Little House in the Ozarks (Laura Ingalls Wilder Family Series) [Hardcover]

Laura Ingalls Wilder (Author), Stephen W. Hines (Editor)

Book Description

Series: Laura Ingalls Wilder Family Series | Publication Date: September 1996

A collection of more than 140 articles on an array of topics, from the boring task of baking bread and the need to conserve natural resources, to the changes motor cars brought to her small town and role of the women in the work force and politics, sparkles with Wilder's timeless wit and wisdom.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Galahad Books; 1st Galahad Books Ed edition (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0883659689
• ISBN-13: 978-0883659687
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 7.9 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,051,177 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A window on life in everyday America in 1920's, February 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Little House in the Ozarks (Laura Ingalls Wilder Family Series) (Hardcover)

This is NOT a children's book and should not be listed at the reading level "ages 9 - 12". Years before Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote the Little House series about her childhood last century, she was a pioneer journalist, writing regular newspaper columns that provided commentary on everyday life in America. The columns, which ran from 1911-1925, discuss a variety of topics - from women & politics to the role of the mother in a home, from having a family motto to the effect of the end of WW1 on ordinary people, and through them all she exhibits a special insight and wisdom. This is a delightful collection that affords us the opportunity to see another side of Laura, in a career which she enjoyed for many years before she penned those famous novels of her childhood.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars What happened when Laura grew up?, June 9, 2004

By 

cheeto1 (michigan) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Little House in the Ozarks (Laura Ingalls Wilder Family Series) (Hardcover)

Well, first her and Almonzo moved away from their home to Florida on doctor's orders for Almonzo. The climate was too
cold. Then the heat of Florida caused Laura's health to suffer so they had to find a "happy medium" climate and they set off with their horses and buggy (and little Rose) to find a new home. They ended up in Missouri and were happy there the rest of their lives on their farm named Rocky Ridge.

However, this book doesn't tell that story. It only mentions parts of it in passing. This is a collection
of newspaper articles written by Laura when she was an old married woman with her child already grown and moved on. It covers about eight years. The last article in the book mentions that Ma passed away. The kids were very bored by it as any kid would be reading a newspaper article and I had to stop reading it to them. I enjoyed it very much as I felt like I really got to know Laura this year through reading her entire series.

This book teaches Many, Many things about how to live
a farm life. One of the most interesting things was how to make a refrigerator for milk and butter without electricity or ice. There are many amusing stories about the different families and people that lived around the Wilder's. For example: one day there was hail the size of golf balls and a neighbor went out his front door to get one and bring it in the house to show everybody. Well, no sooner does he get out but one hits him on the head and knocks him out cold. His family had to drag him by the feet back in the front door. (he was O.K.) There are stories about children and parents and farm hands and for all the stories the purpose is for Laura to give her opinions and philosophies. Do you remember that time when Laura and Mary were little and Laura got a bad spanking for slapping Mary? Well, to this day (in the book) she still feels she was unjustly punished and I found that very interesting.

If you have read all the other books as I have, then you know how she was raised. Now is your chance to see what kind of a grown-up she turned out to be. Each article is only a page or two so you don't have to read it all at once to finish a subject. Yet the book is long (315 pages) so there is plenty to read and enjoy to your heart's content.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Timeless articles, November 9, 2001

By 

Pat Lowe "patquilts" (Stockbridge, GA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Little House in the Ozarks (Laura Ingalls Wilder Family Series) (Hardcover)

This is a collection of newspaper articles Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote about life in the Ozarks. Many of the articles are full insights into life that still apply today. She wrote about farmer's wives being equal in importance to their husbands, the frustration of dealing with "new technology" (in her case a new washing machine), and many other day to day activities on the farm.