Lessons from the Prairie: The Surprising Secrets to Happiness, Success, and (Sometimes Just) Survival I Learned on America's Favorite Show

by Melissa Francis

For fans of the beloved TV show Little House on the Prairie, a self-help book by Melissa Francis, bestselling author of Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter and child star of Little House, revealing important life lessons inspired by a childhood on set.

Melissa Francis was only eight years old when she won the role of a lifetime: playing Cassandra Cooper Ingalls on the world's most famous prime-time soap opera, Little House on the Prairie.

Now in Lessons from the Prairie, she shares behind-the-scenes stories from the set, and lessons learned from the show's dynamic creator, Michael Landon, that have echoed throughout Melissa's adult life. With novel insights on hard work, making mistakes, and even spirituality, Francis shares inspirational and practical life lessons that will appeal both to her current TV fans, and fans of one of the most adored TV shows of all time.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Audiobook, Tv, Humor

264 pages, Hardcover

Published April 25, 2017

About the author

There is more than one author with this name

A graduate of Harvard University, MELISSA FRANCIS grew up in southern California. As a broadcast journalist, she has anchored CNBC's "Power Lunch," "The Call," and "On The Money, " served as a regular contributor to the "Today" show and "Weekend Today" Show, and currently hosts two daily business shows on the Fox Business Network. She lives in New York City with her husband and their two sons.

Reviews

[Cheryl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won this book on Goodreads and while it had some interesting points it fell flat with very little about being on Little house and no pictures. So much more could've been said. It was mostly about her ideas on life.

[Tanja ~ KT Book Reviews]

From kid actor to news host. Interesting journey.
Review to come.

*Book Provided by Publisher


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[Laura Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved Lessons from the Prairie! If it has anything to do with the Little House books or iconic television series I am there. Melissa Francis (ok, it took me a little while to figure out which Ingalls child she was. I remember her being a great on screen crier the most), has a wonderful writing style. You somehow feel relatable even though few of us grew up the way she did or had similar experiences. A good portion of the book is laugh out loud funny as well. I recommend LFTP even if you are not a Little House fan. Although I truly can't imagine there is one out there.

[Mediaman · Rating 2 out of 5]

This TV star has a little bit of good career advice for people, but a lot of really bad advice. And she does it in a long, rambling way. There is very little substance to this book. It isn't really about Little House, though she uses a few memories of the show as starting points for her boring thoughts. It isn't really a "how to" book for people that want to go into television. It seems like she simply got another book contract that she had to fulfill and put really dull stories down on paper. She has almost nothing original or thoughtful to say.

The career advice is okay but she repeatedly lies in order to get jobs. How can she brag about this? It's shocking that she thinks it's okay to lie to potential employers. And she defends Roger Ailes, which makes little sense considering how many of her co-workers at Fox revealed how he harassed them. Then she says that three times in private office work meetings he mentioned sleeping with her...and she didn't think anything of it??? Why is this woman being given a pass for being ignorant?

Worst is the chapter on being a mom and having a career. She plainly says career comes first. She can't wait to get away from her kids on Monday. She says work relaxes her and home stresses her out. She might need to think about her approach to family then. She recommends all women give their all to their careers--and then somehow thinks these same women can also still have enough left to give their all to their families. If she gave it any thought, she'd realize that if she is devoting 50-60 waking hours a week to a job she loves, then the should be doing the same with her kids if she is giving them her "all." And more. But they end up getting the leftovers of a couple hours a day. And remember, this is a highly-paid TV star married to a highly-paid husband--they can afford to hire help. There's nothing worse than a rich couple that can pay to have someone else parent their children giving advice to everyday people that barely make ends meet.

There are some good pieces of advice in the book. Her four steps about learning from failure (like when she got fired!) are something everyone could apply: 1. Wallow in the suffering and get it all out; 2. Figure out a way to dream for something better; 3. Take a step to achieve the new goal; 4. Figure out what you'd do differently next time under similar circumstances. That part of the book would make a good magazine article. But it isn't enough to fill a book.

Otherwise the rest of it is repetitive (we know how her character's parents died in Little House, but she tells us three times in the first couple dozen pages!) and simplistic. She doesn't have enough real-world life experience yet to write a self-help book, and she obviously doesn't have enough childhood memories from Little House to fill all the pages her publisher required. Next time she should turn down the book contract and spend more time with her kids!

[Justine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Melissa’s book is as hilarious, frank, and inspirational as she is. Full of candid stories about behind the scenes at Little House on the Prairie, but also Fox News, and her personal life. I loved Little House, and I loved this book!

