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The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes that Inspired the Little House Books
A must-read companion to the Little House books
2017 is the 150th anniversary of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s birthday. Her beloved Little House series tells a classic coming-of-age story based on Wilder’s own family life and is a reflection of the pioneer spirit of the time. They are also deeply rooted in the natural world. The plants, animals, and landscapes are so integral to the stories, they are practically their own characters.
The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder, by New York Times bestselling author Marta McDowell, explores Wilder’s deep relationship to the landscape. Follow the wagon trail of the series, starting in the Wisconsin setting of Little House in the Big Woods to the Dakotas and finally to Missouri. Throughout, you’ll learn details about Wilder’s life and inspirations, discover how to visit the real places today, and even learn to grow the plants and vegetables featured in the stories.
The artful package includes original illustrations by Helen Sewell and Garth Williams, along with historical and contemporary photographs. The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder is a must-have treasure for the millions of readers enchanted by Laura’s wild and beautiful life.
2017 is the 150th anniversary of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s birthday. Her beloved Little House series tells a classic coming-of-age story based on Wilder’s own family life and is a reflection of the pioneer spirit of the time. They are also deeply rooted in the natural world. The plants, animals, and landscapes are so integral to the stories, they are practically their own characters.
The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder, by New York Times bestselling author Marta McDowell, explores Wilder’s deep relationship to the landscape. Follow the wagon trail of the series, starting in the Wisconsin setting of Little House in the Big Woods to the Dakotas and finally to Missouri. Throughout, you’ll learn details about Wilder’s life and inspirations, discover how to visit the real places today, and even learn to grow the plants and vegetables featured in the stories.
The artful package includes original illustrations by Helen Sewell and Garth Williams, along with historical and contemporary photographs. The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder is a must-have treasure for the millions of readers enchanted by Laura’s wild and beautiful life.
390 pages, Hardcover
First published September 20, 2017
426 people are currently reading
3094 people want to read
About the author
Marta McDowell
16 books232 followersI live, garden and write in Chatham, New Jersey where I share my garden with my husband, Kirke, assorted wildlife and approximately 10,000 honey bees. You will often find me at the New York Botanical Garden, where I teach landscape history and gardening courses. My new book, All the Presidents' Gardens, is coming out from Timber Press in October 2016. (I'm excited!) When I'm not gardening I like to read and knit and cook and eat, though not all at the same time.
My husband, Kirke, summarizes my biography as “I am therefore I dig.”
My husband, Kirke, summarizes my biography as “I am therefore I dig.”
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 244 reviews
September 16, 2017
Great cover on this one. Obviously it is a fantstic representation of the subject matter. It has great composition and graphics use as well.
This book was supremely cool! I am a HUGE fan of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE. I grew up reading the books and watching the TV show. I am pretty sure I have seen the repeats so often I could give you the dialogue from whole episodes verbatim. *lol* So I knew the minute I saw this one available for review that it was meant to be mine.
This book was stuffed full of cool information. Drawings, photos, newspaper clippings, and maps. Information about their life back in the day (food, clothing, weather, games, etc.). Personal photos of the Ingalls. Sometimes this type of book can make for dry reading, but the way it was written with the Little House tie-in kept it charming and fresh. It would make the perfect gift for any fan of the books or TV show.
September 2, 2017
This is a really cool book for those who are interested not only in the stories of the Little House in the Prairie, but also in the lifestyle of the day. There are tons of pictures, maps, even botanical drawings of the plants that grow in various places the Ingallses have lived in. You will also find pictures of the actual Ingalls sisters, Laura's husband Almanzo, as well as other members of the family. Aside from that though, it includes a lot of detail about life back then, in all its facets - foods, plants, weather and even pests, clothing, games and entertainment. It's even got a list of plants the Wilders grew so you could grow your own Wilders' garden! For any history, pioneer or just plain old Little House fan, this book has the right stuff.
