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The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
Available for the first time and collected in one volume, the letters of one of America’s most beloved authors, Laura Ingalls Wilder—a treasure trove that offers new and unexpected understanding of her life and work.
The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder is a vibrant, deeply personal portrait of this revered American author, illuminating her thoughts, travels, philosophies, writing career, and dealings with family, friends, and fans as never before.
This is a fresh look at the adult life of the author in her own words. Gathered from museums and archives and personal collections, the letters span over sixty years of Wilder’s life, from 1894–1956 and shed new light on Wilder’s day-to-day life. Here we see her as a businesswoman and author—including her beloved Little House books, her legendary editor, Ursula Nordstrom, and her readers—as a wife, and as a friend. In her letters, Wilder shares her philosophies, political opinions, and reminiscences of life as a frontier child. Also included are letters to her daughter, writer Rose Wilder Lane, who filled a silent role as editor and collaborator while the famous Little House books were being written.
Wilder biographer William Anderson collected and researched references throughout these letters and the result is an invaluable historical collection, tracing Wilder’s life through the final days of covered wagon travel, her life as a farm woman, a country journalist, Depression-era author, and years of fame as the writer of the Little House books. This collection is a sequel to her beloved books, and a snapshot into twentieth-century living.
Available for the first time and collected in one volume, the letters of one of America’s most beloved authors, Laura Ingalls Wilder—a treasure trove that offers new and unexpected understanding of her life and work.
The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder is a vibrant, deeply personal portrait of this revered American author, illuminating her thoughts, travels, philosophies, writing career, and dealings with family, friends, and fans as never before.
This is a fresh look at the adult life of the author in her own words. Gathered from museums and archives and personal collections, the letters span over sixty years of Wilder’s life, from 1894–1956 and shed new light on Wilder’s day-to-day life. Here we see her as a businesswoman and author—including her beloved Little House books, her legendary editor, Ursula Nordstrom, and her readers—as a wife, and as a friend. In her letters, Wilder shares her philosophies, political opinions, and reminiscences of life as a frontier child. Also included are letters to her daughter, writer Rose Wilder Lane, who filled a silent role as editor and collaborator while the famous Little House books were being written.
Wilder biographer William Anderson collected and researched references throughout these letters and the result is an invaluable historical collection, tracing Wilder’s life through the final days of covered wagon travel, her life as a farm woman, a country journalist, Depression-era author, and years of fame as the writer of the Little House books. This collection is a sequel to her beloved books, and a snapshot into twentieth-century living.
395 pages, Hardcover
First published March 8, 2016
298 people are currently reading
3331 people want to read
About the author
Laura Ingalls Wilder
454 books5,441 followersLaura 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 176 reviews
June 25, 2019
I ended up reading the whole thing over the course of about three days. It was fascinating and encouraging and wonderful.
It was fascinating because of how well I feel like I got to know the woman behind the books I've loved basically all my life. These letters start in 1894 and go 1956, and they are staggeringly varied. Some are to friends, some to her husband Almanzo, some to her daughter Rose, some to perfect strangers who sent her fan mail. The ones I liked best were the ones to children who wrote her about her books.
It was encouraging because she struggled so hard with writing By the Shores of Silver Lake, which is my favorite of her books. I'm struggling with the book I'm writing right now, and knowing that I'm not the first writer to struggle with a book that's a ways into a series is a comfort.
It was wonderful because Laura Ingalls Wilder was such a sweet, tart, friendly, shy, intelligent, obstinate, REAL person, and you get that sense of her from these letters. I'm so happy I read this book. I might have to get a copy of my own.
It was fascinating because of how well I feel like I got to know the woman behind the books I've loved basically all my life. These letters start in 1894 and go 1956, and they are staggeringly varied. Some are to friends, some to her husband Almanzo, some to her daughter Rose, some to perfect strangers who sent her fan mail. The ones I liked best were the ones to children who wrote her about her books.
It was encouraging because she struggled so hard with writing By the Shores of Silver Lake, which is my favorite of her books. I'm struggling with the book I'm writing right now, and knowing that I'm not the first writer to struggle with a book that's a ways into a series is a comfort.
It was wonderful because Laura Ingalls Wilder was such a sweet, tart, friendly, shy, intelligent, obstinate, REAL person, and you get that sense of her from these letters. I'm so happy I read this book. I might have to get a copy of my own.
February 18, 2016
I received an uncorrected proof copy of this book from HarperCollins.
