Friday, May 18, 2007

These Happy Golden Years

In some strange way, I identify so strongly with Laura Ingalls Wilder, that it's hard to keep in mind she was a real, separate person. This is the last book in the Little House Series (The First Four Years doesn't count) and I think it, and the other latter books in the series get short shrift, despite their excellence. This book covers Laura's job teaching in a prairie school and boarding with a family where the wife is clearly mentally ill (although the book never uses that phrase). She is being courted by Almanzo Wilder, a much older farmer, who comes to drive her home EVERY weekend, even when the weather really should forbid it. A lot of my ideas about romance seem to stem from their relationship, which is probably a little weird. This book and the others in the series really transport you away to Laura's life and draw you in completely.

1 comment:

Angie said...

THGY is probably my favorite of the Little House books too, or at least the only one I know for sure I read multiple times.