February 1, 2021
Well, with regard to her 2017 The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes that Inspired the Little House Books, author Marta McDowell definitely does very much practice what her book title promises. For yes, there certainly is textually very much a major and often even all encompassing focus on landscape, on plants, on 19th century agricultural techniques present in The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes that Inspired the Little House Books and generally to such an extent that plants, that how the countryside looks, that farming practices and methods often do indeed seem to be of much more narrational and thematic importance than people, namely that while the Ingalls, the Wilder and the Quiner families (among others) are of course often mentioned by Marta McDowell, they do seem to play rather second fiddle to issues and attitudes concerning landscape, concerning various both natural and planted vegetation types, and yes indeed that farming techniques are often or at least tend often to be described more prominently and with more of an attention to detail than what for example the Ingalls family thinks about agriculture, what their emotional attitudes towards farming and landscape are (not really an issue for me, as yes, from the book title, I kind of was already expecting such a focus, but if you are in fact approaching The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes that Inspired the Little House Books with an expectation of a totally people oriented biography or a literary analysis of Laura Ingalls Wilder as a writer, you might well be a bit disappointed, even though for me, Marta McDowell’s plant, nature and agriculture based textual approach is exactly what I was expecting and what I was hoping to find within the pages of The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes that Inspired the Little House Books).
Now generally speaking and for me, The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes that Inspired the Little House Books has definitely been a four star reading experience with regard to Marta McDowell’s delightfully breezy yet always informative writing style as well as to how she has thematically organised and presented her featured information. But sadly, I still and nevertheless do have to lower my rating to a high three stars, since I honestly do tend to think that it is both lacking and quite frustratingly problematic that the conflicts between European based settlers and Native Americans are only (in my opinion) very cursively mentioned in The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes that Inspired the Little House Books and that Marta McDowell also does not really ever seem to consider that Native Americans had ample reasons to mistrust settlers and were often approached with unacceptable nastiness and bigotry.
Now generally speaking and for me, The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes that Inspired the Little House Books has definitely been a four star reading experience with regard to Marta McDowell’s delightfully breezy yet always informative writing style as well as to how she has thematically organised and presented her featured information. But sadly, I still and nevertheless do have to lower my rating to a high three stars, since I honestly do tend to think that it is both lacking and quite frustratingly problematic that the conflicts between European based settlers and Native Americans are only (in my opinion) very cursively mentioned in The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes that Inspired the Little House Books and that Marta McDowell also does not really ever seem to consider that Native Americans had ample reasons to mistrust settlers and were often approached with unacceptable nastiness and bigotry.
January 5, 2018
This year Laura Ingalls Wilder would be celebrating her 150th birthday, and this book shows just what the world she lived in was like.
We get a taste of just about everything here, from what the landscape looked like, what her gardens were like, and even a few cherished photos.
Not only do we see what life was like and about what it looked like for a young Laura, we do the same for Amanzo in this farm up by the St Lawrence River in New York.
Come and get lost in Laura’s world, I loved this look into what inspired the Little House Books, and all we have come to love about this wonderful author.
I received this book through Library Thing, and was not required to give a positive review.
We get a taste of just about everything here, from what the landscape looked like, what her gardens were like, and even a few cherished photos.
Not only do we see what life was like and about what it looked like for a young Laura, we do the same for Amanzo in this farm up by the St Lawrence River in New York.
Come and get lost in Laura’s world, I loved this look into what inspired the Little House Books, and all we have come to love about this wonderful author.
I received this book through Library Thing, and was not required to give a positive review.
May 23, 2017
I was a lucky giveaway winner of "The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Marta McDowell writes and interesting take on Laura Ingalls Wilder. She maps out all the place Laura lived and writes of what the land was like there. What kind of things they planted, what the weather could be like. She shared pictures of what farming tools etc they may have used. When possible, she even showed actual pictures of Laura, Almanzo, Rose and a couple of the rest of her family. There is even a gardening section called Growing a Wilder Garden. kind of a fun book if you read any of Laura Ingalls Wilder books. I found this to be a very informative book to learn more about the places Laura Ingalls Wilder lived.
October 23, 2017
ok this is kind of on me because I just saw "The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder" on the new books list and requested it because I loved those books and she's my problematic fave, but then when the book came in I was like "oh it's like.....literally the world?" Like literally Marta McDowell combed through all the books and found all the plants she mentioned and it's about those plants.
It's...an impressive work....of plants...but I don't like....care that much about plants, so I kind of heavy-skimmed this. There are a lot of great photos and illustrations, and it was kind of interesting?