This book contains several hundred of the letters written by Laura Ingalls Wilder that have been maintained in public and private collections. They span her life from 1894 through 1956. Although Laura was one of four Ingalls daughters, she was the only one that had a child and her daughter Rose left no living children. "With no interested descendants around, great segments of the family's written records vanished" (xvi). Although many of Laura's letters have been lost, this selection of those that do remain provide a snapshot of the woman behind the beloved Little House series of children's novels. Indeed, the majority of the letters included in this collection are those that she wrote in response to her many fan letters.
After their deaths, the extent to which Wilder's daughter Rose Wilder Lane assisted with her mother's writing process has become evident. This collaboration is evident in the letters, as many of Laura's letters are to her daughter and discuss the books in detail, including anecdotes to include or remove and how to shape the flow of the plot. Her letters also reveal how Wilder researched her novels, writing others to confirm her childhood memory of locations and settings. This behind the scenes look at the writing process was interesting to me as a fan of the original novels.
I was moved by how dedicated Laura was up until her final years in attempting to respond to the majority of her fan mail. She spent hours personally writing children responses to their questions and thanking them for reading her books. Laura even welcomed visiting fans to her home and would happily give them a tour of her house. Aside from declining invitations to speak as her age advanced, Laura comes across as a gracious recipient of her many fans' adoration. It was also sweet to see how close Laura and her husband Manly seem to have been. Just as in her novels, their marriage can be summarized by her words "It was a carefree, happy time, for two people thoroughly in sympathy can do pretty much as they like" (257).
This book is an excellent companion piece to follow Pioneer Girl, the autobiography written by Wilder before she went on to become a bestselling fiction writer. Having just recently read this earlier work, which ended with her marriage, it was perfect to continue on and see her adult life and her life as an author from the perspective of her letters. Together, the two works give almost a full autobiography of Wilder's life, in her own words.
The editor did an excellent job of compiling the letters and providing background information as needed for the reader. At times it may have been helpful for the reader to have seen the letter that Laura is responding to, although that would have greatly lengthened the book. This is a valuable inside look into the life of a beloved author. In her contact with her fans, the real Laura maintained the central themes that young Laura from her novels always impressed upon her readers: "It is always best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures, to be cheerful in adversity and have courage in danger" (301).
This book contains several hundred of the letters written by Laura Ingalls Wilder that have been maintained in public and private collections. They span her life from 1894 through 1956. Although Laura was one of four Ingalls daughters, she was the only one that had a child and her daughter Rose left no living children. "With no interested descendants around, great segments of the family's written records vanished" (xvi). Although many of Laura's letters have been lost, this selection of those that do remain provide a snapshot of the woman behind the beloved Little House series of children's novels. Indeed, the majority of the letters included in this collection are those that she wrote in response to her many fan letters.
After their deaths, the extent to which Wilder's daughter Rose Wilder Lane assisted with her mother's writing process has become evident. This collaboration is evident in the letters, as many of Laura's letters are to her daughter and discuss the books in detail, including anecdotes to include or remove and how to shape the flow of the plot. Her letters also reveal how Wilder researched her novels, writing others to confirm her childhood memory of locations and settings. This behind the scenes look at the writing process was interesting to me as a fan of the original novels.
I was moved by how dedicated Laura was up until her final years in attempting to respond to the majority of her fan mail. She spent hours personally writing children responses to their questions and thanking them for reading her books. Laura even welcomed visiting fans to her home and would happily give them a tour of her house. Aside from declining invitations to speak as her age advanced, Laura comes across as a gracious recipient of her many fans' adoration. It was also sweet to see how close Laura and her husband Manly seem to have been. Just as in her novels, their marriage can be summarized by her words "It was a carefree, happy time, for two people thoroughly in sympathy can do pretty much as they like" (257).
This book is an excellent companion piece to follow Pioneer Girl, the autobiography written by Wilder before she went on to become a bestselling fiction writer. Having just recently read this earlier work, which ended with her marriage, it was perfect to continue on and see her adult life and her life as an author from the perspective of her letters. Together, the two works give almost a full autobiography of Wilder's life, in her own words.
The editor did an excellent job of compiling the letters and providing background information as needed for the reader. At times it may have been helpful for the reader to have seen the letter that Laura is responding to, although that would have greatly lengthened the book. This is a valuable inside look into the life of a beloved author. In her contact with her fans, the real Laura maintained the central themes that young Laura from her novels always impressed upon her readers: "It is always best to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasures, to be cheerful in adversity and have courage in danger" (301).
February 26, 2016
This is a wonderful collection of personal, business and fan letters written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Each letter is prefaced by a short, insightful editorial with some background information. I’ve read everything written by Ms. Wilder and felt I knew much about her, but this book gave me an even better understanding of her life.
