Reviews for Laura: The Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder

The average rating for Laura: The Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder based on 2 reviews is 4.5 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-05-30 00:00:00 Nick Niles I've decided that I want to become a Laura expert, so this was my foray into a voluntary autobiographical study. My college lit professors would be so proud! I must admit that at first, I could not stay awake while reading this book, but please don't let that stop you from reading it. It wasn't boring, exactly; I would call it soothing. And I was really tired. I absolutely loved the new things I learned. I'll try to limit myself to listing just a few. I learned that Laura's age was drastically changed in the Little House books. She was actually only about two-years-old when the family moved to Indian territory and therefore couldn't have remembered the events of "Little House on the Prairie." The family then moved back to the big woods until she was about four. Zochert also gives details about the family's life in Burr Oak, Iowa, a sad chapter of Laura's life that she chose to leave out of the books. The second half of the biography follows the Little House books more closely, so I don't know if Laura was more autobiographical in these books or if Zochert found less research to add to this section. I was touched by his descriptions of Laura and Almanzo's romance and teared up at the mention of Pa's death. Mostly, I was impressed with the way Zochert was able to portray Laura. He paints a picture of a quiet, strong, independent, self-assured girl who grew into a faithful, intelligent, loving woman. She is definitely someone I try to emulate. Here are a few of Laura's quotes that I want to remember: "We who live in quiet places have the opportunity to become acquainted with ourselves, to think our own thoughts and live our own lives in a way that is not possible for those who are keeping up with the crowd." "I have never lost my childhood's delight in going after cows." "The voices of nature do not speak so plainly to us as we grow older, but I think it is because, in our busy lives, we neglect her until we grow out of sympathy. Our ears and eyes grow dull and beauties are lost to us that we should still enjoy." "Life was not intended to be simply a round of work, no matter how interesting and important that work may be. A moment's pause to watch the glory of a sunrise or a sunset is soul-satisfying, while a bird's song will set the steps to music all day long." "The true way to live is to enjoy every moment as it passes and surely it is in the everyday things around us that the beauty of life lies." "Running through all the stories, like a golden thread, is the same thought of the values of life. They were courage, self-reliance, independence, integrity, and helpfulness. Cheerfulness and humor were handmaids to courage."

Review # 2 was written on 2009-08-16 00:00:00 Ralph Baker This is a must-read for anyone who's read the Little House books. Especially if you--like I did for many years--accept the LIW/RWL versions of events as gospel truth. Much of the Little House books were tweaked to make a 'better story'; author Zochert has done the legwork to track down the mundane truth of matters and set the record straight with regard to How Things Really Were. Some examples: 'Nellie Oleson' was actually a composite character, combining the attributes of 2-3 different little girls in different towns. 'Pa' wasn't necessarily the dashing adventurer, but rather a man with terrible luck at business and one who couldn't hold down a job so he forced his family into repeatedly packing up stakes and moving. I don't mean to give the impression that this is a sensationalist book. It isn't at all. But it is very useful on several levels. Not only does it tell a less rose-coloured version of events, it also is useful to students of folklore. In reading both the populist versions authored by Laura and Rose and then the dry accounts of same uncovered by Zochert one can see the threads of myth's origin in the truth.