A great companion to the well-beloved works of Laura Ingalls Wilder, with charming illustrations giving an insight into frontier life and the kinds of landscapes she would have seen.

A well researched and written book about the natural world that Wilder would have experienced during her lifetime. Focused on the gardens and the wild environments she found herself in, it is clearly written and with well-chosen photographs and illustrations.

Fans of the "Little House" books will undoubtedly enjoy this as well.

Delving into the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder, the reader learns so much about the facts of her life compared to the books she wrote. The author also discusses the controversy about her daughter Rose - is she actually the author of the famous children's books?

The book has beautiful pictures and graphics and well as wonderful information. If you loved the Little House on the Prarie television show or the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. you will this book.

A great book for the fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Little HOuse on the praire. I highly recommend and will be using in my classes.

Loved the concept and cover, but couldn’t open the book. Cannot recommend a book that I cannot read.

This is a wonderful book and would definitely recommend. It is full of useful information and the writing was beautiful.

A great book for lovers of all things Laura Ingalls Wilder/Little House series.

This book is a fascinating way to explore the landscapes, flora, and fauna that shaped the setting of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series. There's plenty of interesting information, drawings, maps and photos of the Ingalls family. It would be cool to read the books alongside this one because the plants were taken right out of the books.

Growing up in Kansas farming community I definitely read all the Little House books! This was mainly about the flora in the areas Laura Ingalls Wilder lived, but I found it very interesting and a whole different look at books I read as a little girl.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book.

Very interesting book Laura Ingalls Wilder's world. However don't expect it to be like the books or movies.

If you liked the Little House Books, you are going to truly enjoy The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder! This story is beautifully written and is a wonderful story. The facts in this book are absolutely amazing. Each chapter takes you on a journey in itself.. A very good overall read.

McDowell explores Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life through the flora and fauna found in the Little House books and at the homes and prairies of Wilder and her family. Along the way, McDowell offers historical notes about flora varietals and nineteenth and early twentieth century trends in agriculture. Vibrant illustrations and drawings appear throughout the text.

Before reading this book, I never thought about the landscapes and foliage Wilder writes about in the Little House books. It always seemed secondary to me, as a young reader who had more interest in a young Laura learning life lessons in a time period not my own. Now, I want to read the Little House books again, only to capture these pieces of information. I am not an outdoorsy person by any stretch of the imagination, but McDowell’s writing makes me want to stand in the prairie fields or in the Ozarks and just breathe in the scenery. I absolutely loved the photographic contributions to this book – it really made the writing come to life.

This is perfect for fans of the Little House books, or those who enjoy reading about historic landscapes or historic agriculture, or even those who have a sense of adventure. McDowell concludes the book with a list of places to visit for Wilder fans, as well as a list of all the foliage and vegetation mentioned in the books or that could be found at a Wilder landmark.

I have so much love for Laura, she's always been a part of my life and it was so interesting to see further into the background of her life! I highly recommend this book to fan's of Laura, or if you want to know more about life during her generation.

A little bit disappointing for me, but an interesting read for "Little House" fans. I didn't find McDowell's personal asides added much, and she pulled almost as much from "Pioneer Girl" as from the "Little House" books. She used a lot of excellent source material, but it's more because she had to in order to find enough examples for her book.

I loved the Little House books as a kid, so it was interesting to come back to this series as an adult and read about the history and culture of Laura Ingalls' time. It makes me want to go back and reread the series, which I haven't done since elementary school.

The world of Laura Ingalls Wilder is as wonderful as a trip down Rt. 66. Author Marta McDowell has taken her love of the land, the Wilder family and turn it into the most readable engaging book. She weaves together the Wilder story from the beginning in Wisconsin thru todays conservation of the land and buildings where they lived. This is not a book just about the Little House On The Prairie books. It's about the real life, the land, the day to day struggles and triumphs. She uses family letters, autobiographies, photos, book illustrations, museum settings and a lot of information about the true life and love of the land.
The lists at the end of the book are astounding. Pages of plant information for those who want to grow the things the Wilder's grew. A lit of research references that shows how much this book is a work of love.
I recommend reading this book, then take it along on a vacation to follow the path of the Wilder's.

