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A review by beckethm
Rose Wilder Lane: Her Story by Roger Lea MacBride, Rose Wilder Lane
Despite the claims made on the book's jacket, [b:Rose Wilder Lane: Her Story|559053|Rose Wilder Lane Her story|Rose Wilder Lane|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1373913600s/559053.jpg|546226], is not autobiography, nor was it compiled from RWL's letters and diaries. It is, rather, a thinly edited reissue of her 1919 novel [b: Diverging Roads|1773891|Diverging Roads|Rose Wilder Lane|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1348319645s/1773891.jpg|2271808] with a few names changed.
Since Diverging Roads was at least partly drawn from Lane's life, one might forgive Roger MacBride, her adopted grandson and literary executor, for attempting to pass off this update as autobiography, had he not changed the ending and thereby altered the whole meaning of the story. Her Story ends with, though MacBride notes in an epilogue that in real life, Lane did no such thing. Neither did the heroine of her original novel. MacBride's revision leaves out several wonderful passages concerning the value of female friendship and the difficult choices women faced if they wanted to have a career in the early 20th century. Lane chose to live an adventurous and unconventional life. Her story ought to reflect that.
If you really want to know what Rose Wilder Lane thought about life and love and marriage, skip this sanitized fairy tale and find a copy of Diverging Roads.
Since Diverging Roads was at least partly drawn from Lane's life, one might forgive Roger MacBride, her adopted grandson and literary executor, for attempting to pass off this update as autobiography, had he not changed the ending and thereby altered the whole meaning of the story. Her Story ends with
Spoiler
Lane giving up her career for marriageIf you really want to know what Rose Wilder Lane thought about life and love and marriage, skip this sanitized fairy tale and find a copy of Diverging Roads.