Also the author seemed way hype about the ~sustainable lifestyle~ of the pioneers and made like, 1 throwaway mention of Native Americans, sooooo...not great. Last year's Annotated Pioneer Girl was much better about that I think.
Pick it up IF YOU LOVE PLANTS. Or if you're doing some kind of school project about plants.
Plants.
It's...an impressive work....of plants...but I don't like....care that much about plants, so I kind of heavy-skimmed this. There are a lot of great photos and illustrations, and it was kind of interesting?
Also the author seemed way hype about the ~sustainable lifestyle~ of the pioneers and made like, 1 throwaway mention of Native Americans, sooooo...not great. Last year's Annotated Pioneer Girl was much better about that I think.
Pick it up IF YOU LOVE PLANTS. Or if you're doing some kind of school project about plants.
Plants.
April 15, 2017
I grew up on Laura Ingalls Wilder. I was a Minnesota gal! My favorite teacher shared two wonderful book series with us. The Box Car Children and all things Laura Ingalls Wilder!
I fell in love with the pioneering spirit of these wonderful books. The trials, the joy, sadness and heartache that all was apart of their lives.
As an adult, I returned to Minnesota and we visited Burr Oak, in Iowa which was not far from my Minnesota border town home. Now I've shared my love of these books with my daughter and also my granddaughter.
These books are so special to me and I was so thrilled to see this commemorative book on behalf of Laura's 150th birthday.
The book is beautiful and does a real loving memory to this wonderful author and pioneering woman. Her illustrations and art work are just amazing and the text brought a few tears to my eyes as I remembered the stories and the details of the lives of these people who became a part of my growing up years. Such a beautiful book, the kind you want to leave on your coffee table for all to browse through.
And as a genealogist, I loved looking at the plat maps, seeing where they lived throughout their lives. I never really realized how often they started over, although I knew that there were several homes.
This book is truly a reminder of the many happy childhood memories this author shared with me and many others who have loved and treasured her books. So happy to have had a chance to see this wonderful tribute to Laura Ingalls Wilder.
I received an e-book version of this book from NetGalley for my honest review, which I have given. All thoughts are my own.
I fell in love with the pioneering spirit of these wonderful books. The trials, the joy, sadness and heartache that all was apart of their lives.
As an adult, I returned to Minnesota and we visited Burr Oak, in Iowa which was not far from my Minnesota border town home. Now I've shared my love of these books with my daughter and also my granddaughter.
These books are so special to me and I was so thrilled to see this commemorative book on behalf of Laura's 150th birthday.
The book is beautiful and does a real loving memory to this wonderful author and pioneering woman. Her illustrations and art work are just amazing and the text brought a few tears to my eyes as I remembered the stories and the details of the lives of these people who became a part of my growing up years. Such a beautiful book, the kind you want to leave on your coffee table for all to browse through.
And as a genealogist, I loved looking at the plat maps, seeing where they lived throughout their lives. I never really realized how often they started over, although I knew that there were several homes.
This book is truly a reminder of the many happy childhood memories this author shared with me and many others who have loved and treasured her books. So happy to have had a chance to see this wonderful tribute to Laura Ingalls Wilder.
I received an e-book version of this book from NetGalley for my honest review, which I have given. All thoughts are my own.
April 8, 2018
**I received an advanced reader’s copy through NetGalley of this book in exchange for an honest review**
McDowell explores Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life through the flora and fauna found in the Little House books and at the homes and prairies of Wilder and her family. Along the way, McDowell offers historical notes about flora varietals and nineteenth and early twentieth century trends in agriculture. Vibrant illustrations and drawings appear throughout the text.
Before reading this book, I never thought about the landscapes and foliage Wilder writes about in the Little House books. It always seemed secondary to me, as a young reader who had more interest in a young Laura learning life lessons in a time period not my own. Now, I want to read the Little House books again, only to capture these pieces of information. I am not an outdoorsy person by any stretch of the imagination, but McDowell’s writing makes me want to stand in the prairie fields or in the Ozarks and just breathe in the scenery. I absolutely loved the photographic contributions to this book – it really made the writing come to life.
