Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.09 AVERAGE
4.09 AVERAGE
I read The Long Winter many times as a child and just read it aloud to my eight year old daughter. I’ve often said it is one of the scariest books I’ve ever read. If you aren't frightened by temperatures forty below zero, constant blizzards in a town cut off from supplies for seven months straight, with only hay to burn for heat, then you are made of stronger stuff than I. When the Ingalls Family was down to their last six potatoes, with no prospects for any other food to eat, the terror was real. What really makes this book memorable is how Wilder portrays the psychological impact of the relentless conditions. The way Laura hears screams and violence in the endless blizzard winds; the images of Pa as a starving man on the edge of his sanity; the way their subsistence existence puts the entire family into a depression, unable to think clearly or distinguish one day from the next; and the ultimate blow when Pa’s hands are too cold and stiff even to play the fiddle. I can’t recommend this book enough and it is especially good for school aged children to appreciate the hardships suffered by others, in particular the American pioneers.
I don't know why I'm begining to enjoy these books more, if it's because I'm reading them with my wife, or because I'm getting to know and like the characters. Maybe it's just because my wife made rye'n'injin bread.
lighthearted
medium-paced
very long to read probably longer to live
funniest part straight up was when the native american came in and was like guys. winter will be seven months. and everyone’s like nah hes lying and guess how long winter was and also the title of the book. karma i suppose but still so funny.
funniest part straight up was when the native american came in and was like guys. winter will be seven months. and everyone’s like nah hes lying and guess how long winter was and also the title of the book. karma i suppose but still so funny.
challenging
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book was an amazing story of adaptation and endurance, and family. I loved reading it and it had my heart pounding so many times. It made me laugh out loud so many times. Such a talented writer!!
It was a little strange to read this book about a series of blizzards while in a heat wave in San Diego, but such is life. I did like this book, though I felt it could have benefited from being shorter-it was a bit dull and redundant.
I did like that the perspective switched between the Wilder boys (Almanzo specifically) and the Ingalls family, instead of entirely the Ingalls family. This was a fun read, but not my favorite in the series.
I did like that the perspective switched between the Wilder boys (Almanzo specifically) and the Ingalls family, instead of entirely the Ingalls family. This was a fun read, but not my favorite in the series.
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
I've read this book many times. The most recent date is after I read it on Kindle for the first time. It's always been my favorite in the series. The reason I like it so much is that it shows how pioneers survived under extreme conditions, and how people and towns sacrificed for each other. It also describes Christmas as it should be: few gifts but lots of love and thankfulness. And the gifts they gave were given from self sacrifice and received with great appreciation. It wasn't about how much money you could spend. We have lost something in the age of technology and prosperity. This book reminds me of that.
EDIT 7/7/20: My most recent reading of The Long Winter was an audiobook. Here is my review.
This is my favorite Laura Ingalls Wilder book. It tells of the Ingalls struggles through a difficult winter where storms continued to hit and trains couldn’t get through. It captures the ingenuity and fortitude of the pioneers as they struggle to find food and heat their homes with blizzards raging outside and no supplies coming in.
The narration by Cherry Jones is great. What I love about this performance is when the Ingalls are singing songs, the narrator actually sings them. And when Pa is playing the fiddle, there is real fiddle music.
This is not just a beloved children’s series. It is American history, and a must read for anyone curious as to how the pioneers survived.
EDIT 7/7/20: My most recent reading of The Long Winter was an audiobook. Here is my review.
This is my favorite Laura Ingalls Wilder book. It tells of the Ingalls struggles through a difficult winter where storms continued to hit and trains couldn’t get through. It captures the ingenuity and fortitude of the pioneers as they struggle to find food and heat their homes with blizzards raging outside and no supplies coming in.
The narration by Cherry Jones is great. What I love about this performance is when the Ingalls are singing songs, the narrator actually sings them. And when Pa is playing the fiddle, there is real fiddle music.
This is not just a beloved children’s series. It is American history, and a must read for anyone curious as to how the pioneers survived.
I have really enjoyed reading a winter book during the winter. I enjoy the little house books and find them simple and soothing.