Included are letters to her husband, Almanzo, telling him of her travels, letters to her editors including her business dealings with them, heartfelt letters to fans and what I found to be the most interesting, letters to her daughter Rose as they collaborate on the writing of the Little House books. Some of the letters include stories that aren’t included in the Little House series that Laura sent to her daughter for possible use in Rose’s fictional novels. I found it fascinating to read of Laura’s thoughts on what to include and how to edit the portions of the books she had sent to Rose for review. There are even letters from Almanzo to Rose telling her some of his own stories and letters from Rose to Laura.
I hadn’t realized that the Little House series was the first multi-volume novel for children ever written. It has been a much loved series over the years and has entertained many children and adults. I read the whole series to my own daughter and now she’s reading them to her son.
This is a comprehensive collection of letters and is very well edited. It was a pleasure to spend time with Ms. Wilder and her family once again. Highly recommended for those who love Ms. Wilder’s work and for any history buff.
This book was given to me by the publisher through Edelweiss in return for an honest review.
Included are letters to her husband, Almanzo, telling him of her travels, letters to her editors including her business dealings with them, heartfelt letters to fans and what I found to be the most interesting, letters to her daughter Rose as they collaborate on the writing of the Little House books. Some of the letters include stories that aren’t included in the Little House series that Laura sent to her daughter for possible use in Rose’s fictional novels. I found it fascinating to read of Laura’s thoughts on what to include and how to edit the portions of the books she had sent to Rose for review. There are even letters from Almanzo to Rose telling her some of his own stories and letters from Rose to Laura.
I hadn’t realized that the Little House series was the first multi-volume novel for children ever written. It has been a much loved series over the years and has entertained many children and adults. I read the whole series to my own daughter and now she’s reading them to her son.
This is a comprehensive collection of letters and is very well edited. It was a pleasure to spend time with Ms. Wilder and her family once again. Highly recommended for those who love Ms. Wilder’s work and for any history buff.
This book was given to me by the publisher through Edelweiss in return for an honest review.
February 12, 2023
What a delightful collection of Laura’s surviving letters. These letters helped me understand the books better and lots more about Laura. In 2020 we visited Mansfield, MO and DeSmet, ND to see Laura’s house and sites. We saw her family’s graves from DeSmet.
February 23, 2016
Anyone who read Pioneer Girl will also want to read this book. To all the fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder, this collection of her letters adds to the ever expanding question of 'how much of her Little House books were real' and also gives you a different perspective on the life of this beloved author. As the book begins Anderson gives a good background of where these letters came from and why there are not even more. As someone who has cleaned out my parents' house and also feel the need to finally start throwing out many of my own old letters, many of Laura's letters, especially to her family, were just thrown out as her relatives died. She never went back home when her mother died and a lot of things were just thrown away. Unfortunately, her daughter Rose also felt the need to get rid of a lot of her mother's letters and also her own to her parents immediately after her mother died. Luckily the timely interference of the local townspeople eager and willing to turn Laura & Almanzo's house into a museum saved some of the letters as well as the Wilder's possessions.
You certainly get a much better understanding of Laura's relationship, both personal and professional, with her daughter Rose. As with all parent/child relationships it had its ups and downs but basically it was a good one. The one letter that had me laughing out loud as well as thinking that some things are the same for everyone, was the one Laura wrote Rose before her and Almanzo's last trip to De Smet, SD. She informed Rose where the key to her safety deposit box was and other instructions - just in case! They were in their 70s & 80s at this time so it's understandable but still amusing. I certainly didn't realize what a Libertarian Rose was as well as her parents, well at least Laura -- you don't get a lot of information about Almanzo although there are a couple of letters that he wrote Rose which are included. Many of the letters are those that she wrote fans of her books and these do start to sound quite similar which is to be expected. And for those history fans who like to know how life was in an earlier era, these letters are a treasure of the early to middle 20th century -- an excellent Thanksgiving meal could be had in the 1930s for 40 cents! This book will definitely have an audience and they won't be disappointed.
You certainly get a much better understanding of Laura's relationship, both personal and professional, with her daughter Rose. As with all parent/child relationships it had its ups and downs but basically it was a good one. The one letter that had me laughing out loud as well as thinking that some things are the same for everyone, was the one Laura wrote Rose before her and Almanzo's last trip to De Smet, SD. She informed Rose where the key to her safety deposit box was and other instructions - just in case! They were in their 70s & 80s at this time so it's understandable but still amusing. I certainly didn't realize what a Libertarian Rose was as well as her parents, well at least Laura -- you don't get a lot of information about Almanzo although there are a couple of letters that he wrote Rose which are included. Many of the letters are those that she wrote fans of her books and these do start to sound quite similar which is to be expected. And for those history fans who like to know how life was in an earlier era, these letters are a treasure of the early to middle 20th century -- an excellent Thanksgiving meal could be had in the 1930s for 40 cents! This book will definitely have an audience and they won't be disappointed.
