Any Laura Ingalls Wilder fans?

[moondog]

I visited the LIW house and museum in Missouri a few weeks ago and it was one of the most moving experiences ever. I made a detour of thousands of miles to see it.
If anyone loves her just as much as I do I wanted the chance to tell you about it so that you can savour every delicious detail.

[Arithmeticulous]

Me me!!!!

[NancyBlacket]

Tell me! I'd love to hear I'd love to visit one day...

[SheelaNeGoldGig]

Oh yes please.

[HumphreyCobbler]

please do

I would love to go there

[aJumpedUpPantryBoy]

You lucky thing, I would love to visit. I am a huge LIW fan

Please tell us all about it

[NoodieRoodie]

I'm insanely jealous, I re-read all the books for the hundreth time while I was pregnant and then again after DS was born.

[HellonHeels]

Loved those books!

[DowagersHump]

Ooh yes please - I read all the books (as well as watched the TV series) voraciously as a child/teenager although the TV was v saccharine compared to the books.

Do they stand up to adult reading?

[mankyscotslass]

Me, I love the books and DD has caught the bug from me!

[aJumpedUpPantryBoy]

DowagersHump, I think they are well worth a reread.

I loved them as a child but it was only when I read them as an adult I realised what a difficult life they had - and you have to remember she writes with a positive spin.
For example, in the books there is no mention of a brother who dies.

[NancyBlacket]

I also reread them all whilst pregnant, and still loved them. They are very positive, but I love reading about the pioneering attitude to life. Please tell us OP about your visit!

[InkleWinkle]

Please tell us! My DD1 is even called Laura!

[hermioneweasley]

Tell meeeeeeeeeee! I love those stories and have been reading them with DS. Little house in the big woods is my favourite.

[DowagersHump]

I will see if I can get them from the library or on Kindle. When I read them, the only time I was aware that their lives were a horrendous struggle was one where they had a really, really bad winter.

And here we are, worrying about swimming lessons and freddos :(

[baskingseals]

i really escaped into these books. i still remember them only being able to paddle up to their ankles in the creek, and thinking it was really mean of their mum.

i've bought them for dd, who, of course, hates them. i have tried to be grown-up about this, but think i have failed. i hadn't thought of reading them again, but might do - just don't want to spoil them.

[onedev]

I'd love to hear as well please

[IslaValargeone]

Can I ask how many books there are? We recently found one in a 2nd hand shop. My dc loved it and in a moment of weakness I bought season 1 DVD.

[Bunbaker]

Me! (hand up as far as it can go)

I am so jealous. I got a boxed set of the books for Christmas last year and am reading them to DD at the moment.

I first read them when I was about 11 and loved them and am enjoying them just as much now. It makes you realise how much we take for granted these days that they got so excited about receiving a couple of presents in their Christmas stocking and were happy with them. DD kept asking why such small things were such a big deal for them.

[HumphreyCobbler]

the books and the series bear little resemblance to each other

Pa doesn't ever cry in the books

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Ooh, tell us about it!

isla:

Little House in the Big Woods
Little House on the Prarie
On the Banks of Plum Creek
By the Shores of Silver Lake
Little Town on the Prarie
These Happy Golden Years
The First Four Years.

She also wrote about her DH's childhood in 'Farmer Boy'.

She messes about with actual events/chronology (which is occasionally heartbreaking when you find out about it later), so you can't always easily work out the order of the first three books.

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

Sorry: 'The Long Winter', which comes IIRC between Silver Lake and Little Town? Or between Town and Golden Years? Sorry, not quite sure!

[hermioneweasley]

I know - when they leave Missouri they have to go when it's cold enough that the Mississippi river to have frozen solid. In a covered wagon. Can you imagine?!

[HandMini]

Such amazing books. Me, my sisters and my mum used to read and re-read them when I was a child. And yes, bloody inspirational that they set out across unknown territory in their covered wagon...amazing. The later ones when Laura is a teenager are my faves - Little Town and THGYs. I hated the TV series.

[comixminx]

Love the books!

[LRDtheFeministDragon]

I would really like to know if the museum had any more info on the family's real life than you can find on the net - I googled loads one time (after another MN thread!) but I've still got masses of questions.