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I Remember Laura: Laura Ingalls Wilder
A scrapbook collection by the editor of Little House in the Ozarks features stories, letters, interviews, and recollections of Laura Ingalls Wilder in her youth and adult years, and includes rare photos and Ma's famous pickle recipe.
274 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1994
8 people are currently reading
1614 people want to read
About the author
Stephen W. Hines
22 books26 followersSTEPHEN HINES is a recognized authority on Laura Ingalls Wilder and has authored several best-selling volumes on her life, including Little House in the Ozarks. He grew up in the midwest in an area where Wilder once lived. Hines was the founding Director of Communications for the Tennessee Department of Children's Services and has held several editorial positions in magazine, newspaper, and book publishing. The author is a contributor to awww.littlehouseontheprairie.com. He lives with his wife, Gwen, in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews
April 18, 2022
Published in the 1990s by an older, somewhat conservative man, this book contains random reminisces about Laura and Almazo, Rose and life on the prairie and in the Ozark mountains long ago. Unfortunately by the time anyone thought to interview Laura's friends and neighbors, most of them had passed on or were elderly. The recollections from Mansfield are scarce because Laura and Almanzo were elderly and lived way out in the country. They didn't drive and kept to themselves. There are some great memories from boys who worked for Laura at the end of her life and the few women she was close to. Everyone else keeps saying "If I had known...." The stories from DeSmet are more interesting. I had read recently that the stories about lonely, desperate women being dragged across the plains simply weren't true but here we have a story about a girl who grew up in DeSmet, South Dakota just after the long winter. Her mother had what the writers I read as a girl called "prairie sickness", a form of depression caused by isolation and loneliness.
The book also contains recipes from Caroline "Ma" Ingalls and other ladies she and Laura knew. Laura's writings for the Missouri Ruralist and the Athenian Club are included as well. Some of her writing, especially during WWI, sounds a little too deeply conservative for today's women. She wondered who was doing the women's work while the women were doing men's work while the men were away. A neighbor felt Laura was coming around to the idea of women working outside the home later in life though. There's some emphasis on Rose as well and the editor tries to include memories that portray her in a positive light. Apparently Rose's most difficult years were the 1930s when she was collaborating with her mother and also experiencing untreated depression. Rose still sounds like someone I would not like to be friends with though and caution to modern readers- a comment in her essay about pioneer women is a veiled racist statement. It doesn't mean she should be cancelled, it just shows she was from a different time and place with a different understanding of the world.
The editor includes an FAQ at the end of all the questions he had left. This was before Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography was published and some of his questions are answered in that book.
I recommend this to die-hard Laura Ingalls Wilder fans, before reading Pioneer Girl.
The book also contains recipes from Caroline "Ma" Ingalls and other ladies she and Laura knew. Laura's writings for the Missouri Ruralist and the Athenian Club are included as well. Some of her writing, especially during WWI, sounds a little too deeply conservative for today's women. She wondered who was doing the women's work while the women were doing men's work while the men were away. A neighbor felt Laura was coming around to the idea of women working outside the home later in life though. There's some emphasis on Rose as well and the editor tries to include memories that portray her in a positive light. Apparently Rose's most difficult years were the 1930s when she was collaborating with her mother and also experiencing untreated depression. Rose still sounds like someone I would not like to be friends with though and caution to modern readers- a comment in her essay about pioneer women is a veiled racist statement. It doesn't mean she should be cancelled, it just shows she was from a different time and place with a different understanding of the world.
The editor includes an FAQ at the end of all the questions he had left. This was before Pioneer Girl: The Annotated Autobiography was published and some of his questions are answered in that book.
I recommend this to die-hard Laura Ingalls Wilder fans, before reading Pioneer Girl.
Read
January 30, 2010Oh, Laura. Growing up the Little House Books were some of my favorites, and I still reread them often. For years The Long Winter came with me on every trip, car or plane.
I enjoyed all of the memories people shared and it gave me a sense of what she was like in her later years. I most enjoyed the chapter on several enduring Ingalls/Wilder family mysteries.
When I got to the end and read the obituary printed in the Mansfield paper, I nearly started bawling. As irrational as it is, I think, to me, she is perennially alive in her books, which made reading the obits difficult. Long live Laura!
I enjoyed all of the memories people shared and it gave me a sense of what she was like in her later years. I most enjoyed the chapter on several enduring Ingalls/Wilder family mysteries.
When I got to the end and read the obituary printed in the Mansfield paper, I nearly started bawling. As irrational as it is, I think, to me, she is perennially alive in her books, which made reading the obits difficult. Long live Laura!
April 10, 2017
I was pretty disappointed in this one, honestly. There were interviews with a handful of people that knew Laura and/or Rose personally, and some (not all) of them contained some interesting tidbits, but a lot of the material was newspaper clippings rehashing over and over the same litany of facts that most LIW fans already know anyway, or writings of Laura's that are available elsewhere. The editor's commentary also got kind of annoying at times; he seems to have a very specific image of Laura that he wants to portray, and that makes me question the objectivity of his editorial decisions. This is not to say that I was looking for some kind of gossipy, scandal-ridden tell-all — that would be ludicrous. But LIW is already lionized and mythologized enough; I'm more interested in seeing her as a real human being with actual foibles and flaws, and some of his comments make me doubt that this editor would be willing to present her as such.
January 23, 2016
This biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder is informative but due to the organizational style the author chose several sections are repetitive.
Many of us have enjoyed the original books by Mrs. Wilder about her childhood but even more of us know of her life from the 1970's series written, directed and starred in by Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert and others. Since Mr. Landon took liberties with the original text much of what we know will be corrected by reading this text.
One impressive point emphasized in the text was that although Laura and her sisters each wrote as young girls, Mrs. Wilder did not begin writing her books until she was 65. In reality she hadn't planned to write more than one book but eventually published a series of 8.
Many of us have enjoyed the original books by Mrs. Wilder about her childhood but even more of us know of her life from the 1970's series written, directed and starred in by Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert and others. Since Mr. Landon took liberties with the original text much of what we know will be corrected by reading this text.
One impressive point emphasized in the text was that although Laura and her sisters each wrote as young girls, Mrs. Wilder did not begin writing her books until she was 65. In reality she hadn't planned to write more than one book but eventually published a series of 8.
November 7, 2016
This author also published a collection of Laura's early farm columns.This book came about after searching for evidence of oral histories about Mrs. Wilder following her death in 1957. He did not find any histories recorded. Mr. Hines decided to collect what remained of the collective memory of Laura from the small towns of her adult life. He also collected information about her husband and daughter. He collected a few other writings to add to the mix. It is described as a patchwork quilt and it has that feel.
February 19, 2018
Really enjoyed this book. It's just what Hines describes it as in the introduction, a "bouquet" of Laura Ingalls Wilder stuff. While I understand that there will be discrepancies in people's memories and experiences after all the time and everyone would have had their own experiences and impressions of Laura, I would have appreciated if Hines would have addressed some of the discrepancies and attempted to find out the truth or add context- this is the only thing missing from the book.
April 9, 2012
This book was filled with interesting little known facts. I enjoyed learning more about Rose and chuckled when I found out that Almanzo was only 5 foot 4. This would be a good start for a report about life during those times. Great for those who wanted to know more about her life. This one is wonderful to read with your children.
April 26, 2010
Very interesting and entertaining look at the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder as an adult, mostly in her senior years after writing her books. I learned a lot about the intriguing woman and very much enjoyed the book.
April 16, 2012
It was interesting reading about the recollections of Laura Ingalls Wilder from her peers, friends, newspaper articles, etc. I loved her books and the TV series, and this gave me a different side of her.
July 19, 2011
It was definitely a great read but I found it dragged in some places. It was definitely a disappointment if your looking for the woman you loved through the Little House tv series but it's an excellent account of the real life Laura Ingalls Wilder.
November 21, 2015
I recently re-read this book because of Pioneer Girl and I noticed that Ma's maiden was spelled Quinter and found it very odd that this was not corrected. After all this time and I just realized this misspelling.
October 31, 2016
This was a fascinating book to read. Had a lot of fun and interesting facts about LIW that I had never read before. There were letters, anecdotes, and cute stories from some of Laura and Almanzo’s neighbors and friends in Mansfield, Mo. A book all LIW fan’s should have in their collections.
October 2, 2008
I am really enjoying this book despite the disorganized way the material is presented.
Read
September 10, 2009J92Wil
August 17, 2012
Another excellent book on the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder. A must read for the true fan.
Read
August 6, 2013My love of Laura continues, although this book wasn't what I was expecting.
September 13, 2015
Mostly a collection of scraps of interviews and documentation, a good call for die-hard Little House fans (though perhaps not the ones who *like* the 'extended' ones.
January 21, 2016
Wonderful book. A must have if you are a Wilder fan.
March 4, 2016
Lots of remembrances of Laura as a grown woman known by her friends and neighbors.
Read
April 2, 2017Found this displayed in the library for Women's History Month. I love reading anything about Laura Ingalls Wilder.
January 2, 2023
I enjoyed the insight into Laura Ingalls Wilder in this collection of writings. I was looking for a more comprehensive biography and found this book at our local library. Newspaper columns written by and about Wilder and her daughter Rose and memories from neighbors and townspeople provide a picture of a self-sufficient woman who, through the notoriety of her writer daughter who also wrote about the pioneering life, understood her childhood stories might be of interest to readers. She probably didn't know how popular she would become, especially after the television series inspired by her books.
My husband and I visited the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri, when we were on a cross-country roadtrip in November, 2022. (East Meets West -- ME2AK) Wilder wrote the Little House series here and published her first Little House book when she was 65 years old. What an inspiration for an aspiring writer!
The recollections were written with a noticeable timestamp of language and ideals of the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. Wilder wrote about the role of women during World War I. "Who'll Do the Women's Work?" asked important questions about the role of women in the workplace after World War I.
"It makes our hearts thrill and our heads rise proudly to think that women were found capable and eager to do such important work in the crisis of war-time days. I think that never again will anyone have the courage to say that women could not run world affiars if necessary. Also, it is true that when men or women have advanced they do not go back. History does not retrace its steps." (April 5, 1919)
Conversely, Wilder was remembered for less worldly ideas. At the dedication of the Mansfield Public Library named after her, she was lauded not only for the books she wrote but for her poultry raising, needlework, and gingerbread baking skills. Friends and neighbors shared their memories and admitted how they would have gotten to know her better if they knew how famous she would become.
Although not a comprehensive biography, "I Remember Laura" paints a few of the layers to give us a picture of Wilder's adult years in Mansfield. Published in 1994, a complete biography did not exist at the time, and the author specifically addressed the need for one in the section, "Unsolved Mysteries." In 2017, Caroline Fraser wrote Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder (2017.) I have yet to read Prairie Fire. I thought I would find it at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum Gift Shop. I like to get books from the library or used book stores, so I will keep an eye out for it, espeially now that my curiosity is piqued.b
An unanswered question I have about the Little House books is how they reconcile with the truth of U.S. history and how native Americans were expelled from the land that the Ingalls family homesteaded. Did Wilder or the representatives of her legacy ever acknowledge that for the Ingalls to pioneer and homestead, the U.S. government forced the native people of the land to move or be killed?
In the final piece in the book, "Laura Ingalls WIlder: Our Special Lady" Debbie Von Behren wrote that Wilder's books taught, "old-fashioned values or respect, truthfulness, honest labor, family pride, and love for our fellow man."
We can't hold the young Laura Ingalls Wilder responsible for the conditions of the United States during her childhood. But it would be nice to know that someone telling her story -- and her story is still being told -- include the truth of what happened on the land before the Ingalls arrived on the prairie. What conditions allowed Laura Ingalls Wilder to grow up on the prairie? Who lived there before her, and where did they go?
My husband and I visited the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri, when we were on a cross-country roadtrip in November, 2022. (East Meets West -- ME2AK) Wilder wrote the Little House series here and published her first Little House book when she was 65 years old. What an inspiration for an aspiring writer!
The recollections were written with a noticeable timestamp of language and ideals of the 30s, 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. Wilder wrote about the role of women during World War I. "Who'll Do the Women's Work?" asked important questions about the role of women in the workplace after World War I.
"It makes our hearts thrill and our heads rise proudly to think that women were found capable and eager to do such important work in the crisis of war-time days. I think that never again will anyone have the courage to say that women could not run world affiars if necessary. Also, it is true that when men or women have advanced they do not go back. History does not retrace its steps." (April 5, 1919)
Conversely, Wilder was remembered for less worldly ideas. At the dedication of the Mansfield Public Library named after her, she was lauded not only for the books she wrote but for her poultry raising, needlework, and gingerbread baking skills. Friends and neighbors shared their memories and admitted how they would have gotten to know her better if they knew how famous she would become.
Although not a comprehensive biography, "I Remember Laura" paints a few of the layers to give us a picture of Wilder's adult years in Mansfield. Published in 1994, a complete biography did not exist at the time, and the author specifically addressed the need for one in the section, "Unsolved Mysteries." In 2017, Caroline Fraser wrote Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder (2017.) I have yet to read Prairie Fire. I thought I would find it at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum Gift Shop. I like to get books from the library or used book stores, so I will keep an eye out for it, espeially now that my curiosity is piqued.b
An unanswered question I have about the Little House books is how they reconcile with the truth of U.S. history and how native Americans were expelled from the land that the Ingalls family homesteaded. Did Wilder or the representatives of her legacy ever acknowledge that for the Ingalls to pioneer and homestead, the U.S. government forced the native people of the land to move or be killed?
In the final piece in the book, "Laura Ingalls WIlder: Our Special Lady" Debbie Von Behren wrote that Wilder's books taught, "old-fashioned values or respect, truthfulness, honest labor, family pride, and love for our fellow man."
We can't hold the young Laura Ingalls Wilder responsible for the conditions of the United States during her childhood. But it would be nice to know that someone telling her story -- and her story is still being told -- include the truth of what happened on the land before the Ingalls arrived on the prairie. What conditions allowed Laura Ingalls Wilder to grow up on the prairie? Who lived there before her, and where did they go?