I requested to receive an ARC of The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Marta McDowell from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. I received a temporary copy which I quickly looked over and set aside for a later date in order to read it more carefully. Unfortunately, this was a temporary copy and by the time I went back to this book, the time period had expired.

While this book was full of illustrations, both drawings and photographs, the layout just didn't catch my interest. The narrative was dense and could have been better organized which is why I didn't read it immediately. Perhaps if I had spent some more time wading through the narrative, I might have been more appreciative of the author's intent, especially since I loved Wilder's Little House in the Big Woods series as a child. Three stars.

LAURA INGALLS WILDER: THE WILDER TRAIL

The author of "Little House on the Prairie" Series

Who does not recall the series “Little House on the Prairie,” which told the story of a family of settlers that in the nineteenth century traversed the fresh territories of the American Midwest in search of sustenance and prosperity? In fact, the harshness of the time was such that the adventure was a permanent fight for survival.

Commemorating the 150th anniversary of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s birth, her daughter Marta McDowell, who teaches historical landscaping and horticulture at the New York Botanical Garden, effected an exhaustive research among material of that age and now, original documents and annotations, photos and illustrations, which elaborate in a single work the trail covered by the Ingalls and the sylvan heritage developed in each place.
Over the course of several American states, from the woods of Wisconsin, passing by the north of New York, the Native American territories in Kansas, the creeks of Iowa and Minnesota, and the plains of South Dakota, all the way to the Great Plains and the Ozarks, in Missouri. It’s a true pilgrimage through the iconic places where the author of Little House on the Prairie passed by.
The author, a specialist in gardening, describes exhaustively throughout the book each stage of Laura’s life, in childhood like is seen on the TV series as well as in her adult life, always with the themes of agricultural culture, botany and rural work in the background, abundantly illustrated with images, maps, and drawings. She even dedicates a brief chapter on how to replicate a garden from those described by Laura in her writings, whether the reader has a small flowerbed in the lawn or an estate with several square miles.
The second part of this work is dedicated to a suggested guided tour through the regions that made part of Laura’s ninety years of life, which she regularly visited with her husband, Almanzo, with suggestions of “green” attractions appropriate to those who share the “tin can tourist” lifestyle. This is a route prepared for the fans of the outdoor life that Laura appreciated so much, the fields, the flowers, the plants, the houses and the farms.
The tourist should take the due time to venture into the nature, observing the local flora, but the animals, the birds and the landscape as well. McDowell takes into account the meaning each stop had in the life of Laura Ingalls, and provides alternatives to wonderful strolls through the Wilder Trail – the trail that Laura left us as her legacy through her literary work.

Originaly Published at:
Biblion Online Magazine (PT): http://www.biblion.pt/viajando-pelo-mundo-de-laura-ingalls/
Biblion Online Magazine (EN): http://www.biblion.pt/laura-ingalls-wilder-the-wilder-trail/
Biblion #6 Interactive Edition (Nov-Dec2017 – Portuguese): http://www.biblion.pt/biblion-6-interativa-pt/
Biblion #6 Interactive Edition (Nov-Dec2017 – English version): http://www.biblion.pt/biblion-6-interactive-edition-en/
Effective: November 1st, 2017

Growing up I was a huge Laura Ingalls Wilder fan. I loved the books as well as the TV series. Her world was the best. It was the childhood everyone would want. The adventures, the animals, the country.

This book brought back many amazing memories. Thanks for letting me read it.

I am one of those people that love the story behind the story. After I read a book I love to do more research on the subject especially if it's historical fact or fiction. I have read all of The Little House books as well as seen every episode of the television show in my lifetime but I've never really delved too much into the history of it all until I read The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Marta McDowell.

Talk about bringing back good memories! Reading all of The Little House series I already felt like I knew Laura Ingalls Wilder and her world but this book takes you even deeper into the details about the actual landscape that surrounded her throughout her life. You feel like you are actually seeing these wonderful sights with her and through her eyes. The photography and illustrations are just beautiful and you would think that a book about landscape would be drab but it really does hold your attention.

The part I was most impressed with was the amount of details in this book. There are resources to help you grow your own Little House garden as well as a comprehensive list of all the plants that Laura grew, pictures of her family, maps, etc. This book is a plethora of information and great for horticulturists and history buffs alike! I would love to be able to re-read the books and have this book beside me as a companion. It truly does make the stories come to life.

Highly recommend!