Many of us have watched and loved “Little House on the Prairie” on television. Melissa Gilbert literally grew up before our eyes on that show, acting the role of Laura Ingalls. What is unfortunate, though, is that not everyone has had the chance to read the series that was the foundation for the show.
Laura Ingalls Wilder was not just a television character; she was a real person who wrote down the experiences of her childhood. From growing up in the Big Woods to marrying Almanzo Wilder, she tells us what it was like to be a pioneer, to move from place to place, to live in an underground house and then finally to build a cabin, raise livestock, make clothes and butter from scratch, and the simplicity of the frontier way of life. Each book tells of another era in Laura’s life, her school days and the harsh winters they had to endure, down to the parties she went to and what she got for Christmas. Each memory is told with the excitement she felt at the time it was really happening, and for a while in my childhood, I felt such a connection to Laura, I wouldn’t have been surprised to find out that I was Laura in a former life.
One book in the series is called “Farmer Boy,” and is Almanzo’s story. He grew up raising horses in a different part of the country, and his experiences vary quite a bit from Laura’s. His mother cooked fabulous meals that are described in detail, and I still remember the sentence that described the bell-shaped sleeves she wore that were so wide, she had to turn sideways to get through the dining room door.
While the TV series was wonderful and I loved it, it couldn’t even compare to the intimacy and family-like feeling you find in the books. The romance between Laura and Almanzo was sweet and tender; I didn’t care for the way it was portrayed on the show. The books tell more about the relationship between Laura and Mary, how Laura felt about her parents, and the wonder she felt at moving to a new place. There are just some things that you can’t transmit as well through a TV show.
The next time you’re in the mood for a really good quality, uplifting read, pick up the Little House on the Prairie series.
(These books were first published in 1932.)