This is perfect for fans of the Little House books, or those who enjoy reading about historic landscapes or historic agriculture, or even those who have a sense of adventure. McDowell concludes the book with a list of places to visit for Wilder fans, as well as a list of all the foliage and vegetation mentioned in the books or that could be found at a Wilder landmark.
McDowell explores Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life through the flora and fauna found in the Little House books and at the homes and prairies of Wilder and her family. Along the way, McDowell offers historical notes about flora varietals and nineteenth and early twentieth century trends in agriculture. Vibrant illustrations and drawings appear throughout the text.
Before reading this book, I never thought about the landscapes and foliage Wilder writes about in the Little House books. It always seemed secondary to me, as a young reader who had more interest in a young Laura learning life lessons in a time period not my own. Now, I want to read the Little House books again, only to capture these pieces of information. I am not an outdoorsy person by any stretch of the imagination, but McDowell’s writing makes me want to stand in the prairie fields or in the Ozarks and just breathe in the scenery. I absolutely loved the photographic contributions to this book – it really made the writing come to life.
This is perfect for fans of the Little House books, or those who enjoy reading about historic landscapes or historic agriculture, or even those who have a sense of adventure. McDowell concludes the book with a list of places to visit for Wilder fans, as well as a list of all the foliage and vegetation mentioned in the books or that could be found at a Wilder landmark.
April 24, 2017
2017 is the 150th Birthday of Laura Ingalls Wilder and there are a profusion of blogs, posts, and books out or forthcoming. The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder is part of the trend. It's a nice book full of descriptions of the flora, fauna, and terrain of the regions Wilder resided. One of the aspects I liked the best was the author's interspersed vignettes of her own family's garden, flowers, and produce harvests. I found the charts listing all the plants grown at Rocky Ridge derived from Rose Wilder Lane's journals, diaries, family letters, and other sources one of the most original aspects. However, as far as any new revelations, the author shares the same information found in the bibliography of Wilder's life and works. The ARC I read from NetGalley had a page for photo credits, but it was blank. The author used many photos that need to be credited, so I hope the published version includes that.
January 2, 2023
Like many women in America, I grew up reading all of Wilder's "Little House" books. For my 10th birthday my mother made me a prairie dress and bonnet so I could pretend that I was Laura Ingalls, living on the prairie and struggling through the many hardships that she experienced with her family. Growing up in Southern California, I wasn't familiar with the places where the Ingalls family lived, but learned a bit about geography and plants through her books.
This book serves as an adult fix for me to learn more about Laura, where she lived, and her local resources. I am amazed at all of the hardships she had to go through, including long blizzards, drought, locust plagues, and more. This book puts a lot of these events in a historical and geographical context.
After reading this book, I am ready to jump into my car and visit each of the locations where the family lived. It has renewed my fascination with this incredible woman!
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
This book serves as an adult fix for me to learn more about Laura, where she lived, and her local resources. I am amazed at all of the hardships she had to go through, including long blizzards, drought, locust plagues, and more. This book puts a lot of these events in a historical and geographical context.
After reading this book, I am ready to jump into my car and visit each of the locations where the family lived. It has renewed my fascination with this incredible woman!
Thanks to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
June 6, 2017
This book gives an in-depth look into the background of the Little House stories and the lives of the Ingalls/ Wilder families, with a focus on the agricultural details touched on in the books.
I found this a fascinating read, as it meticulously follows the timeline of Laura and Almanzo Wilder's lives, including maps of their travels, townships and homesteads over the years. The author has done a lot of research, weaving together parts of the fiction series and Laura's biography, Pioneer Girl, with anecdotes of her own that add color to the story. Beautiful botanical drawings, photographs and other vintage prints throughout make this a quality book to leave out on the coffee table. It would be a nice addition to any library, especially if someone has an interest in history and rural living.
Recommend!
(An e-book was provided by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.)
I found this a fascinating read, as it meticulously follows the timeline of Laura and Almanzo Wilder's lives, including maps of their travels, townships and homesteads over the years. The author has done a lot of research, weaving together parts of the fiction series and Laura's biography, Pioneer Girl, with anecdotes of her own that add color to the story. Beautiful botanical drawings, photographs and other vintage prints throughout make this a quality book to leave out on the coffee table. It would be a nice addition to any library, especially if someone has an interest in history and rural living.
