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Whoa, Nelly!: A Love Story with Footnotes
She went looking for Laura. She found herself.
Lonely librarian Nelly sets out to walk in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s footsteps—only to find that the prairie isn’t as romantic as she imagined. As she confronts the darker legacies of the Little House series—racism, revisionist nostalgia, and the shadowy influence of Rose Wilder Lane—Nelly must reckon with her own buried truths.
Along the way, there’s a clever, slow-burn romance with a modern-day Almanzo, a rivalry with a would-be Laura, and a blizzard that will test everything Nelly thought she knew about courage and care. By the time she boards the train home, Nelly has rescued more than just a child in danger—she's reclaimed her own story.
Whoa, Nelly! A Love Story (with Footnotes) is a sharp, soulful heroine’s journey for the literary misfits, the daughters of difficult mothers, and anyone who ever found solace in a well-worn paperback.
About the Author
Julia Park Tracey is an award-winning journalist and author of nine books, with an emphasis on women’s history and her female ancestors’ stories. Inspired by a mysterious train receipt in her family’s scrapbook, she researched her Orphan Train roots and continues to write novels about her found relatives. A lifelong fan of the Little House books, Tracey put her train-traveling time when crossing the American prairie to good use when she toured for her previous novels.
Praise for Whoa, Nelly! A Love Story (with Footnotes)
"A funny, fierce, nostalgic, and deeply tender novel." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"A must read for risk-takers and dream-weavers who create whole cloth with homespun desire. (Sorry, not sorry, Ma.)" —Kate Farrell, author of Story Power and The Fairy Tale Heroine"The librarian heroine is a treasure in herself, simultaneously despairing and hilarious, and seriously addicted to Laura Ingalls Wilder. Nelly is the greatest of company for a witty immersion into the Little House world with a powerful love story of her own. A delight in all departments." —Diana Birchall, author of Mrs. Elton in America and The Bride of Northanger
"Nelly’s inner dialogue pulls us along as much as a train ride west that will spark memories in anyone who has made that trip. This authentic, angst-ridden, anxious though funny voice is a hook that drags you in as much as triumph of narration. We root for Nelly as she wrangles things most of us take for people to exchange ideas with, friends to share pain with, even romance. Whoa, Nelly? More like go, Nelly!" —Eric Turowski, author of Willing Servants, Inhuman Interest, and the Irons Series
"Tracey is a quick-witted, snappy writer who misses nothing and tells a hell of a story. More, please!" —Billie Thomas, author of Murder on the First Day of Christmas
"Whoa, Nelly! is a delight with serious undercurrents, a story for everyone who enjoys a heroic feminist quest relevant to our times, with a nod to the country’s literary and pioneer past." —Robin Somers, author of Eleven Stolen Horses
Lonely librarian Nelly sets out to walk in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s footsteps—only to find that the prairie isn’t as romantic as she imagined. As she confronts the darker legacies of the Little House series—racism, revisionist nostalgia, and the shadowy influence of Rose Wilder Lane—Nelly must reckon with her own buried truths.
Along the way, there’s a clever, slow-burn romance with a modern-day Almanzo, a rivalry with a would-be Laura, and a blizzard that will test everything Nelly thought she knew about courage and care. By the time she boards the train home, Nelly has rescued more than just a child in danger—she's reclaimed her own story.
Whoa, Nelly! A Love Story (with Footnotes) is a sharp, soulful heroine’s journey for the literary misfits, the daughters of difficult mothers, and anyone who ever found solace in a well-worn paperback.
About the Author
Julia Park Tracey is an award-winning journalist and author of nine books, with an emphasis on women’s history and her female ancestors’ stories. Inspired by a mysterious train receipt in her family’s scrapbook, she researched her Orphan Train roots and continues to write novels about her found relatives. A lifelong fan of the Little House books, Tracey put her train-traveling time when crossing the American prairie to good use when she toured for her previous novels.