November 16, 2016
A selection of Laura's letters to Rose, to school kids, to editors, her agent, and a few family members. Man, I don't think I'd have liked Laura. She was so passive aggressive with Rose--no wonder their relationship was strained. (Not that I think Rose was all that great. I think they were both rather bitchy and smug and naturally did not get along so well.) Manly was pretty passive aggressive, too. They were made for each other, I guess.
Things of note: after Carrie died, a family friend basically threw everything out that had been in the DeSmet house, flinging papers and items out the second story window into a dump truck. She regretted it soon after, but all the history was gone. A few random things were saved--a shawl, some jewelry, some letters.
At one point when describing blizzards and what Ma and Pa would have asked the girls to do or not do, she says, "I suppose you're right about the cattle. But children weren't raised to be helpless cowards in those days." Nice! I did appreciate the details of the blizzards, though, how they came up so quick and would go from sunny to black so fast. And telling Rose that milk didn't freeze, but it might blow away.
The many ways Laura tried to correct Rose's interpretation of events were fascinating. I loved seeing how Laura felt about Mary's blindness and how it aged her, but at the same time, she was still childlike. There is a pretty good balance of that in Silver Lake, and I'm glad Laura won a lot of these editing battles. (Even if she did in that passive aggressive way of, You are wrong wrong wrong and this is why: X Y Z. Well, do what you think is right, of course, you know so much more than me.")
Laura mentioned Helen Boylston in a letter to an aunt, and it was familiar so I looked it up--she wrote Sue Barton books, and was also Rose's travel companion and friend. ("Friend"?)
Laura was suuuuuuuper conservative and really bitter about paying taxes.
I wonder where all of Laura's letters to Rose in the 40s went to? Did Rose destroy them? Why? So interesting.
Things of note: after Carrie died, a family friend basically threw everything out that had been in the DeSmet house, flinging papers and items out the second story window into a dump truck. She regretted it soon after, but all the history was gone. A few random things were saved--a shawl, some jewelry, some letters.
At one point when describing blizzards and what Ma and Pa would have asked the girls to do or not do, she says, "I suppose you're right about the cattle. But children weren't raised to be helpless cowards in those days." Nice! I did appreciate the details of the blizzards, though, how they came up so quick and would go from sunny to black so fast. And telling Rose that milk didn't freeze, but it might blow away.
The many ways Laura tried to correct Rose's interpretation of events were fascinating. I loved seeing how Laura felt about Mary's blindness and how it aged her, but at the same time, she was still childlike. There is a pretty good balance of that in Silver Lake, and I'm glad Laura won a lot of these editing battles. (Even if she did in that passive aggressive way of, You are wrong wrong wrong and this is why: X Y Z. Well, do what you think is right, of course, you know so much more than me.")
Laura mentioned Helen Boylston in a letter to an aunt, and it was familiar so I looked it up--she wrote Sue Barton books, and was also Rose's travel companion and friend. ("Friend"?)
Laura was suuuuuuuper conservative and really bitter about paying taxes.
I wonder where all of Laura's letters to Rose in the 40s went to? Did Rose destroy them? Why? So interesting.
June 3, 2016
I think Bill Anderson did a great job editing the letters, and I know the limits he had to work with. But I think a good chunk of the letters to schools could have been cut. They got a little repetitive.
Still it was a fascinating look at the more personal LIW and see how much her world blended into her fictional self.
Still it was a fascinating look at the more personal LIW and see how much her world blended into her fictional self.
July 13, 2016
I have always been a huge fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder. This book, through many of the letters she wrote throughout her life, gives a glimpse of who she was. She was hardworking and had simple, straightforward values--a pioneer spirit in the truest sense. She was raised to accept what was and pull yourself up by your bootstraps and go forward. She seemed to be a very loving person, and she wrote a lot of very loving letters to her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane. I have read biographies of LIW which describe their relationship as strained, and perhaps they got along better when they were apart. The book includes some letters to her husband (when she was away on trips), many to her daughter (although Rose destroyed some of her letters when her mother died--not sure why she would do that) which include information about the Little House books that LIW was writing and Rose was helping her with, letters to community members, friends, and fans. While reading some of the letters got a little redundant at times (because she would often write pretty much the same thing and answer fans' questions, etc.) the author did start including an italicized line which said that she wrote about what happened to her family, which was a good idea so that the reader didn't have to read that over and over again in each letter. I was impressed with how she tried hard to answer fan letters right up until she really couldn't anymore. She was always someone that I wished I could have met, but by the time I came along and became a fan of her writing she had passed away. I would still like to visit her Rocky Ridge home one day and see where she lived and wrote her books.