Recommend!
(An e-book was provided by NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.)
Read
November 18, 2017I wasn't able to finish this as my review copy expired while traveling. It wasn't available on my Kindle, so I read it on Adobe Digital Editions. I have difficulty with that software. It just doesn't flow as well as using my Kindle. My laptop has too many distractions and it doesn't go camping with me. Hopefully, I'll get this book out at the library and I can finish it then. I enjoyed the illustrations that I think would be better viewed in print. So, in fairness, I'm not rating the book until I'm able to read it in full.
October 4, 2017
A wonderfully evocative and informative account of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life and work, and her travels across America. Beautifully illustrated, reading it was such a joy. A must-read for anyone who loved – or indeed loves - the Little House on the Prairie books, but also for anyone interested in the history of the times and places Wilder knew so well.
October 3, 2017
Well, I did write it... But please post your comments, I'm super interested in reader reaction.
April 2, 2018
a cute book that depicts Laura's life with gorgeous pics of the wildflowers and parts of the prairie life did get bored at the end though
June 22, 2017
I received this book through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers Program.
This book is a fascinating work of scholarship that focuses on a unique angle of Laura Ingalls Wilder's life: that of the flora and fauna described in her books and other personal writing. She had a wonderful knack for describing settings, making them come to life through her words, and this book takes that further by adding historical context and fantastically detailed descriptions and photographs.
McDowell goes through each Little House book and expands on Laura's descriptions, and fills in some blanks as well, such as going to places like Burr Oak, Iowa, which was not included in the fictionalized accounts. The book-by-book breakdown is thoroughly enjoyable, but the back of the book contains another treasure trove of information: a sort of tour guide of what you will find when you visit each of Laura's home sites today, and a detailed table of all plants mentioned across Laura's writing with full citations. Seriously, that alone is a jaw-dropping piece of work. The book will even tell you where to order vintage seeds so you can grow many of the plants yourself.
If you love the Little House books and want a different insight into that period of history in the upper Midwest, this book should be on your shelf. I also highly recommend this to any writers working in that area and period. I certainly will be keeping this on my shelf for future reference.
This book is a fascinating work of scholarship that focuses on a unique angle of Laura Ingalls Wilder's life: that of the flora and fauna described in her books and other personal writing. She had a wonderful knack for describing settings, making them come to life through her words, and this book takes that further by adding historical context and fantastically detailed descriptions and photographs.
McDowell goes through each Little House book and expands on Laura's descriptions, and fills in some blanks as well, such as going to places like Burr Oak, Iowa, which was not included in the fictionalized accounts. The book-by-book breakdown is thoroughly enjoyable, but the back of the book contains another treasure trove of information: a sort of tour guide of what you will find when you visit each of Laura's home sites today, and a detailed table of all plants mentioned across Laura's writing with full citations. Seriously, that alone is a jaw-dropping piece of work. The book will even tell you where to order vintage seeds so you can grow many of the plants yourself.
If you love the Little House books and want a different insight into that period of history in the upper Midwest, this book should be on your shelf. I also highly recommend this to any writers working in that area and period. I certainly will be keeping this on my shelf for future reference.
July 13, 2021
An interesting book following Laura Ingle's Wilder from her home in Wisconsin her home in Wisconsin to her home in Mansfield Missouri and talking about the nature and the different talking about the nature and the different foods and farming techniques
February 17, 2018
Lovely! I really loved this botany tour through the Ingalls books. I was glad to see pokeweed featured (I was educated in pokeweed by my neighbor as I have some growing wild in my front yard) and was so charmed by ground cherry, I immediately ordered some seeds from Seed Saver, and later McDowell even mentions Seed Saver and I thought damn, if you could "win" at this book, Tamsen, you did it.
September 17, 2025
I really enjoyed the peek into the more realistic life of Laura and her family. It did sadden me that the Prarie has lost much of the flowers it used to have. what must it have been like to view it back in that day.
January 30, 2024
LOVED!! This admittedly is super dry per se, but it is my kind of thing!
December 29, 2018
This is a fantastic book, over which I have few issues (though they’re enough to make me drop a rating).