Praise for Whoa, Nelly! A Love Story (with Footnotes)
"A funny, fierce, nostalgic, and deeply tender novel." —Kirkus Reviews, starred review
"A must read for risk-takers and dream-weavers who create whole cloth with homespun desire. (Sorry, not sorry, Ma.)" —Kate Farrell, author of Story Power and The Fairy Tale Heroine"The librarian heroine is a treasure in herself, simultaneously despairing and hilarious, and seriously addicted to Laura Ingalls Wilder. Nelly is the greatest of company for a witty immersion into the Little House world with a powerful love story of her own. A delight in all departments." —Diana Birchall, author of Mrs. Elton in America and The Bride of Northanger
"Nelly’s inner dialogue pulls us along as much as a train ride west that will spark memories in anyone who has made that trip. This authentic, angst-ridden, anxious though funny voice is a hook that drags you in as much as triumph of narration. We root for Nelly as she wrangles things most of us take for people to exchange ideas with, friends to share pain with, even romance. Whoa, Nelly? More like go, Nelly!" —Eric Turowski, author of Willing Servants, Inhuman Interest, and the Irons Series
"Tracey is a quick-witted, snappy writer who misses nothing and tells a hell of a story. More, please!" —Billie Thomas, author of Murder on the First Day of Christmas
"Whoa, Nelly! is a delight with serious undercurrents, a story for everyone who enjoys a heroic feminist quest relevant to our times, with a nod to the country’s literary and pioneer past." —Robin Somers, author of Eleven Stolen Horses
240 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 14, 2025
2 people are currently reading
24 people want to read
About the author
Julia Park Tracey
15 books422 followersInspired by a mysterious train receipt in her family’s scrapbook, Julia Park Tracey researched her Orphan Train roots and wrote The Bereaved about her found relatives.
Julia has ancestors—or should we say an-sisters? In digging through her family history, she has uncovered a trove of powerful women who break rules and stand tall against whatever dares to oppose them. Another such heroine is the Puritan woman named Silence Nichols Greenleaf; look for Silence: A Novel from Sibylline Press.
Julia took a pause between historicals to write a contemporary romance about a lonely librarian named Nelly who found comfort in the Little House books through childhood trauma. On a whim, she takes a train journey to DeSmet, SD, on a literary tour, and on this journey, she finds her HEA. A provacative fanfic and slightly spicy romance for nerd-girl-bookworms! Whoa, Nelly! comes out in November 2025.
Watch this space for more news!
Julia has ancestors—or should we say an-sisters? In digging through her family history, she has uncovered a trove of powerful women who break rules and stand tall against whatever dares to oppose them. Another such heroine is the Puritan woman named Silence Nichols Greenleaf; look for Silence: A Novel from Sibylline Press.
Julia took a pause between historicals to write a contemporary romance about a lonely librarian named Nelly who found comfort in the Little House books through childhood trauma. On a whim, she takes a train journey to DeSmet, SD, on a literary tour, and on this journey, she finds her HEA. A provacative fanfic and slightly spicy romance for nerd-girl-bookworms! Whoa, Nelly! comes out in November 2025.
Watch this space for more news!
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
November 19, 2025
This story speaks to everyone who gets lost in books!
As a child, Nelly tells us that she loved books and found a safe haven in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series. It helped her to learn about life and to weather her parents’ divorce - and the creepy neighbor next door. And as the story opens, we find Nelly, a single, 42-year-old woman (with cats), working as a librarian and trying to evade confrontations with her controlling mother.
When Nelly receives the unexpected news that she is laid off, she decides to join her virtual, on-line, “LauraLand” friends for a group tour of De Smet, South Dakota, where the Little House series is set. The tour is organized by someone named Almanzoor, who posts about “farming, horses, and pioneering.”
I particularly enjoyed the description of Nelly’s train rides to and from the tour. Having traveled by rail growing up, I could feel the rhythm of the ride – the constant swaying motion and the snapshots of every-day lives that flash by the windows.
Tracey’s writing style is both entertaining and informative. Her use of humor keeps the story balanced. You can feel Nelly’s identification with Laura and the more serious aspects of the story. And the footnotes are Nelly’s hilarious asides!
While the Little House stories are for children, Whoa Nelly! is only for adults. Nelly wants love and finds it.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
As a child, Nelly tells us that she loved books and found a safe haven in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series. It helped her to learn about life and to weather her parents’ divorce - and the creepy neighbor next door. And as the story opens, we find Nelly, a single, 42-year-old woman (with cats), working as a librarian and trying to evade confrontations with her controlling mother.
When Nelly receives the unexpected news that she is laid off, she decides to join her virtual, on-line, “LauraLand” friends for a group tour of De Smet, South Dakota, where the Little House series is set. The tour is organized by someone named Almanzoor, who posts about “farming, horses, and pioneering.”
I particularly enjoyed the description of Nelly’s train rides to and from the tour. Having traveled by rail growing up, I could feel the rhythm of the ride – the constant swaying motion and the snapshots of every-day lives that flash by the windows.