October 11, 2016
We tend to forget that Laura Ingalls Wilder became a children's book author by accident, in her 60s, after deciding to turn the stories she remembered her father telling her when she was little into a book with the help of her then much more famous daughter, Rose Wilder Lane. And we also tend to forget how very important letter-writing was as a means of communication in the 1920s and 30s and later. This books collects letters Laura wrote to Rose, discussing the books and the goings-on of her daily life, and later replies written to schools and fans. It is a one-sided snapshot into the life of one of America's favorite authors, and also an excellent companion book to "Pioneer Girl" (which is fascinating in itself and which I also recommend to anyone interested in biography or the Little House books).
June 1, 2016
I loved reading Laura's writing from her real-life adult perspective. Most of us who grew up enamored with the "Little House" series feel like we know her already, but this is the last collection of her unpublished writing and it gives a sense of who she was long after the events in the series ended. She didn't become a famous author until much later, and it's fun to see her point of view as she writes to friends, fans, her publishing industry contacts. This is probably not one for the casual biography or epistolary non-fiction reader -- ultimate fan-girls and -boys of the "Little House" series will appreciate it but others might find it dull.
September 3, 2025
There is no question that Laura Ingalls Wilder was a wonderful person and celebrated author. She deserves all the praise and accolades that she has been given. Her life was very interesting and she lived through a full spectrum of this country's growth. This book reflects her vast recollections through correspondence. The author claims to have edited it to take out repetitions that she had in her letters, but there is still so much that is redundant and could have been condensed. I found this book tedious and dry. Others may not agree, this is just my opinion.
April 3, 2016
Loved this collection of letters and information about LIW. Fans of the book series, Pioneer Girl and all things "Little House" will love this. It was great seeing her intimate personal correspondences with her daughter and fans from around the world, allowing one to gain a new understanding of Laura that with the exception of journal entries and letters from the collection, "A Little House Sampler" was previously unknown.
June 29, 2020
I was slightly disappointed because these start pretty late in Laura’s life, but it was interesting to see her writing process and how she worked with her daughter Rose while writing the Little House series. At the end, the letters were a bit tedious, because she is a crotchety old lady and complaining about how she can’t go anywhere.
February 6, 2017
It turns out that Laura (or Bessie, as apparently she spent her life after marriage) wrote a lot of letters. Mostly, they are incredibly boring. She writes about her neighbors and friends, who is currently not feeling well, the weather, thank you notes abound for awards and such but no she cannot travel to accept them, and lots of letters to young fans of her books (these are almost all of the same: yes, she really was the Laura in the books, she grew up to marry farmer boy, and Little House on the Prairie was her favorite book, because she loved Pa's stories).
There are some interesting tidbits: Rose apparently, after her mother's death, burned all of their letters from the 1940s (Why? We do not know.), Laura puts in one letter to burn this letter and she'll burn Rose's (this letter sounds like it must contain a scandal - it does not), Laura explains the exact location of her homes in the series a couple of times, she talks about those two years between the Plum Creek and Silver Lake books (Burr Oak, Iowa), and Carrie apparently got the China shepherdess after Ma's death (but later Laura writes a letter answering a question and says she does not know where the China shepherdess is, so who knows).
There are a few letters between Rose and Laura that discuss the books - these are cool as they show the depth of their collaboration together. Both women put their feet down on quite a number of things. Also, it turns out Laura and Almanzo helped Rose on her own books, particularly in illuminating various farming techniques. The other bits I enjoyed was Laura describing the beauty of her days at Rocky Ridge Farm. She often had these short sentences that really gave you a beautiful picture of where she was living and her day to day views. It reminded me of her descriptions of the prairie, sunsets, the beauty of it all.
I don't know though: I kept thinking, is this worth reading? It was extremely repetitive and I felt many letters could have been cut from the book. I don't know that this book really added to my overall enjoyment of the series or gave me a deeper understanding of adult Laura. Probably a book only for the die hard fan.
There are some interesting tidbits: Rose apparently, after her mother's death, burned all of their letters from the 1940s (Why? We do not know.), Laura puts in one letter to burn this letter and she'll burn Rose's (this letter sounds like it must contain a scandal - it does not), Laura explains the exact location of her homes in the series a couple of times, she talks about those two years between the Plum Creek and Silver Lake books (Burr Oak, Iowa), and Carrie apparently got the China shepherdess after Ma's death (but later Laura writes a letter answering a question and says she does not know where the China shepherdess is, so who knows).