[Becca · Rating 1 out of 5]

Like many other readers, I'm sure, the cover of this biography/self-help book caught my eye. Instantly, I saw LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE, and I had to pick it up! What a ploy. Slap that on the front, and people will actually buy the book! Big mistake! The book SUCKED. It sucked so bad that I barely made it one-third of the way through before I said, "Screw it, I'm done with this boring uninteresting garbage!" The author spent a mere 2 seasons on the show and she was a child at that, yet she still seems to think she can squeeze an entire book out of the experience. That was a stretch. A BIG stretch. Without using the TV show as a crutch to provide fodder for the book, she would not have a leg to stand on. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure the experience really had an impact on her life, but it was clearly used as a marketing ploy to sell an otherwise crappy book. Kind of akin to Mara Wilson's biography- pluck a brief moment in time with Robin Williams and blow it up into playing a major role in the book. In both examples, these child actors exploited their 15 minutes of fame to made a buck off a book.

[Cori · Rating 5 out of 5]

I literally laughed out-loud reading this book! You will feel like you are sitting down and having a personal conversation, a hilariously funny conversation, with Melissa Francis - and you might learn a few great life lessons too! This book is such a fun read, whether you are a fan of Fox News, a fan of Little House on the Prairie, or just someone looking for a witty, interesting book.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting memoir. I didn't ever watch or know of Little House on the Prairie nor watch her on Fox News. Someone read her memoir and recommended it and as I might do, I picked it up to read! 3.5 stars.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book kept me engaged from start to finish! Melissa's childhood experiences were not like most people's, but she makes them so relatable you feel like you're right there with her on the set of Little House! And her daily trials and triumphs through teen to adult years are so human and honest, you'll laugh and cry along with her.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

My feelings on this are so mixed! Here's my disclaimer - I am a LHOTP fan, but I'm not a parent (only the fur baby kind). I feel the book was more targeted toward a parent than a LHOTP fan.

I really enjoyed the relatable tone; I truly did feel as though I was having a conversation with the author and felt connected in that conversation. Unfortunately, the conversation did feel like it rambled (quite often). I guess that means I felt like I was part of a conversation that, at times, I struggled to follow (hey, just like real life! haha). Because of this, the chapter themes ended up getting lost within the individual stories that I struggled to connect to one another.

I agree with other reviewers that the LHOTP connection is a bit oversold on the covers. Instead of them really being "behind-the-scene stories", they were more glimpses...but in retrospect, I don't think I should have expected more than this. She was quite young when she filmed LHOTP.

The chapter that resonated the most with me was her self-proclaimed "religious chapter". I actually didn't find it overly religious (not that I would have minded), but what I really appreciated about it was this idea of rebooting yourself and how you can do it at anytime and anywhere. I'm in the middle of a personal reinvention, so this chapter felt like it was speaking to me and gives me courage to continue my transformation.

All this being said, I did like it enough to be interested in going back and reading her first book. I didn't realize there was a LHOTP autobiography on the market I hadn't read yet! The struggles she refers to leads me to believe there's a real strength of character in the author, and I'm curious to read more about that.

Yay: LHOTP glimpses, a timely chapter, relatable tone
Less-than-yay: rambling chapters that I sometimes struggled to pull a message from

**Please note I received a copy of this book courtesy of the publisher (thanks!).

[Jennifer · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm a junkie for anything "Little House on the Prairie", so when I saw the cover and read the jacket, I was immediately sucked in.

As I was reading, I realized I kinda got suckered. It was more of a story about her life after the show, her rise to reporting, her family, etc. I get, from the title, that it would be mostly about her adult life. The lessons she learned from the show and working with the formidable Michael Landon, would indeed, help her through job searches and family struggles. But when you read "behind the scenes of America's favorite show", you kind of hope for a little more than a paragraph mentioning the show. For example, she starts to write about a particular scene with her nemesis, "Nancy", but then quickly switches to another topic in her now life. I actually flipped ahead a couple pages to see if she even mentions more about the scene, maybe giving a little more details, etc., but there was nothing.

I ended up reading the rest of the book the same way....skimming and flipping through pages and reading was seemed interesting. (The chapter on her pregnancies and surrogate family was just amazing BTW!)

If you want a book with real behind the scenes stories, I recommend reading Alison Arngrim's book, "Confessions of a Prairie Bitch".....one of the best LHOTP books so far!

[Jenn · Rating 2 out of 5]

About 5% of this has anything to do with Little House on the Prairie. Each chapter starts with a memory from LHOTP, and then she explains how it has impacted her life. I do love her passion for stay-at-home moms even thigh she isn't one and her and her families absolute gratitude to her surrogate.

[Melanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't sure when starting this book exactly who the author was on Little House on the Prairie. After reading I still feel the same. I wish she had just advertised the book as who she is now (a TV journalist) instead of a related to LHOTP. There was very little connection. The author seemed like a nice person but basically the bok was a series off cliches that she elaborates on a bit.

[Cindy Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Interesting! One of those books that's hard to put down

I watch Melissa on Fox News Outnumbered most everyday so I chose to read her book. It was interesting from beginning to end. Just flowed one chapter to another. I really couldn't put it down. And when the end came, I wanted to keep reading more. A wonderful book. Melissa is very honest and straightforward.

[Mh Weyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked this up at the dollar tree. I have very mixed feelings about this book. The author seems a bit out of touch with reality and at times quite crass. She has lived a very different life than me. And yet, there are some really good and valid points made. Definitely in and of the world and yet she has a faith that is not scared to be voiced in a chapter of its own.

[Bree · Rating 2 out of 5]

Notes:
Her first memoir was so good, this one is clunky chapters full of advice

[Colette Jaeger · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was not at all what I expected, but I loved everything about it. I was intrigued by the title, having been a huge Little House on the Prairie fan since I was a young girl. I have read all the LHOTP books twice (once as a YA and once about a year ago). Well, this book only refers to the show a few times, connecting the author to her work/life standards beginning at a young age. Beyond that, it's just a genuine look at adulting and being authentic, rather than faking it to be what society has you believing is right/wrong/attractive/etc.

Regardless of the slight letdown I had when I figured out this book wasn't about LHOTP at all, I was cracking up on nearly every page. The author has a genuine, conversational writing style that made it feel like we were just hanging out, sipping iced tea, and sharing life's little secrets. She is raw, candid, and real; laying it all out, telling it like it is.

There were several times when I found myself nodding, thinking, "YES!! THAT'S SO TRUE!!" One example was when she's talking about just accepting the wrinkles and not trying to hide the cellulite. An even better example was when she was discussing parenting. She said early in the book that motherhood isn't for sissies, then later, "I'm not pretending to be Superwoman. I'm not even a fan. And to be honest, I'm not sure Superwoman has very many friends," then goes on to say, "To Superwomen and wannabes everywhere, lose the cape. And if someone offers one to you, use the damn thing to clean up the next spill. Because when we constantly vow to look fabulous leaping tall buildings in a single bound, we stumble past the joy that's right in front of us, on level ground: the love, pleasure, and joy of the messy, imperfect life we already have." Seriously...who can argue with her on that?!?!

She touches on motherhood, marriage, pregnancy issues, surrogacy, Catholic school, a less-than-stellar mother figure. Her overall message is to be true, be authentic, be present in the moment, and connect with people around you. But her delivery is much more humorous and relate-able!!

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course, I enjoyed watching “Little House on the Prairie” when I was young, mostly in that I was a fan of actor Michael Landon. Melissa played Cassandra Cooper Ingalls on the “Little House on the Prairie.” Her mother dragged Melissa around for auditions and this was one show in particular her mother firmly urged Melissa to try hard to obtain. And she did. Her on-the-demand crying helped her succeed. Actor Michael Landon who was also the producer, director and writer for the show was looking for a young actress to play a girl who just watched her parents die in a horrible accident, and Melissa hit the mark.

After being cast in the popular TV show, Melissa later went for her education in finance and economics at Harvard University. After college, she wanted a career as a newscaster. When she was young and starting out, her ambition was not being taken seriously at all. She didn’t give up. She did achieve work as a journalist and newscaster for Fox News and some other stations. I am not particularly familiar with Melissa’s fame since ironically, I do not watch TV anymore, but nonetheless, I enjoyed her very positive book about her achievements and disappointments. She has three children – two boys and a girl. She writes about her son Thompson’s difficult birth. He had her youngest child, her daughter, through a surrogate.

The book was fun and easy to read, and has some nice photos too.

[Tina · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved, loved Melissa's first book, even though I have never seen one episode of Little House on the Prairie. Her honesty, her humor came through in her first book and coupled with an interesting life story, I could not put it down.

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for this one. Yes, her trademark down to earth writing style and her humor are very present, but she lost me with the "life lessons". For me, what worked best about this book are the passages where Melissa talks about her youth or when she speaks about her day to day life today - anything in between was, to me, boring.

I know the book was about Life Lessons, but I was hoping these would be minimal - which is not the case.

I think this book would please many, many readers, but it is not for me. I think I will go back and re-read her first book.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lessons from the Prairie is the second memoir penned by the actress turned Fox news reporter Melissa Francis. While the first book was riveting, keeping me reading long into the night, Lessons from the Prairie was a struggle to finish. The book is all over the place, as Melissa tries to impart her wisdom while jumping back and forth through different parts in her life. I wish that Melissa had just told her story, like she did in Diary of a Stage Mother's Daughter. Lessons from the Prairie comes off a little preachy at times, instead of the lessons that she learned from her short time with Little House. I did enjoy the small snippets from the famous show, as well as the accompanying photographs. I am hesitant to recommend Lessons from the Prairie to other readers, as this book pales in comparison to the previous memoir.