I had no clue what to expect when going into this. I’m the kind of person who adds anything that says “Laura Ingalls Wilder” and/or “Little House,” and then think about any possible consequences later. So I was surprised to see that this is a series of biology lessons steeped in Laura’s journey. Botany, phenology, and geology play key roles in McDowell’s book on common features of Laura’s life. Too, geography is present both due to provided maps as well as history lessons.
I am not a fan of biologically-based sciences, and I don’t tend to enjoy social studies, but McDowell pares things down that work well for me and keep me interested. It’s just cool to learn that Mason jars were first patented in the 1850s, y’know?!
The pictures, maps, illustrations, and other visuals provide a homely feel, a different format to a “Little House” book, and a deeper glimpse into Laura’s life.
The book as a whole guarantee a different perspective that links Little House (+) to reality, particularly beyond that of other books (like Prairie Fires) that solely look at the content in a historical context.
The book is broken into two parts: Life on the Land (a chronological look at Laura’s life) and Wilder Gardens. The latter is a mini [botanical] tour of where both Almanzo and Laura lived. The former includes:
~ Interjections by McDowell on her own experiences that mirror Laura’s, which make the book more meaningful.
~ Sad reminders as to how much was lost due to logging and farming
~ The fact that Malone, NY in 1890 looks very progressive for its time.
~ Great reminders as to how much was done without modern technology
~ The fact that the “Great Plains” was once a shallow sea. For the first time in my life, I want to look into how such arid nature translates to other similar areas in the world. Not that I will, but I’m actually curious; and I’m never curious about geological eras.
~ The amount of gardening Rose did (which I didn’t realize before now).
My Issues with the Book:
- None of the information is formally cited, so although all the sources of the outside information are provided at the end, it is difficult to link a lot of the info to the proper source.
- There are random grammatical errors, including missing words (namely ‘the,’ ‘a,’ and ‘and’). There was also a time when one paragraph ended with the word “Unless.” IMO, there should be three dots at the end. So, while it’s evident McDowell’s strengths lie in nonfiction [biological?] writing, her editor should have cleaned things up a bit better.
I had no clue what to expect when going into this. I’m the kind of person who adds anything that says “Laura Ingalls Wilder” and/or “Little House,” and then think about any possible consequences later. So I was surprised to see that this is a series of biology lessons steeped in Laura’s journey. Botany, phenology, and geology play key roles in McDowell’s book on common features of Laura’s life. Too, geography is present both due to provided maps as well as history lessons.
I am not a fan of biologically-based sciences, and I don’t tend to enjoy social studies, but McDowell pares things down that work well for me and keep me interested. It’s just cool to learn that Mason jars were first patented in the 1850s, y’know?!
The pictures, maps, illustrations, and other visuals provide a homely feel, a different format to a “Little House” book, and a deeper glimpse into Laura’s life.
The book as a whole guarantee a different perspective that links Little House (+) to reality, particularly beyond that of other books (like Prairie Fires) that solely look at the content in a historical context.
The book is broken into two parts: Life on the Land (a chronological look at Laura’s life) and Wilder Gardens. The latter is a mini [botanical] tour of where both Almanzo and Laura lived. The former includes:
~ Interjections by McDowell on her own experiences that mirror Laura’s, which make the book more meaningful.
~ Sad reminders as to how much was lost due to logging and farming
~ The fact that Malone, NY in 1890 looks very progressive for its time.
~ Great reminders as to how much was done without modern technology
~ The fact that the “Great Plains” was once a shallow sea. For the first time in my life, I want to look into how such arid nature translates to other similar areas in the world. Not that I will, but I’m actually curious; and I’m never curious about geological eras.
~ The amount of gardening Rose did (which I didn’t realize before now).
My Issues with the Book:
- None of the information is formally cited, so although all the sources of the outside information are provided at the end, it is difficult to link a lot of the info to the proper source.
- There are random grammatical errors, including missing words (namely ‘the,’ ‘a,’ and ‘and’). There was also a time when one paragraph ended with the word “Unless.” IMO, there should be three dots at the end. So, while it’s evident McDowell’s strengths lie in nonfiction [biological?] writing, her editor should have cleaned things up a bit better.
