Customer Reviews

A Little House Sampler: A Charming Collection of Early Stories and Reminiscences

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For those of us that are interested in life beyond the original "Little House" series, this is a great book to own/read. I think that it captures the character of Laura and Rose because the stories and articles are by their own hand.

I really enjoyed the photos throughout this book because while Garth Williams' representation of the Ingalls family is lovely, it is nice to see what they really looked like. Even though they are in black and white you can imagine Pa's eyes twinkling.

Rose and Laura have very different styles, but both styles are very good. I especially liked Laura's articles because they paint a picture of farm life. The sections range in length so if you one have a few moments of reading time here and there it isn't necessary to worry about reading it in one sitting (though you may want to!).

Other things I recommend are the Little House series (of course!), and the series about Rose that was published recently (it has its slow parts but it was written by someone close to the family so there is a lot of accuracy). If you want to read more of Laura and Rose's writing this book is the perfect solution even considering the high price.

For those of us who want to know more about Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter Rose, this is a great place to start. William T. Anderson has hand-picked some of the best short writings of Laura and Rose and incorporated them into this book. My favorite stories in this book include Laura's articles on her kitchen and dining room in Rocky Ridge and Rose's short story, "Innocence". The photos and Mr. Anderson's commentary add even more depth to our perceptions of LIW and RWL.

A Little House Sampler is the perfect title for this book. It gives you a sample of both Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane's interesting lives. Rose gives us a look into her and her parents lives after The First Four Years. Grandpa's Fiddle and Grandpa's Fiddle II was very interesting. I really enjoyed that story. Rose's story about the Faces in the Window is a perfect ghost story to tell around a campfire. Laura's stories about remodeling the kitchen and the dining room was great reading. She had a real decorating flair with the colors she chose. Laura wrote for Almanzo too. His stories about moving the spring shows us his story telling ability plus he was a very smart man. The pictures show his fine carpentry work. What a talented family! I mostly enjoy Rose's stories that describe her family life. I found her fiction work good reading but I thought she did her best writing when she wrote about her family. This book is a must for Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane collectors!

I loved the short stories by Rose Wilder Lane, (especially "Innocence") and Laura's pieces are also touching & well-written -- definitely recommended for the die-hard Ingalls-Wilder fan and for anyone interested in good short stories. Rose Wilder Lane will really impress those people who haven't read anything by her before.

This was the book 10 years ago that introduced me to the fact there was more out there beyond the Little House books written by my favorite author and her daughter. After reading her "Missouri Ruralist" writings, it puts the theories of Laura not really writing the Little House books to rest. It also introduced me to the thrilling storytelling of Rose; so much so, I broke my cardinal "no lending of Little House books" rule to disasterous results. I'm glad to finally have a replacement.

Rose's interview with her father drives me nuts! You will find yourself wishing, after reading this and other snippets on "the man of the place" that Laura and Rose would have spent more time writing about him.

This 'Sampler' is an absolute treat! I have completely enjoyed myself reading the stories in this book, the true and the fiction.

This was my first taste of Rose's work and she is an excellent writer and as we already know, Laura is as well! My favorites are ~ 'Let's Visit Mrs. Wilder'; 'How Laura Got Even'; 'Grandpas' Fiddle I & II'; 'It Depends On How You Look At It'; 'The Sunflower' and 'Object, Matrimony.'

An extra treat are the many photos and the commentary by William Anderson. I seem to have a neverending curiosity about Laura and her entire family. This book was very enjoyable because I learned about Laura's life after what she covered in her children's books.

I am acquiring quite a wonderful collection of Laura Ingalls Wilder books and this one shines brightly! Worth every penny.

Laura wrote articles about being a farm wife for the local papers & also a couple of magazines when middle-aged. Rose encouraged her, advised her & helped her edit her stories. She had ventured into professional writing long before her mother began. Laura had a great talent for describing things so that you feel you are really there on the farm with her. Rose portrayed the emotions of her characters so well that you could understand how they felt and why they felt as they did. No wonder she won so many awards and also earned great sums of money for her published stories at the time.The short stories and litlle explanations before them are quite interesting.

This book was sooo wonderful. It gave me goosebumps. You won't be sorry. It is full of beautiful photographs of the Ingalls and Wilders and wonderful stories and writings by Laura and Rose. One of my favorites is "Faces in the Window",Rose's account of a chilling tale her odd friend Gladys tells her. It is truly a bizarre tale! Normally I don't care for ghost stories; they are such bunk, and I don't really care for Rose or her fictional writings, but this one had me spellbound! Also when Laura talks about some of the things that REALLY went on when the Ingalls lived in Indian Territory, stuff to grizzly to mention in a children's book like Little House on the Prairie. I am like, oh my word, they could have died!! This book is definately a keeper!