Any Laura Ingalls Wilder fans?

I've got a biography of Laura, I need to go and read it now. I love these books, I'm going to start reading them to my DD

mooncup - I know what you mean, but in a way I don't mind it. I can understand her not wanting to talk about her baby brother dying, for instance. I didn't understand why she says Mary goes blind from scarlet fever if it was really measles, though.

But on the authorship thing, though, I quite like the idea of two women collaborating on a book, when I don't think of it in sneery terms about 'ghostwriting' which you often see.

Also loved them. I have LHITBW waiting for DD. (It's a pity, though, that the paperback version available now seems a bit stiff to handle compared to the ones I had). In the meantime I bought her a couple of the "picture book" versions (Summertime in the Big Woods, Winter Days in the Big Woods) and they're very good.

redrubyshoes - an interesting point about the differences in outlook between Laura and her mother. That may be why I hadn't remembered the books as particularly anti-Indian - I was looking through Laura's eyes rather than her mother's.

I thought Rose was a libertarian rather than a communist, though?

The books I have are West From Home and On The Way Home

One is Laura's diary about the trip to Missouri and the other is letters she wrote to Almanzo.

I love them too. Started with Little House in the Big Woods when I was five so really grew up with Laura.

I have always been a bit disappointed when I've read about the real facts behind the stories, though - various liberties with the truth and the whole controversy about whether Laura or Rose was the primary author.

Looking at the timescale Pa died in 1902 but Ma didn't die until 1924. That's a long time to fall out with no reconcilliation

I'd be really interested, ruby. I guess you can see that about Ma, she is always very racist about 'Indians' whereas some bits with Laura would make you cringe now, but basically you can tell she doesn't agree with her mother's views.

me too - massive fan!

I will try to find the article I read about the feud between Laura and her mother.

The long and the short of it was her mother was a devoutly religious woman who was also deeply xenophobic and Laura and particurlary her daughter Rose were open minded and embraced all cultures.

Rose veered towards communism and was planning to live in Albania shortly before she died.

I've got a biography of LIW on the Kindle, I might reread it tonight to see if there is any mention of what happened between Laura and Ma

I used to LOVE these books. Need to get some in for DD when she's older!

I am rather upset at the thought that Laura fell out with her mother

I agree LRD, there was a lovely relationship there between Laura and Pa.

Right, I've tried google about the argument between Laura and Ma, and no joy ... come on, I am burning to know, does anyone else know?

I did always love the way she wrote about her relationship with her father, I thought that was lovely, especially the way she managed to put it across clearly that she wasn't very happy with her mother making her be 'ladylike' and her father would have loved a son - but still it doesn't come across as resentful or bitter on either side, just the reason why they had a strong bond.

I often wondered if there was a genetic defect in the mother's family line. Caroline and Charles had a son who died in infancy, Caroline had a brother who died in infancy and Laura had a son who died in infancy as did Rose - her daughter had a son who lived for a few months.

All the girls survived.

This thread has made me want to re-read them!! I've always remembered the snow candy! Right, off to Amazon!!

Me! Recently reread all the books to dcs, and they were spellbound. I then bought all the books about Rose, the biography of Laura, book about all the Laura houses, and "The Wilder Life" by Wendy McClure, in which she visits all the Laura sites, even the dug-out at Plum Creek. (Wow, I do sound a bit obsessed. It's worn off again now though!)

One of my fondest childhood memories is buying the first book in the series in a bookshop while on a camping holiday, aged about 7. Then when I'd finished that one, my dad got the next book out of the suitcase. And when I'd finished that one, he got out the next one... It took me about 3 books to work out that he'd bought the entire series for me! I spent the whole summer buried in them. Happy happy times :)

Oh my! I read all the books as a teenager and love, love, loved them. I would love to visit the museum. MUST re-read....!

That's it LRD!

Loved the books as a child - never read them though, no idea where my copies have gone :(

Spill, would love to hear what it was like!

I'd love to hear as well.

I must find the later books, I know I've read some but not all. I loved the idea of him playing the violin and singing as they went to sleep

I'm a fan too, would love to hear!

Gosh, didn't realise there were so many.Thanks LRD.

I've read that too manky. Really sad.