May 21, 2017
The story follows Laura Ingalls Wilder’s stays in Wisconsin, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, and Missouri. The book is not a retelling of Wilder’s life, but a botanical journey of the areas she lived. Maps, pictures of the landscape, and numerous garden plant illustrations accompany text describing living conditions, cultural and social relevance for Wilder and family. An extensive list of the plants that Laura grew and knew includes the common name, botanical name, work the plant is reference in and whether the plant is grown at the Rocky Ridge Farm. There is also a list of recommended readings along with sources and citations. The book is an excellent addition to libraries for fans of Wilder and biologists.
I received this book through Net Galley. Although encouraged as a courtesy to provide feedback to the publisher, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
I received this book through Net Galley. Although encouraged as a courtesy to provide feedback to the publisher, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
February 9, 2018
This book would have been more interesting if I were more into botany. I did learn a few things I didn't know about some fruit we had on our old farm when I was a kid. The book was very well written and the pictures and texture of the pages were great! Not a whole lot about the Ingalls family though. The illustrations in this book were phenomenal and drawn in such a way that it was very easy to tell what each picture was of.
Since my parents were raised near Malone, NY...it was interesting to read about the produce is grown and how it was harvested at Almanzo Wilder's childhood home in Malone. It did make me want to take a trip to the Adirondacks to the museum that's up there (and I could visit family that still live there!). :)
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what type of fauna grew in the places where Laura and Almanzo put down roots. :)
Since my parents were raised near Malone, NY...it was interesting to read about the produce is grown and how it was harvested at Almanzo Wilder's childhood home in Malone. It did make me want to take a trip to the Adirondacks to the museum that's up there (and I could visit family that still live there!). :)
I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know what type of fauna grew in the places where Laura and Almanzo put down roots. :)
March 9, 2018
This is a beautiful book with a lot of wonderful prairie photos and botanical illustrations. It's a little difficult to say what it's really about, though.. I mean, it *is* about the World Of Laura Ingalls Wilder. So it's kind of a mix of primary source documents about her real life, a LOT of information about the geography and flora/fauna of the places she lived, as well as some personal anecdotes from the author about her own travels (maybe not really necessary to include but don't ask me I'm not a publisher I guess?)
I did enjoy seeing some photos of Laura later in life and hearing about her extensive travels with her grown daughter. Probably only for really intense fans though, if you're not super into plants or gardening or the history of the midwest this might not be the book for you.
I did enjoy seeing some photos of Laura later in life and hearing about her extensive travels with her grown daughter. Probably only for really intense fans though, if you're not super into plants or gardening or the history of the midwest this might not be the book for you.
September 23, 2017
I enjoyed this book, but it was definitely a slow read for me. I would pick it up and read one chapter about the next place that Laura moved with her family and then put it down for a while again. I really appreciated the combination of illustrations from the books, photos, and plant illustrations. It has a lot of interesting information about the animals and plants in each of the places where they lived, but the focus was definitely on the different plants in each place. It would be a perfect complement to pair with reading the series in order to get a better idea of what the plant life was like when Laura's family experienced each landscape.
*I received an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.
*I received an electronic copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.
July 14, 2018
For me, this book was kind of boring and dragged on forever. However, that is the opinion of someone who doesn't particularly enjoy being outside in nature and has almost no interest in farming/gardening. People who like that stuff or want to eventually start growing their own food would probably really enjoy reading this. Also, I've always liked the Little House on the Prairie television show, but could never really get into the books. So if you liked the books, you'll probably get more out of this one than I did.
October 25, 2018
I enjoyed this but wish I’d read a hard copy instead of on ebook to be better able to enjoy the pictures, drawings, maps, and sundry items. It won’t be for everyone as it is filled with info about plants and ecosystems. As a fan of all of Laura Ingall Wilder’s children’s books I found this information interesting. Maybe, one day, I’ll be able to visit some of the museums and homes mentioned.
June 9, 2018
I have read the Little House books several times and always appreciated Wilder's descriptions of her surroundings (no doubt enhanced by being her sister's "eyes" for so many years), but had never really paid attention to the detail of her botanical knowledge and descriptions. The prairie and forest lands she describes are absolutely vivid in color and variety, and McDowell's book brings those plants and flowers to life not only with illustrations and photos but with descriptions of how each plant was incorporated into the ecosystem. I hadn't really thought about how the richness of plant-life mattered so much to those pioneer prairie days but I appreciate McDowell's research into not only the Wilder's history but how love of land and beauty brought so much meaning to their lives.
