurturing good morals, and given great care for integral strength. Definitely not silver spooned.

[KarnagesMistress · Rating 4 out of 5]

2016 WCPLRC: A Dead Author's Last Book (The First Four Years in terms of publication, These Happy Golden Years in terms of writing)

[Margaret Tuomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished reading this book at least a month ago but it has been going around in my head ever since. What a wonderful series! It was originally to be an adult autobiography but instead the publisher suggested a series for children. I feel the target for readership got older as the main character got older. Brilliant! Though close to 70 myself, I learned so much about pioneer life and the hardships of farmers, total respect.
After finishing the books I have continued to read supplemental materials about Laura Ingalls Wilder and I have just bought another boxed copy of the series, this time with the illustrations, to reread and give to my future grandchildren. I really missed the illustrations.

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the first four novels included in this book. The First Four Years is of less interest as it was never finished for publication. I enjoyed the appendices and the end notes, which included a lot of supplemental information.