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A review by michellewatson
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
4.0
There’s a lot of beauty in this plain-Jane classic, but I found myself wishing for more in the way of character and plot. Nevertheless, I feel like I could earn a few Girl Scout survival badges with the pioneer know-how that’s recorded here.
The novel chronicles how the Ingalls family moved from the Big Woods to the prairie, detailing a lot of the daily duties and how-tos of bygone days. How to build a log cabin. How to build a door, hearth, and roof for the cabin. How to dig a well, plant a garden, and care for animals. I feel a little superficial admitting that this didn’t “do it” for me. I wished for more.
My wish list for this book? A more varied cast and a deeper arc for Laura. A plot with more character-driven conflict, showing more nuanced relationships between family members. However, I realize this is a simple tale for kids, and I’m coming to this for the first time in my late thirties!
Having aired my grievances, I did appreciate the beautiful descriptions of the natural world, the suspense of certain threats, and the warm, cozy family feel.
Ma is my hero. I would never have been capable of such courage and self-restraint.
The treatment of Native Americans in this book is mixed but, I’m sure, can provide a lot of good talking points if you’re reading this with kids. Just help them discern the correct attitudes vs. the prejudiced attitudes vs. the mixed ones.
The novel chronicles how the Ingalls family moved from the Big Woods to the prairie, detailing a lot of the daily duties and how-tos of bygone days. How to build a log cabin. How to build a door, hearth, and roof for the cabin. How to dig a well, plant a garden, and care for animals. I feel a little superficial admitting that this didn’t “do it” for me. I wished for more.
My wish list for this book? A more varied cast and a deeper arc for Laura. A plot with more character-driven conflict, showing more nuanced relationships between family members. However, I realize this is a simple tale for kids, and I’m coming to this for the first time in my late thirties!
Having aired my grievances, I did appreciate the beautiful descriptions of the natural world, the suspense of certain threats, and the warm, cozy family feel.
Ma is my hero. I would never have been capable of such courage and self-restraint.
The treatment of Native Americans in this book is mixed but, I’m sure, can provide a lot of good talking points if you’re reading this with kids. Just help them discern the correct attitudes vs. the prejudiced attitudes vs. the mixed ones.