West from Home: Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder, San Francisco, 1915

First Line: Dearest Mama Bess-- I simply can't stand being so homesick for you any more.

When I was six, my mother handed me Little House in the Big Woods, and I never looked back. I still love Laura Ingalls Wilder's tales of her childhood and still get the giggles when I think of the mouse giving Pa a bald spot. When I ran across this book at Paperback Swap, I thought it was time for a Half Pint Fix.

Laura's daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, became a journalist and moved to California. Rose became very homesick for her mother and finally saved up the money for Laura to board a train and come for a visit. Laura's visit coincided with San Francisco's World's Fair celebrating the opening of the Panama Canal. This book contains the letters Laura show more wrote home to her husband, Almanzo during her stay.

I loved this book for its glimpse into a San Francisco that had just rebuilt itself after the 1906 earthquake, and for its insights into Laura the adventurer, Laura the woman who was thinking about starting to write, Laura the mother, and Laura the wife who never stopped worrying about her husband alone on their farm in Missouri. This is a book for all those, like me, who have fond memories of Little Houses. show less

This book is a fascinating look at a middle-aged Laura (48) writing about her current experiences as she visited her daughter Rose in San Francisco, CA (USA) in 1915 during the Panama-Pacific Expedition held there. Most letters are addressed to her husband Almanzo (“Manly”). He had stayed back in Missouri to tend the farm. Her descriptions of what she saw and did are picturesque and insightful. She was his eyes in California. Her style and word usage remind me of my Mother, using words such as “loafing” to describe a carefree and work free day, and “spick and span” in describing a clean room. The letters are written with an expected familiarity and include descriptions and answers regarding farm life. The letters do not, show more however, feel invasive to Laura in reading them. show less

West From Home by Laura Ingalls Wilder is the final book I've read for the LIW Reading challenge. It was a very nice way to end this month of reading.

The story revolves around Laura's trip to visit her daughter Rose in San Francisco, California (Bay area) and is compiled of the letters she wrote to Manly (Laura's husband) describing her travels and experiences while visiting Rose and her son in law.

With Laura's descriptions of her travels, sight seeing with Rose and her husband as well as all she she experienced and saw ~ she brought her experiences to life!

Prior to reading this book, I had not read much about the 1915 Pan Pacific International Exposition. I was absolutely astounded to read about all the shows/exhibits as well as life show more around San Francisco and the Bay area in that era. The exhibits nightly light shows alone must have been breathtaking. What a wonderful lifetime experience!

I found it very interesting how the **new** commercial canning of produce was demonstrated as well as Carnation's process of producing Evaporated Milk. The international booths/exhibits sounded amazing - the sites, sounds smells and tastes. Laura was most definitely captivated by it all.

I enjoyed the pictures included in the book. It was amazing to see 1915 San Francisco and compare it to the city it is today. It's been a long while since I lived in the Bay area but oh, I became so homesick reading this book. It really is a wonderful place to visit and live - back in 1915 and today! show less

Great era-snapshop and description of the fair in San Fransisco, but honestly, I don't think I'd have been all that interested, if it hadn't been seen through the eyes of Laura Ingalls Wilder. I've always wanted to know "what happened next", and this gives a nice look into her curiosity, desire to learn and her relationship with Rose and Almanzo.

I was very interested in reading that she and Almanzo had considered moving to New Zealand at one point though. I wish they had - I would have LOVED to read her description of that!

Really an underappreciated book. I found it boring as a nine year old child, having finished all the "Little House" books. In fact, Wilder was an excellent letter writer, and I enjoyed her descriptions of California and the West.

Here ends my current Laura Ingalls Wilder reread. For whatever reason, at some point I must have donated the biographies and collections of other writings that I once owned.
Like On the Way Home, I found this one more interesting as an adult--in fact, I am currently the same age (48) as Laura when she traveled to San Francisco. Her letters provide a fascinating glimpse into her experiences in California (as well as on the way), though she often left out many of the details, saying she will tell Almanzo after her return home.

In 1915, long before her Little House books were written, Laura Ingalls Wilder went to visit her daughter Rose in San Francisco. Her vacation coincided with the massive Pan Pacific International Exposition, of which she wrote in letters sent to her husband. Within her writings we get a glimpse of the time, the place, and the various sights of a thriving city, garnished with her opinions of modern inventions.

I really enjoyed this read.