There are a few letters between Rose and Laura that discuss the books - these are cool as they show the depth of their collaboration together. Both women put their feet down on quite a number of things. Also, it turns out Laura and Almanzo helped Rose on her own books, particularly in illuminating various farming techniques. The other bits I enjoyed was Laura describing the beauty of her days at Rocky Ridge Farm. She often had these short sentences that really gave you a beautiful picture of where she was living and her day to day views. It reminded me of her descriptions of the prairie, sunsets, the beauty of it all.
I don't know though: I kept thinking, is this worth reading? It was extremely repetitive and I felt many letters could have been cut from the book. I don't know that this book really added to my overall enjoyment of the series or gave me a deeper understanding of adult Laura. Probably a book only for the die hard fan.
August 26, 2016
I have a confession: I didn't read the Little House books as a child. I did, however, watch reruns of the television series Little House on the Prairie starring Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert. I fell in love with the characters of the series, especially Laura. I couldn't stand the insufferable Nellie. I loved watching the family through their good times and bad. It wasn't until I was a little older that I realized the television series was based on books. It wasn't until I had children of my own that I finally read Little House in the Big Woods.
I wanted to kick myself for not reading these books sooner. Not only are they wildly entertaining, they are also autobiographical. First published in 1932, the Little House books became an instant success among children across the world. Laura's childhood growing up in a pioneer family has entertained kids for decades.
The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder edited by William Anderson came out in March of 2016 and I couldn't wait to read it. For me, this wasn't a book to devour in one sitting. Instead, it was a book that I read a little at a time. Savoring it like a glass of wine. And I'm glad I did.
The letters in this book start in 1894 and span until 1956. They are addressed to her husband, daughter, publisher, and fans. Some letters tell day-to-day activities while others refer to the creating of Wilder's beloved series. A few of my favorite letters to read were written as Laura and her daughter traveled across the United States when the highways of America were still being built. It's hard for me to imagine that because in my lifetime they've always existed.
This is a book I highly recommend for fans of Little House, book or television series. It gives you a behind the scenes look at the publishing of her books and a glimpse inside the personal life of a literary icon. Not to mention, a fantastic glimpse into history. Do yourself a favor and read this book.
Read more at http://www.toreadornottoread.net/2016...
I wanted to kick myself for not reading these books sooner. Not only are they wildly entertaining, they are also autobiographical. First published in 1932, the Little House books became an instant success among children across the world. Laura's childhood growing up in a pioneer family has entertained kids for decades.
The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder edited by William Anderson came out in March of 2016 and I couldn't wait to read it. For me, this wasn't a book to devour in one sitting. Instead, it was a book that I read a little at a time. Savoring it like a glass of wine. And I'm glad I did.
The letters in this book start in 1894 and span until 1956. They are addressed to her husband, daughter, publisher, and fans. Some letters tell day-to-day activities while others refer to the creating of Wilder's beloved series. A few of my favorite letters to read were written as Laura and her daughter traveled across the United States when the highways of America were still being built. It's hard for me to imagine that because in my lifetime they've always existed.
This is a book I highly recommend for fans of Little House, book or television series. It gives you a behind the scenes look at the publishing of her books and a glimpse inside the personal life of a literary icon. Not to mention, a fantastic glimpse into history. Do yourself a favor and read this book.
Read more at http://www.toreadornottoread.net/2016...
March 8, 2016
The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder is a must read for all who love the Little House on the Prairie books! It was such a pleasure to get to know Laura by her own words and I found the adult Laura to be just as charming, intelligent and witty as she described herself as she was portrayed as the little girl in the LHP books.
William Anderson has done a fantastic job of compiling the letters for this book and the necessary notes needed to help the reader understand a specific letter are short and to the point. I found they really help to enhance the reading experience and it in no way hinders it.
The book is divided into six different periods of Laura's life ~ The Farmer's Wife, The Emerging Writer, A New Enterprise, Star of the Children's Department, The Last Golden Years and The Author of Classics. The end result? A wonderful view into the person Laura Ingalls Wilder was as an adult and written by her own hand! I also gained a much better understanding of all that went into the process of Laura (and Rose's) creation of the LHP books.
I highly recommend this book and I give it a 5 STAR rating!
Thank You to Harper Publishing and Edelweiss for the gift of this book in exchange for an honest review.
William Anderson has done a fantastic job of compiling the letters for this book and the necessary notes needed to help the reader understand a specific letter are short and to the point. I found they really help to enhance the reading experience and it in no way hinders it.
