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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
The Little House books take me to years long past: the 1870s, the 1880s ... and the 1990s, when I was a child. I don't remember the first time I read them, but I know that the last time is far, far in the future. There was so much I found to relate to, admire, and attach to my own coming-of-age journey, and whenever I reread them, those sensations come back. No other series captured so well for me the warmth of home, the wonder of Christmas, the allure of the unknown, homesickness and jealousy and determination and the jitters of first love. And, the setting was utterly enthralling: Blizzards that bury houses! Not another soul for miles and miles! And who needs Barbie's DreamHouse when you can watch Pa build a house from scratch?
And yet, it's problematic. Even if Ma didn't talk about how much she hated Indians and there wasn't that minstrel show where Pa wore blackface, it would still be a very one-sided look at 19th-century America. A very endearing story, to be sure, but one where the white men generally got what they wanted, the women made the best of things such as they could, and Native Americans were pushed out and away.
Though this series is a rosy-colored look at history, and at Laura's own life, I can't help coming back to it every so often. The descriptions of place are vivid and captivating, whether she's describing the Big Woods of Wisconsin, the Kansas prairie, or a tiny settlement that becomes a thriving town in South Dakota.
I also really enjoy how the characters — and the writing — become more complex as the series progresses. The stakes come into clearer focus too, especially in "The Long Winter." Even though it's written for younger readers, you feel the cold and the hunger and the desperation, and you know how perilously close they come to starving to death.
This final book covers the biggest span of time, taking Laura from age 15 to 18, and primarily telling the story of her courtship with Almanzo Wilder. I love those moments, in this book and its predecessor, when she's noticing his notice of her, and wondering what it means, and trying to figure out how she should act and what she should say — let alone how she feels. And then, as they fall into a routine of sleigh rides and buggy rides that can leave no one in doubt about his intentions, less is said overtly about Laura's feelings. One could say their relationship progresses "gradually and then suddenly." I missed those insights into Laura's mind, and could've done with more romance ... but maybe that was an intentional decision, a choice by the author to keep her most precious feelings private. We'll never know.
As I finished the book, I felt the sadness I usually feel when saying goodbye-for-now to beloved characters, and the bittersweet feeling of growing up, as Laura leaves the home she's always known and loved for her new life with her new husband. It's the end of an era, but life goes on.
And yet, it's problematic. Even if Ma didn't talk about how much she hated Indians and there wasn't that minstrel show where Pa wore blackface, it would still be a very one-sided look at 19th-century America. A very endearing story, to be sure, but one where the white men generally got what they wanted, the women made the best of things such as they could, and Native Americans were pushed out and away.
Though this series is a rosy-colored look at history, and at Laura's own life, I can't help coming back to it every so often. The descriptions of place are vivid and captivating, whether she's describing the Big Woods of Wisconsin, the Kansas prairie, or a tiny settlement that becomes a thriving town in South Dakota.
I also really enjoy how the characters — and the writing — become more complex as the series progresses. The stakes come into clearer focus too, especially in "The Long Winter." Even though it's written for younger readers, you feel the cold and the hunger and the desperation, and you know how perilously close they come to starving to death.
This final book covers the biggest span of time, taking Laura from age 15 to 18, and primarily telling the story of her courtship with Almanzo Wilder. I love those moments, in this book and its predecessor, when she's noticing his notice of her, and wondering what it means, and trying to figure out how she should act and what she should say — let alone how she feels. And then, as they fall into a routine of sleigh rides and buggy rides that can leave no one in doubt about his intentions, less is said overtly about Laura's feelings. One could say their relationship progresses "gradually and then suddenly." I missed those insights into Laura's mind, and could've done with more romance ... but maybe that was an intentional decision, a choice by the author to keep her most precious feelings private. We'll never know.
As I finished the book, I felt the sadness I usually feel when saying goodbye-for-now to beloved characters, and the bittersweet feeling of growing up, as Laura leaves the home she's always known and loved for her new life with her new husband. It's the end of an era, but life goes on.
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
This book made me cry, but I loved everything about it. So happy she got married and so sad because she not with her family anymore. I’m really upset that it was the second to last book in the series. But overall I loved it.
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes