Laura Ingalls Wilder, Farm Journalist: Writings from the Ozarks [Hardcover]

Stephen Hines (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 3, 2007

Before Wilder found fame with her Little House books, she made a name for herself with short nonfiction pieces in magazines and newspapers. This volume collects essays that originally appeared in the Missouri Ruralist between 1911 and 1924. Building on the initial compilation entitled Little House in the Ozarks, this revised edition adds forty-two additional articles and restores passages previously omitted from others. Wilder advises women of her generation on such timeless issues as how to be an equal partner with their husbands, how to support the new freedoms they d won with the right to vote, and how to maintain important family values in their changing world. Yet she also discusses such practical matters as how to raise chickens and save time on household tasks. Hines s introduction places the essays in their biographical and historical context, showing how they present Wilder s unique perspective on life and politics during the World War I era while commenting on the challenges of surviving and thriving in the rustic Ozark hill country.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Midwest history buffs will snatch up this collection of short essays from Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867-1957), creator of the "Little House on the Prairie" series, originally published in the Missouri Ruralist between 1911 and 1924. Written in a homey, chatty style, Wilder's essays cover a wide array of topics, including the 1915 San Francisco Exhibition, where Wilder discovered foreign delicacies like German Honey Cake, as well as the changing roles of women at the beginning of the 20th century. In "Who'll Do the Woman's Work?" Ingalls writes that, since the war made it necessary for women to take up "male" jobs, "Never again will anyone have the courage to say that women could not run world affairs if necessary." Many columns feature simple advice for saving a few cents at a time, as well as the importance of cultivating readiness and counting one's blessings; given her often wistful tone, what Wilder does not say may be as telling as what she does. Those expecting sweet, "Little House" style family stories may be disappointed, but patient readers will discover a time and place chronicled with honesty and curiosity by a woman who was both ahead of her times and firmly rooted in the traditions of Midwest farm life.
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Review

“These writings provide a unique window into the thoughts and writing of Laura Ingalls Wilder, showing a side of her that many are unaware of.”—John E. Miller, author of Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 312 pages
• Publisher: University of Missouri Press; 1 edition (December 3, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0826217710
• ISBN-13: 978-0826217714
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #948,321 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A singularly wonderful portrait of a beloved woman's wisdom, March 2, 2008

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Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Farm Journalist: Writings from the Ozarks (Hardcover)

Laura Ingalls Wilder: Farm Journalist is a collection of nonfiction essays written by the famous author of the "Little House " books for The Missouri Ruralist between 1911 and 1924. Complementing and extending the earlier collection of articles titled Little House in the Ozarks, this edition includes an additional forty -two articles and additional material omitted from the earlier collection. Laura wrote her articles addressed to contemporary farm women, making many philosophical and practical suggestions and observations pertinent to their daily life experiences. Her presence as an author is unmistakable. Much of the information pertaining to her years of experience as a Missouri farm wife finds roots in her pioneer history. Her values emerge clear and solid from the minutiae of daily chore lists and how-to suggestions. Her refreshing voice lends its clarity across the generations of technological advancement and finds its niche comfortably. This is a carefully edited collection that will appeal to lovers of the "Little House" books and American turn -of -the- century history too. The skillful adaptation to changing social and political environments while nurturing a stable base of beliefs and values is unique to this beloved author. Highly recommended reading for adults.

Nancy Lorraine
Reviewer

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful reading for historians, fans of Little House, farmers, kids, March 19, 2008

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wisdomofthepages.com (St. Louis, Missouri) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Farm Journalist: Writings from the Ozarks (Hardcover)

I cannot help but pour forth great excitement and delight in a book I just picked up titled Laura Ingalls Wilder: Farm Journalist, edited by Stephen Hines. Any American worth their salt knows Wilder as the author of the "Little House" books. I myself cut my book-reading teeth devouring these books time and time again, always dreaming of being a modern-day pioneer homesteader.

Before book-writing fame came to Wilder, she was known through the state of Missouri as a popular columnist in the Missouri Ruralist from 1911 to 1923. This book gathers nearly two hundred of these essays together for our profit. Ingalls wrote about home, agriculture, thrift, parenting, women's roles, etc., and gave readers an endless supply of pithy advice and personal anecdotes. She was Erma Bombeck, Will Rogers, Samuel Clemens, and Ben Franklin all rolled into one.

Ingalls' eyes were wide open to the advancements of the future, all the while seeking to keep her hands on the best of the "old ways". For example, in a clip called "Let's Revive the Old Amusements", she writes:
"Sometimes I wonder if telephones and motor cars are altogether blessings for country people. When my neighbor can call me up for a short visit over the phone, she is not so likely to make the necessary effort to come and spend the afternoon, and I get hungry for the sight of her face as well as the sound of her voice."

However, Ingalls was not a sentimentalist in regard to the past. She says:
"Love and service, with a belief in the future and expectation of better things in the tomorrow of the world is a good working philosophy; much better than, `in olden times-things were so much better when I was young.' For there is no turning back nor standing still; we must go forward, into the future, generation after generation toward the accomplishment of the ends that have been set for the human race."

Historians, fans of Little House, farmers, and children will all enjoy this book.

8 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars I Am the Editor of Laura Ingalls Wilder, Farm Journalist, October 13, 2008

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Stephen W. Hines (Nolensville, TN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Laura Ingalls Wilder, Farm Journalist: Writings from the Ozarks (Hardcover)

I am certainly not going to review this book, which I edited for the University of Missouri Press. But I will say that this work collects writings of an adult Laura writing to other farm women in the state of Missouri. She was sort of a booster for the small-time farmer for the Missouri Rurlist newspaper, which still publishes. Her "voice" is different in these adult works from what one might expect, but the writer is the same Laura as the creator of the "Little House" books. People wishing to contact me may visit my website at www.literaryprospector.com.