William Anderson (1952–)

"Biography" comes from two Greek words, βίος, earthly life, the way of the world; and γράφω, to write. So a proper biography should tell of a person's true and genuine life.

Even if that life is not the story the subject of the biography told.

Let's be clear: The "Little House" books are fiction. They are very loosely based on the life of Laura Ingalls, later known as "Bessie" Wilder, but Wilder had no qualms about rewriting her past. Her goal in writing Little House in the Big Woods show more does not appear to have been to write a biography; she seems to have been trying to describe how pioneers lived. To accomplish this, she made herself several years older than she actually was. What's more, her writer daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, heavily modified her mother's work, so that it probably drifted even farther from the truth. Where, for instance, is the dead brother? How did Pa avoid fighting in the Civil War? And what about the missing stops on the Ingalls trail of tears?

This "biography" is, frankly, far too much "Little House" and far too little reality. It is not a proper biography; it is much too willing to accept Laura's writings even when they conflict with the known facts. Admittedly the facts are hard to come by -- the Ingalls family left no diaries, and they lived near the frontier; we have only a few census records and such from their early years. But if one wishes to read Laura's version of history -- well, read the "Little House" books, not this. If you want a true biography, the best I know of is John E. Miller's Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Woman Behind the Legend. Pamela Smith Hill's Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Writer's Life is more about the composition of the books, but it too is useful. If you then wish to read Anderson's piece of hagiographic literature, fine -- but be aware that it is just that: the secular equivalent of a saint's life, not a biography. show less

For someone who loves Laura Ingalls Wilder, this book is so satisfying. The majority of the book, separated by each place Laura lived, is filled with beautiful pictures of where Laura really lived, corresponding direct quotes from her work with images. This book allows a reader to flip through and compare images created in his or her head to the actual setting. The book provides maps, timelines, historical facts. In other words, it acts as an encyclopedia of all things Laura Ingall Wilder. show more The beauty of her life and her books, I think, is found the simplicity and beauty of those places she lived and those whom she was surrounded by. This book capture all of this. It makes Laura Ingalls Wilder feel like your next door neighbor. While it would be difficult to incorporate in an ELA classroom, I would immediately recommend to any reader who cannot put down Wilder's books. I'll never forget getting this book for Christmas and divulging in every picture and caption, finally understanding that what Laura had experienced and written about was so real and beautiful. show less

Nice, compact biography with photos of the adventuresome, progressive and proto-Libertarian Rose Wilder Lane. I was fascinated by arc of her life from pioneer child to foreign reporter to self-sufficient warrior against the New Deal. I was also pleased to learn she built on her success as an author to encourage writing to come out of her mother Laura Ingalls Wilder.

I actually ordered this book by accident. I meant to buy the autobiography actually written by Wilder and published in 2014. The illustrations in this children's book are beautiful, so I didn't return it. I happily read it's concise re-telling of Wilder's story, tiding myself over until the annotated version of Wilder's original book arrives in the post.

This book would be perfect to read out loud to a class of elementary students. The pictures are beautiful and it tells the story of the show more Ingalls family moving here and there and finally settling in De Smet and Laura's marriage to Almanzo and their various moves until settling in Missouri. It summarizes their lives in about 32 pages,with beautiful full-color artwork. Lovely book!

I grew up in Kansas, so as a little girl I read Wilder's books as did all of my classmates. I remember we all wanted to be the first class that headed to the library to pick books on RIF day (do they still have RIF day in schools?? Or is that a thing of the past? I will have to look that up....) because we all wanted one of the Little House on the Prairie books. They went fast! We used to read them and then trade with each other. Back then, once a week, the television show with Michael Landon and Melissa Gilbert graced the screen. We all watched it. So, I grew up with these stories. I think that's why I keep coming back to re-read them. Growing up in Kansas with the freezing winters and blazing hot summers, the wheat and corn fields, we all imagined what it must have been like before modern farm machinery, cars, paved roads, modern medicine....before the land was settled. It must have been brutal, but hearing the stories from Wilder made her childhood seem magical. Still brutal, but with stretches of beautiful experience and adventure.

Amid the mess of Covid-19, the delivery of my annotated Pioneer Girl (Wilder's original biography that wasn't published until 2014) is delayed a bit. I eagerly await it's delivery, but I really enjoyed this awesome children's book while waiting. The artwork by Dan Andreasen is beautiful!! show less