The book is divided into six different periods of Laura's life ~ The Farmer's Wife, The Emerging Writer, A New Enterprise, Star of the Children's Department, The Last Golden Years and The Author of Classics. The end result? A wonderful view into the person Laura Ingalls Wilder was as an adult and written by her own hand! I also gained a much better understanding of all that went into the process of Laura (and Rose's) creation of the LHP books.
I highly recommend this book and I give it a 5 STAR rating!
Thank You to Harper Publishing and Edelweiss for the gift of this book in exchange for an honest review.
June 9, 2016
I found this book to be very endearing, most written in Laura's own words/letters. It shows us a personal picture of her adult life, after she and her family left De Smet, for Missouri. You see a principled woman, wife, mother and author. I enjoyed this book much more than Pioneer Girl, which left me feeling a bit cynical, telling stories behind the books and writings that I thought were too much information. I love the Little House books beyond telling and they were a huge part of my childhood. I played Little House so much that my dad and Grandpa built us a life sized covered wagon that we could camp in and could be towed behind a car. This was a fitting to the Laura Ingalls Wilder books for me, as an adult.
June 15, 2017
This review needs to be titled: It's Not You, It's Me.
I actually only made it halfway through this book, even after renewing it once from the library. I LOVE Little House on the Prairie, and I really enjoyed reading these letters from Laura and learning more about her life after the LH days and also more about her relationship with her daughter, Rose, and Rose's influence on Laura's writing. I loved the letters where they were communicating about plot lines and things! But sadly I am just too tired to read right now, and I get about 5 pages before falling asleep, so I have resigned myself to the fact that right now I just can't finish this. I might come back to it later on!
I actually only made it halfway through this book, even after renewing it once from the library. I LOVE Little House on the Prairie, and I really enjoyed reading these letters from Laura and learning more about her life after the LH days and also more about her relationship with her daughter, Rose, and Rose's influence on Laura's writing. I loved the letters where they were communicating about plot lines and things! But sadly I am just too tired to read right now, and I get about 5 pages before falling asleep, so I have resigned myself to the fact that right now I just can't finish this. I might come back to it later on!
June 5, 2016
As a young girl, I thoroughly enjoyed Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House book series...and I enjoyed sharing it with my children as well. This collection of letters compiled by William Anderson gives readers a glimpse into Laura's life after the books. I enjoyed learning a little more about Laura's adult life, her travels and her involvement in her community, all told with her beautiful prosaic style. I received a copy of this book in a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for an honest review.
August 16, 2019
I absoloutely adored this book but I think its one for fans of Laura. The letters were great insights to a collaborative and loving relationship between Rose and her mother. It was lovely to see the regard Laura held her fans in as she tries to reply to every peice of fan mail herself. I dont think I realised quite the level of input Rose had in contributing to the books but it was great to read the conversations and discussions between them.
September 27, 2016
What a wonderful collection of letters spanning the life of beloved author Laura Ingalls Wilder. From early letters when Laura is corresponding with her publisher, to letters between Laura and daughter Rose, to many letters to and from children regarding her Little House books. If you're a fan of LIW, I highly recommend this book.
(Read via audiobook)
(Read via audiobook)
March 24, 2017
The compiler does a very nice job bringing Laura's everyday to life thru these last largely unpublished letters showing us her evolution from farm wife to author. Of particular interest were the letters written to Almanzo while driving with her daughter and a friend from Missouri to California.
January 25, 2020
A very good book indeed. Very interesting letters to and from my childhood favourite author.
March 15, 2025
I loved Laura Ingalls Wilder's books as a child and still have my 1970s Puffin editions with Garth Williams illustrations. I always wanted to know more about her later life. When I began reading this edition of her letters, I was disappointed to find there were no letters home from Laura to her family in the early years of her marriage. After her parents and sister Mary died, the house in De Smet was cleared by helpful neighbours who stored some furniture, pictures, etc, but threw away all the papers. (This was 4 years before Laura published her first book, so we can't really blame them.) The first letter in this book is dated 1894, when she was 27, but it's two lines to a ladies' assocation. There's nothing personal for another ten years.
However, the letters soon reach the 1930s when she began writing the Little House series. She was 65 when the first one was published. Then it does get interesting for fans, because it becomes clear that she and her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane (already a published author), collaborated on the books and often disagreed. Laura wanted to keep strictly to what happened, while Rose wanted to edit heavily for length, pace, and drama. In the process, we learn a lot about how Laura's childhood differed from the stories in the books: they were close to the truth, but some things were left out and some characters combined.