Tracey’s writing style is both entertaining and informative. Her use of humor keeps the story balanced. You can feel Nelly’s identification with Laura and the more serious aspects of the story. And the footnotes are Nelly’s hilarious asides!
While the Little House stories are for children, Whoa Nelly! is only for adults. Nelly wants love and finds it.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 2, 2025
I will say I more than enjoyed reading this book. I was riveted, spellbound, aghast, joyful, and heart-wounded. This is the kind of book that promotes deep-down healing. Healing in places you didn’t even know were still hurt.
Nelly is the heroine. Without giving too much away, she is constantly at war with herself. She can’t trust. She is afraid. It is all her fault. Or is it? Her mother is a nightmare. I could not imagine a worse life than the one Nelly, the librarian, has.
But it gets better. Worse before it gets better, but then, isn’t that always the case?
I was surprised to learn that Laura Ingalls Wilder is at the center of this story. I had no idea there was so much fan fiction being written about the Little House on the Prairie characters. People, I should say, because they were all real, and I, like Nelly, read these books, fell in love with all the Little House books when I was young. How young? I don’t know. I must have been 9 or 10.
This is one of those books that will help you heal, that will show you the way, no matter what you've endured. I am proud to call Julia a friend.
Nelly is the heroine. Without giving too much away, she is constantly at war with herself. She can’t trust. She is afraid. It is all her fault. Or is it? Her mother is a nightmare. I could not imagine a worse life than the one Nelly, the librarian, has.
But it gets better. Worse before it gets better, but then, isn’t that always the case?
I was surprised to learn that Laura Ingalls Wilder is at the center of this story. I had no idea there was so much fan fiction being written about the Little House on the Prairie characters. People, I should say, because they were all real, and I, like Nelly, read these books, fell in love with all the Little House books when I was young. How young? I don’t know. I must have been 9 or 10.
This is one of those books that will help you heal, that will show you the way, no matter what you've endured. I am proud to call Julia a friend.
December 4, 2025
I loved it! Absolutely delightful on every level and so much fun to read. I read it in just a few days and enjoyed every minute.
Travel with Nelly by train to visit the sites of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s childhood. Her adventure is an entertaining page-turner, for anyone who loves to hang out with a woman following her own rules and writing her own life story. You’ll love it even more if you also adore the Little House books, librarians, history, and trains. Fun, touching, hilarious, and unpredictable – you’ll fall in love with Nelly and not want it to end. Beautiful writing from a writer and the height of her literary talents and skills.
p.s. Who says consent isn’t sexy? This is not a children’s book! ;)
Travel with Nelly by train to visit the sites of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s childhood. Her adventure is an entertaining page-turner, for anyone who loves to hang out with a woman following her own rules and writing her own life story. You’ll love it even more if you also adore the Little House books, librarians, history, and trains. Fun, touching, hilarious, and unpredictable – you’ll fall in love with Nelly and not want it to end. Beautiful writing from a writer and the height of her literary talents and skills.
p.s. Who says consent isn’t sexy? This is not a children’s book! ;)
January 3, 2026
This story is a little bit about Laura Ingalls Wilder, but a lot about other things, too. It's about a grown up lady who goes on a train trip to exorcise some personal demons. She ends up surprising herself.
Julia Park Tracey is a terrific writer who takes us on a sometimes weird visit to De Smet, South Dakota, to visit Laura's old haunts. After a long, slow build up, we have a positively smashing ending. I don't want to spoil it--you deserve to take the trip yourself. But it's... satisfying. Whoo-wee, Nelly!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Julia Park Tracey is a terrific writer who takes us on a sometimes weird visit to De Smet, South Dakota, to visit Laura's old haunts. After a long, slow build up, we have a positively smashing ending. I don't want to spoil it--you deserve to take the trip yourself. But it's... satisfying. Whoo-wee, Nelly!.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 5, 2025
I came to this with only the dimmest knowledge of 'The Little House on the Prairie' books by Laurie Ingalls Wilder. But dove right in - or rather boarded that AmTrack train with Nellie and never left her side. The trip took three days and nights - some of it on board a Eurostar train. Not quite the same but still a train. Traveling, maybe watching from a side seat, as Nellie discovers courage, friends. love and herself along this journey. The last page leaves you egging her on. You Go Girl I wanted to say, smiling as I closed the flap of my kindle.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews