Prairie Tale: A Memoir [Hardcover]

Melissa Gilbert (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 9, 2009

A FASCINATING, HEARTBREAKING, AND ULTIMATELY UPLIFTING TALE OF SELF-DISCOVERY FROM THE BELOVED ACTRESS WHO EARNED A PERMANENT PLACE IN THE HEARTS OF MILLIONS WHEN SHE WAS JUST A CHILD

To fans of the hugely successful television series Little House on the Prairie, Melissa Gilbert grew up in a fantasy world with a larger-than-life father, friends and family she could count on, and plenty of animals to play with. Children across the country dreamed of the Ingalls’ idyllic life—and so did Melissa.

With candor and humor, the cherished actress traces her complicated journey from buck-toothed Laura "Halfpint" Ingalls to Hollywood starlet, wife, and mother. She partied with the Brat Pack, dated heartthrobs like Rob Lowe and bad boys like Billy Idol, and began a self-destructive pattern of addiction and codependence. She eventually realized that her career on television had earned her popularity, admiration, and love from everyone but herself.

Through hard work, tenacity, sobriety, and the blessings of a solid marriage, Melissa has accepted her many different identities and learned to laugh, cry, and forgive in new ways. Women everywhere may have idolized her charming life on Little House on the Prairie, but Melissa’s own unexpectedly honest, imperfect, and down-to-earth story is an inspiration.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Hold onto your sunbonnets... [Gilbert's] autobiography is no clean-cut family drama: It's chockablock with juicy tidbits."

—Entertainment Weekly --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

About the Author

Melissa Gilbert starred as Laura Ingalls on the hit television show Little House on the Prairie. Post-Little House, Gilbert appeared in numerous Lifetime movies and recently served as president of the Screen Actors Guild for two terms. She currently serves as President of the Board of Directors of the Children's Hospice and and Palliative Care Coalition, where she works directly with chronically and terminally ill children to provide them with care and comfort. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Bruce Boxleitner.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 384 pages
• Publisher: Gallery Books; First Edition edition (June 9, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1416599142
• ISBN-13: 978-1416599142
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (184 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #77,933 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #74 in Books > Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature > Actors & Actresses

More About the Author

Melissa Gilbert starred as Laura Ingalls on the hit television show Little House on the Prairie. Post-Little House, Gilbert appeared in numerous Lifetime movies and recently served as president of the Screen Actors Guild for two terms. She currently serves as President of the Board of Directors of the Children's Hospice and and Palliative Care Coalition, where she works directly with chronically and terminally ill children to provide them with care and comfort. She resides in Los Angeles with her husband, Bruce Boxleitner.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

77 of 83 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Say it isn't so Half-Pint!, June 21, 2009

By 

Sherlock Sherman (Los Angeles USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Prairie Tale: A Memoir (Hardcover)

Melissa Gilbert has as many flaws as the rest of us and if you don't mind having her burst that bubble you'll get a good chuckle as she shares anecdotes involving the unbelievable behavior of some of Hollywood's familiar faces.

Melissa keeps her bumps in the road interesting and never once appears to be reaching out for pity as a means of distracting us from the unpleasantness in her life.

I would have preferred to keep her up on a pedestal but despite the revelations regarding her less than perfect behavior, the book kept my attention and moved along at a good pace. I especially enjoyed the snippy tidbits regarding Kent McCord, Valerie Harper and Sally Kirkland. I'll never be able to think of them the same again. Someone should write a comedy about the SAG meetings!

Lets hope the publicity from the book will bring Melissa back to prime time, or at least another TV movie.

This was a good summer read; you won't regret the purchase.

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mixed feelings on this one, July 14, 2009

By 

MommaMia - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Prairie Tale: A Memoir (Hardcover)

Yes, I'm a HUGE Little House fan. That's why I bought this book. Although I knew from the get go that Melissa Gilbert IS NOT Laura Ingalls, I guess I had put her on a pedestal, and didn't even realize it. I imagined that all those years I spent growing up and making mistakes, that Melissa had somehow been able to avoid all that because she was immersed in the Little House world of morals and values for so long. I find that not only were we both adopted around the same year as infants, but we also had chicken pox as adults...spent lots of time seeking the wrong type of man and adoring our children that we longed for since we could remember. I guess I didn't realize that she would have flubbed up along the way too. What an eye opener for this idealistic fan! I loved her style of writing. It was an enjoyable eyeopener, however, I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to watch her first love scenes with "Almonzo" the same way again! Is that good or bad, I'm not sure. Some times I think some things are better off left unsaid. I'm not sure I needed to know lots of things I now know about her personal life, however, I admire her ability to share herself so intimately. I could never open up like that. She is obviously an accomplished actress and she has come a long way professionally and personally and I wish her well in the future. No matter what she'll always be "Half Pint" to me!

67 of 77 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Couldn't Put It Down!!!! GREAT Memoir for ANYONE from the '70s, June 15, 2009

By 

Blondzilla8 "Blondzilla8" (SoCal, CA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Prairie Tale: A Memoir (Hardcover)

What can I say? I'm a SUCKER for dishy bios on the stars I grew up admiring and wanting to be. My boyfriend saw nothing but my face buried in this great book over one solid weekend.

Melissa Gilbert was one of the truly admirable teen idols back in the '70s and an extraordinarily talented actor to boot. Her story, much of what I already knew from keeping up with her Tiger Beat and People magazine interviews through the years, is incredible and this book just reminds us that what we may perceive as the audience members of someone else's supposed "perfect" life, may very well be quite the opposite.

Gilbert is honest, irreverent, hilariously funny, and even when she's "dropping names" it doesn't feel like anything except that she is grateful for knowing and working with the legends she refers to.

Michael Landon, Rob Lowe, Patty Duke.....all very important people to Melissa - the people who truly shaped her life respectively. And so many more......but it never feels pretentious or "I bet you wish you were me".....she is just 10000% REAL when revealing the ups and downs of her colorful life. And what a life. I am so glad she had the courage and moxy to put pen to paper and share it with the people who've followed her since she was the adorable little girl on "Little House."

I also hope that young, ambitious and up and coming actors read this book because Gilbert is also the picture of dedication and professionalism sans the ego that seems to follow this generation of performers.

Melissa Gilbert is an inspiration. Her life is a wonderful lesson in perseverance, loyalty, and not taking "no" for an answer when you know deep in your heart that there's a better one.

A must read!!!