As she described the area around Plum Creek, for example, I remembered visiting that location as a child during one of my family's many road trips. I don't remember what it looked like in detail (other than the slight disappointment when I learned that the dugout had long since collapsed and there is only a plaque there now to commemorate the location) but I do remember walking down to the creek bed and the grasses along its edge, and perhaps the bridge to walk across and the spring that flowed into it....although that might be my own imagination filling in from similar locations that I've visited over the years. I do remember the sense of realizing that these were real people (even if I only read of their fictional counterparts in the series) and this was real life "back in the day."
It's sad to know that so much of these vast lands are gone, lost to industry and "progress," although it's nice that through books and historical sites that we can revisit those early days and history.
If nothing else, descriptions of Laura's gardens, canning and daily kneading of bread show me just how many modern conveniences I take for granted every day! God bless my water heater, flushing toilet, and washing machine!
As she described the area around Plum Creek, for example, I remembered visiting that location as a child during one of my family's many road trips. I don't remember what it looked like in detail (other than the slight disappointment when I learned that the dugout had long since collapsed and there is only a plaque there now to commemorate the location) but I do remember walking down to the creek bed and the grasses along its edge, and perhaps the bridge to walk across and the spring that flowed into it....although that might be my own imagination filling in from similar locations that I've visited over the years. I do remember the sense of realizing that these were real people (even if I only read of their fictional counterparts in the series) and this was real life "back in the day."
It's sad to know that so much of these vast lands are gone, lost to industry and "progress," although it's nice that through books and historical sites that we can revisit those early days and history.
If nothing else, descriptions of Laura's gardens, canning and daily kneading of bread show me just how many modern conveniences I take for granted every day! God bless my water heater, flushing toilet, and washing machine!
May 29, 2017
The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes that Inspired the Little House Books by Marta McDowell is a charming book filled with old-fashioned images that include wood cut prints and botanical drawings. Interspersed in her book our the stories of the Ingall's family's travels from the east to the west and the states they lived in. The Ingall's story often mirrored my husband's family's story as his family moved from the east to Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and later the Dakota Territory much like the Ingall's family. Reading this book truly does tell about the history of the American pioneers who moved westward in search of a better life.
McDowell has included a treasure trove of plant and gardening information throughout her book. She teaches about some of the old-fashioned plants not often found in modern times. She also tells about plants still enjoyed today by many Midwesterners. The chokecherry is a good example of a plant used by modern cooks today to make chokecherry jam or syrup.
Recommend.
Review written after downloading a galley from Net Galley.
McDowell has included a treasure trove of plant and gardening information throughout her book. She teaches about some of the old-fashioned plants not often found in modern times. She also tells about plants still enjoyed today by many Midwesterners. The chokecherry is a good example of a plant used by modern cooks today to make chokecherry jam or syrup.
Recommend.
Review written after downloading a galley from Net Galley.
September 7, 2017
I remember reading and adoring the whole “Little House” series of books as a child. If you enjoyed those books, too, or are a lover of nature and gardening then you are sure to delight in this new book by Marta McDowell. In it she takes the reader on a tour of the midwest and great plains starting with the birth of Laura Ingalls in a little log cabin in the woods of Wisconsin and ending at Rocky Ridge Farm in Missouri where Laura Ingalls Wilder passed away in early 1957. Along the way she paints an enchanting picture of all the flora that Laura and her family found surrounding their many homesteads. It tells the story of the Ingalls and Wilder families and of Rose, the only child of Laura and Almanzo, It also tells the story of the westward settlement of America and what it looked like before it developed into what we know today. Extremely well researched and immensely readable, the book contains many photographs, maps, illustrations and advertisements that add so much to the story. I also enjoyed the author’s personal anecdotes. Should the reader decide to travel the Laura Ingalls Wilder trail, the author also gives lots of ideas for interesting things and places to see along the way. There is a large appendix at the back of the book that among other things details the plants that Laura grew and recommendations for further reading.
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