[Jim D · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a delightful , informative and inspirational book written by a woman who has succeeded in three worlds. As a former child actress she talks about her days on Little House on the Prairie with Michael Landon, and the lessons she learned on the set and from the stories. Her second career was as a Business jounalist on CNBC and Fox News. Her third world is as a mother of three children. The book blends all three in a humorous, self deprecating and moving way. Her strong faith is evident throughout, especially in the chapter "Are you there God, It's me Melissa." I cannot say enough good things about this book. Perfect easy read that will leave you smiling and thinking for a long time to come.

[Kim Kuhne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this up at the library for a "book with career advice". I grew up watching "Little House", so I was already interested in what tidbits Melissa (Missy) would write about that time of her life. I avoid Fox news, but was still interested in what she had to say about that as well.

This is a great memoir filled with real-life reminders about how to be successful in life. For a child star and national news personality, she is very grounded in reality. If she had the time, Melissa would be the PTA mom and the field trip mom and I know that she would be genuine at all times.

I hate reading biographies. I dislike reading business and self-help books. This was both of those AND filled with laugh out loud experiences that made me forget I was reading a self-help/business/biography.

[A Holland Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have grown up not only loving the Little House on the Prairie books but I also enjoyed the tv show. I have spent many an hour watching reruns. So when I got asked to review a book by one of the actresses from the show I thought sure I would love that. I did like this book even though it did not have as much about her behind the scenes of Little House as I was expecting. That part was a little disappointing to me since I have so many books about Laura Ingalls and her life. But I did not let that keep me from enjoying the book. The author's stories were sometimes funny and always well told. I also thought she did a good job of making the reader feel relateable to her in her adventures through life.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not the best book I've read-but not the worst...Mostly written for women it seems who are trying to "do it all", so as a childless, single middle-aged man, I wasn't in the target audience. I've never heard of the author, although I remember the "replacement" Laura and Nellie from Little House on the Prairie, so I guess I have seen her.

The book meanders a bit, is a little too right-wing oriented for my taste, and many of her jokes are more corny then laugh-out-loud funny. That said, there was good advice-such as to focus (like the author did in her crying routines from Little House), and to just look at your goals and not to compare yourself to others.

[The Farmer's Wife · Rating 4 out of 5]

I couldn't put this down, as corny as that sounds. I grew up in the 80s, and, yes, she's right. We all wanted to live on Little House on the Prairie. With that alone, this book was a fun behind the scenes into that. Moreover, as a memoir of a not so typical kiddo growing up in a not so typical American Family, it was quite riveting. I was actually super impressed by the author's work ethic; and, her common sense (all the more surprising when you read her somewhat horrific back story). All in all, a Good Read!

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, her acting career was interesting, her trek to Harvard University great and best of all she re-invented herself as a reporter , wife and mother to three children. I liked her honesty about her life and she is not afraid to express her opinions in this age of instant approval/dislike - not my cup of tea. I admire that trait in others. Her sister did not fare as well sadly. She is a strong person to have survived the ups and downs of public life.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is written by child actor Melissa Francis, who appeared the last 2 season on "Little House on the Prairie". She is now on Fox News. It was a fast book to read. She talks about what life lessons she learned from Michael Landon, who starred, directed, produced and wrote many episodes of "Little House", and "Highway to Heaven". She also talks about having her 3rd child by surogate, which was interesting.

[Michele Hayes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Melissa Francis got her first job when she was just a baby. At eight years old, she captured hearts with her role on Little House on the Prairie. Behind the scenes, her mom controlled the family of 4 with her passive-aggressive personality. By the time Melissa was ready for college, the money she and her sister had earned, was gone. She put herself through Harvard and married the man of her dreams. Great success story.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was frank, a little awkward, to the point and funny. I liked her other book- was drawn in by her haunting story, and so had to grab this one. Glad I did. If you want an autobiographical comparison between Melissa's life and how she applies lessons learned in life - this is a great read. You have to be an LHOP fan to get it though.

[Dawn Lajeunesse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heartwarming and Hysterical!

Who knew the same Melissa Francis who talks money and politics on Fox News and Fox Business had such a storied life, such stamina, and an absolutely gut-busting sense of humor? This is an enjoyable read, but it also holds some valuable lessons about life, setbacks, reboots and change. The chapter on aging is a must read for all women.