There are also many letters to fans - mostly children, teachers, and librarians - and to other acquaintances. She seems to have wanted to answer everyone, until there were simply too many letters and she was too old. The book doesn't include all the material that the editor gathered, but there are still a lot of these.
A biography would give more factual information, but a sense of Laura's personality comes across strongly in the letters, at least as she was in her middle and later years. 3.5 stars rounded up.
However, the letters soon reach the 1930s when she began writing the Little House series. She was 65 when the first one was published. Then it does get interesting for fans, because it becomes clear that she and her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane (already a published author), collaborated on the books and often disagreed. Laura wanted to keep strictly to what happened, while Rose wanted to edit heavily for length, pace, and drama. In the process, we learn a lot about how Laura's childhood differed from the stories in the books: they were close to the truth, but some things were left out and some characters combined.
There are also many letters to fans - mostly children, teachers, and librarians - and to other acquaintances. She seems to have wanted to answer everyone, until there were simply too many letters and she was too old. The book doesn't include all the material that the editor gathered, but there are still a lot of these.
A biography would give more factual information, but a sense of Laura's personality comes across strongly in the letters, at least as she was in her middle and later years. 3.5 stars rounded up.
June 1, 2017
"A tribute to the past and a hope for the future." Page 365
Enjoyed the second half much more than the first. I look forward to reading Wilder's other books that aren't part of the official Little House series.
Enjoyed the second half much more than the first. I look forward to reading Wilder's other books that aren't part of the official Little House series.
September 1, 2020
A sweet collection of letters to and from our beloved Laura Ingalls Wilder. Though her books were mostly for children this collection would probably be better enjoyed by adults.
November 14, 2025
I learned a lot u didn't know which was cool!
May 14, 2025
I enjoyed reading more content from Wilder, even such mundane content. I even learned a few things I didn't already know. Anderson's editing and context are not amazing, but they are serviceable. Much of the earlier parts of the book are Laura's letters to Rose. Apparently Rose destroyed the letters she received from Laura in the 1940s and 1950s so later parts are filled out with letters to agents, publishers, and fans. I understand that Rose was under no obligation to keep letters and certainly not so they could be shared with the world after her death, but adamant Laura fan and non-Rose-fan that I am, I can't help feeling this is yet another example of Rose messing things up.
June 14, 2019
While the book did offer some interesting tidbits of information, overall it was very repetitive for the latter half of the book. Also, it was really disappointing to me to learn that the real Laura lied regularly and frequently to those who wrote to her, saying that pretty much everything in the books was true, when a quick search online turns up multiple (well documented) sources that soundly debunk many events in the books. Finally, it really upset me that Laura turned out to be such a hypocrite; I could see why someone of her generation would be against government "charity", but the meanness she shows towards people who were surely struggling (it was the Great Depression after all) coupled with the fact that she said their family was above begging for handouts (etc.) was really disheartening. Mostly because, as it turns out, Laura and co. were heavily bankrolled later in life (after the Little House books take place) by her in-laws, and then by her daughter. So much for pulling yourself up by your bootstraps no matter what comes your way, eh Laura? Too bad not everyone has rich relatives to send them allowances/large gifts of money.
January 26, 2019
#13 of 120 books pledged to read during 2019
Terrific collection of letters that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote to family, friends and fans. Up until a very advanced age, she was trying to answer all her mail-- which often ran to 50 pieces a day and it was not unusual for her to get hundreds of Christmas cards each year. The bulk of the letters are to her daughter Rose, who was already a published author and who apparently had quite a bit of input as to how Laura told the stories of her childhood, though there is a large group of letters she wrote to her husband Almanzo when she went to visit Rose in San Francisco in 1915. Many are to her editor once she started writing and publishing the "Little House" books at the beginning of the 1930s and it was particularly fun to read the letters she wrote many fans, including lots of school classes who were reading one of the books together. Since I've had the "Little House" collection for decades, the references were familiar. I enjoyed it a whole lot.
Terrific collection of letters that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote to family, friends and fans. Up until a very advanced age, she was trying to answer all her mail-- which often ran to 50 pieces a day and it was not unusual for her to get hundreds of Christmas cards each year. The bulk of the letters are to her daughter Rose, who was already a published author and who apparently had quite a bit of input as to how Laura told the stories of her childhood, though there is a large group of letters she wrote to her husband Almanzo when she went to visit Rose in San Francisco in 1915. Many are to her editor once she started writing and publishing the "Little House" books at the beginning of the 1930s and it was particularly fun to read the letters she wrote many fans, including lots of school classes who were reading one of the books together. Since I've had the "Little House" collection for decades, the references were familiar. I enjoyed it a whole lot.
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