Non-fiction Audiobook Review: The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder

-

The life story of the author of the "Little House" books.

Title: The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes That Inspired The Little House Books
Author: Marta McDowell, read by Donna Postel
Publication Info: Tantor Audio 2018. 6 1/4 hours. Original hardback 2017 by Timber Press, 390 pages
Source: Library

Publisher's Blurb:
The universal appeal of Laura Ingalls Wilder springs from a life lived in partnership with the land, on farms she and her family settled across the Northeast and Midwest. In this revealing exploration of Wilder's deep connection with the natural world, Marta McDowell follows the wagon trail of the beloved Little House series. You'll learn details about Wilder's life and inspirations, pinpoint the Ingalls and Wilder homestead claims on authentic archival maps, and learn to grow the plants and vegetables featured in the series. Excerpts from Wilder's books, letters, and diaries bring to light her profound appreciation for the landscapes at the heart of her world.

My Review:
The first thing I think I need to say is that, based on the description of the print book, doing this as an audio book might have been a mistake. It was good listening--but missing out on the photos, maps, and other visuals is a shame. I may have to rectify that.

This is both a fun book for fans of the "Little House" books, and a good antidote to some of the misconceptions those books created, not only about Laura's life (they are, after all, works of fiction that are based on her life, not works of biography) but also about the places and conditions of her pioneer childhood. Most of all, the book creates a picture of each place, and the different flora and fauna Laura encountered in each of her many homes. 

The book also fills in some of the history on both sides of the books, as it were--her parents' stories, as well as Laura and Almanzo's adult life, and that of their daughter. Rose Wilder Lane was a writer before her mother, and in their lifetimes, was far the more famous (I think I need to find some of her books and read them).

My Recommendation:
If you are a fan of Wilder's books, this is an excellent companion to the series and a way to gain a more adult understanding of her life. I couldn't follow the lists and instructions about plants and places to visit with which the book concludes, but they might be fun additions to any trip to or through any of the many places she called home. Nothing in the book is unsuitable for children who want to learn more, though it is not written for children.


FTC Disclosure: I borrowed an electronic copy of The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder from my library, and received nothing from the author or the publisher in exchange for my honest review. The opinions expressed are my own and those of no one else. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”   
 

 ©Rebecca M. Douglass, 2023
 As always, please ask permission to use any photos or text. Link-backs appreciated.

Enjoyed this post? Don't risk missing the next one--Follow us!


Comments

Post a Comment

Let us know what you think! We love to hear from our readers!

Popular Posts

#WEP--The Scream

-
Image
WEP challenges are FREE and open to all. On the 1st   of the challenge month, there will be a   get-your-thinking-caps   on post. The badge will include the dates of the challenge and the winner’s   prizes. The InLinkz sign up will open on the third Wednesday and close 3 days later. It will contain no news, just the sign up. Participants link up with their DLs (Direct Links to their entry).  Learn all about it here .    My entry this time is based on an actual incident. Mom and my brothers will recognize it. My apologies to them for the non-trivial liberties I took with history and their personalities. We are now also meant to provide a tag line for our stories, so here's mine: What terrors lurk in the root cellar?     The Scream The house we lived in that year wasn’t much. The wind blew in everywhere you could imagine a draft, and some places you couldn’t. The old enclosed porch we used as a root cellar was worse. It wasn’t just the win...
Read more

Non-fiction Audiobook Review: Falter, by Bill McKibben

-
Image
Important stuff, but hard to hear. Title: Falter: Has the Human Game Begun to Play Itself Out? Author: Bill McKibben. Ready by Olivery Wyman Publication Info: Macmillan Audio 2019. 11 hours. Hardback by Henry Holt & Co., 291 pages. Source: Library Blurb: (Goodreads): Thirty years ago Bill McKibben offered one of the earliest warnings about climate change. Now he broadens the warning: the entire human game, he suggests, has begun to play itself out. Bill McKibben’s groundbreaking book The End of Nature -- issued in dozens of languages and long regarded as a classic -- was the first book to alert us to global warming. But the danger is broader than that: even as climate change shrinks the space where our civilization can exist, new technologies like artificial intelligence and robotics threaten to bleach away the variety of human experience. Falter tells the story of these converging trends and of the ideological fervor that keeps us from bringing them under control. And t...
Read more

#WEP: December Flash Fiction Challenge

-
Image
This December challenge wraps up the year of artistic inspiration from some great works of art. The WEP is open to all, following the simple rules: 1. SUBMIT your name to the list below on December 1 thru the 15th . Add your link (URL) 2. POST your entry, put WEP is in the TITLE along with The Narcissus badge within your entry. 3. STATE feedback preferences and word count at the end of your entry. 4. READ other entries, giving feedback if requested. 5. SHARE THE CHALLENGE on social media. Tweets are ready on the WEP blog. PLEASE NOTE: ENTRIES CLOSE Dec. 15th @ midnight (NY Time - check WEP blog clock) ALL GENRES WELCOME except erotica - 1,000 words maximum My story for this month's challenge is maybe cheating a little--I didn't write it for the challenge, but I decided that the common understanding of Narcissus and narcissism fits well enough, even if the story doesn't relate to the painting. I wrote this while trekking in Nepal last month, highlighting a character w...
Read more