August 25, 2022
This collection seeks to shed life on best selling author Laura Ingalls Wilder. Through newspaper articles, memoirs of those that new her, interviews, recipes, and more, this book helps further illuminate the life of the author who first brought attention and fame to her own life through her beloved series Little House On the Prairie.
The author clearly spent considerable time collecting and seeking out remembrances of Laura, including reaching out to those living who might have memories of her, including family, friends, and relatives. The book is neatly organized into chapters by subject matter and each section includes a note from the author to provide context and background. Although I have read the full series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, books by her daughter, her autobiography, and other books, I do still think this book can stand on its own even if you have read no other texts. Any reader could browse through this collection for a deeper understanding of the author and her life.
The sections I enjoyed the most included the personal memoirs of a close childhood friend, Neva Whaley Harding. Her descriptions of how difficult life was on the homestead and how detrimental it proved for her mother's mental health gave a greater perspective and respect for the Ingalls family. I also loved the interview summaries the author included from former neighbors and friends, who mostly knew Laura as an older woman. She is consistently presented as quiet, ladylike, friendly and a down to earth presence. The inclusion of recipes from people who knew Laura likewise gave a unique perspective on typical meals of the time period. I liked that the author evidently attempted to fix each dish and included notes about how they turned out and suggested alterations.
This book does not attempt to be and should not be mistaken for a true biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder but a sort of memory book to accompany a biography and her best selling books. I was surprised there is no index or references included. Although the author attributes each piece to the original publisher or author throughout the pieces, it did seem surprisingly not to have a formal list of sources included.
The author clearly spent considerable time collecting and seeking out remembrances of Laura, including reaching out to those living who might have memories of her, including family, friends, and relatives. The book is neatly organized into chapters by subject matter and each section includes a note from the author to provide context and background. Although I have read the full series by Laura Ingalls Wilder, books by her daughter, her autobiography, and other books, I do still think this book can stand on its own even if you have read no other texts. Any reader could browse through this collection for a deeper understanding of the author and her life.
The sections I enjoyed the most included the personal memoirs of a close childhood friend, Neva Whaley Harding. Her descriptions of how difficult life was on the homestead and how detrimental it proved for her mother's mental health gave a greater perspective and respect for the Ingalls family. I also loved the interview summaries the author included from former neighbors and friends, who mostly knew Laura as an older woman. She is consistently presented as quiet, ladylike, friendly and a down to earth presence. The inclusion of recipes from people who knew Laura likewise gave a unique perspective on typical meals of the time period. I liked that the author evidently attempted to fix each dish and included notes about how they turned out and suggested alterations.
This book does not attempt to be and should not be mistaken for a true biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder but a sort of memory book to accompany a biography and her best selling books. I was surprised there is no index or references included. Although the author attributes each piece to the original publisher or author throughout the pieces, it did seem surprisingly not to have a formal list of sources included.
March 26, 2024
A great companion for anyone who wants to dive deeper into the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the prairie world she brought to life through her “Little House on the Prairie” book series.
This book has biographical info and some of Laura’s additional writing, articles and pictures from her time, interviews with people who knew her and her family. It also has some cool old timey recipes. The book itself is printed on lovely cream-colored, speckled paper with browned edges for that old-fashioned feel.
This book has biographical info and some of Laura’s additional writing, articles and pictures from her time, interviews with people who knew her and her family. It also has some cool old timey recipes. The book itself is printed on lovely cream-colored, speckled paper with browned edges for that old-fashioned feel.
May 23, 2024
Love me some Laura Ingalls Wilder... but author Stephen Hines? Not so much. While the book offers several interesting accounts that expand on Laura's life and women of her background, the book comes across as a rushed attempt to cash in on Laura's legacy, following Hines' earlier work. Old boy couldn't even be bothered to correctly spell Caroline Ingalls' maiden name. Two stars all day.
December 16, 2024
For (mostly) women of a certain age, there's a hardcore fan base that will love this book. And I did enjoy reading nuggets about her life. But the book also came across to me as a bit "too little, too late." Most of the anecdotes were of her later life. If only someone had thought of writing this book sooner, when there were still people around who remembered Laura as a child or young adult.
September 26, 2023
Some interesting articles by and/or about Laura Ingalls Wilder & her family, including husband Manly & daughter Rose. This includes memories of neighbors in Mansfield MO, foster children of Rose, & neighborhood boys who helped on the farm.
January 25, 2019
This is a somewhat interesting collection of primary sources of research. It’s not particularly well-written or organized. The recipes earned it a bonus star.
July 2, 2024
It was interesting to read about others' impressions and memories of Laura but this book had a lot of information I also found boring.
January 16, 2025
I wonder what my neighbors would say about me
November 29, 2025
Excellent information on the life of Laura ingalls Wilder
Displaying 1 - 30 of 31 reviews