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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
This is, without a doubt, my favorite book of the entire Little House series that I have read. The story we all been waiting for is starting when she fell in love and the circle starts again.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I never read this final book from the original series until I was probably in Jr. High. The descriptions of Laura first teaching job are unreal.
This book is bittersweet. It's sweet for many of the same reasons that the previous books are sweet and heart-warming, but it's also bitter because more than any of the other books, [b:These Happy Golden Years|77770|These Happy Golden Years (Little House, #8)|Laura Ingalls Wilder|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389579632s/77770.jpg|4132] shows Laura's transition from childhood to adulthood and married life. It's also technically the last book in the series (if you don't count [b:The First Four Years|8296|The First Four Years (Little House, #9)|Laura Ingalls Wilder|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1266449687s/8296.jpg|11181] - which I can understand, because I vaguely remember that that book was very depressing and like a slap in the face compared to [b:These Happy Golden Years|77770|These Happy Golden Years (Little House, #8)|Laura Ingalls Wilder|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1389579632s/77770.jpg|4132] and every book before it).
Ah, this book was sweet!
Laura & Almonzo are adorable together. I didn’t appreciate their romance much all the times I read this growing up, but now, I find it sweet. And Laura… she’s become such a strong, persevering young woman.
Returning to the story as an adult gave me a greater appreciation & love for it!
“It was hard to stay where she [Laura] was not wanted. She took care to make no work for Mrs. Brewster, and to help her all she could. Politely she said, ‘Good morning,’ and smiled, but she could not keep on smiling. She had not know before that it takes two to make a smile.”
Laura & Almonzo are adorable together. I didn’t appreciate their romance much all the times I read this growing up, but now, I find it sweet. And Laura… she’s become such a strong, persevering young woman.
Returning to the story as an adult gave me a greater appreciation & love for it!
“It was hard to stay where she [Laura] was not wanted. She took care to make no work for Mrs. Brewster, and to help her all she could. Politely she said, ‘Good morning,’ and smiled, but she could not keep on smiling. She had not know before that it takes two to make a smile.”
Read this aloud to my child and we sped thru it! We thought this was the second best of the series, with Farmer Boy being our favorite.
Re-reading this childhood favorite to take a break was the perfect decision. I love watching Laura and Almanzo's courtship unfold through weekly rides and stilted conversation. Definitely worth the re-read!
I have to say I was a bit disappointed with this installment of Little House. It felt quite repetitive and difficult to get through in parts. It covers about three years of Laura's life, from the time she is 15 until the time she is 18. It focuses primarily on the courtship of Laura and Almanzo. I was initially excited for this, but I found that there was zero chemistry at all between them. Laura has little to no interest in him romantically in the beginning, but he gradually wears her down by picking her up on the weekends from her dreadful teaching position, giving her gifts and sleigh rides and carriage rides. There aren't very many other prospects, to be fair to Laura, but he is also a decade older than she. Even her mother worries that Laura is only courting him because she enjoys the horses and the rides. Laura tells her sister Mary that they just seem to belong together. She says nothing about love. Almanzo seems smitten with her, but she is altogether indifferent. I felt bad for him, honestly.
There were also some questionable decisions made, like spending $100 on an organ that Mary could only play once a year on visits home.
That aside, this was a 'just fine' read. I'll get to the last one, after I have some distance from this one.
There were also some questionable decisions made, like spending $100 on an organ that Mary could only play once a year on visits home.
That aside, this was a 'just fine' read. I'll get to the last one, after I have some distance from this one.
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced