"Sometimes first love exists as a foundation for new love."

This is not the first Allison Pittman book I have read but it feels very different from the ones I have read. I love dual timeline settings, I loved some of the books in this series, and I love the author's writing style so this book was a no-brainer for me to pick up. I really enjoyed that the 1890s timeline and 1970s timeline combined the great grandmother's story and the great granddaughter's. The author's beautiful prose is captivating.

Perhaps it's that I am not a huge fan of Little House books but I had a bit of difficulty connecting with the 1890s plotline - a plotline revolving around the minor characters in Laura Ingalls Wilder's These Happy Golden Years. Mariah, Trixie's great grandmother, is one of the students that Laura Ingalls taught and life in 1890s South Dakota is told in her first person narrative. Mariah, as a young woman, is hard to understand though her tender relationship with her older brother Charles is a shining moment in her wearied and battle-scarred life. 1970s Trixie tells her tale in third person narrative and she was easier to connect with; she has great and hilarious conversations with Ron, her boss and possible love interest. It was interesting to see Mariah in 1970s as a hundred plus year old woman, grounded by faith and life experiences but still harboring loss and deep regret.

Though I didn't necessarily connect with all the characters, I did appreciate the clever and intricate plot, the bond among the generations of women in Trixie's family, and the author's lyrical writing style. I received the book from the publisher via Celebrate Lit Tours and was under no obligation to post a positive comment. All opinions are my own.

Little House on the Prairie is a favorite of Trixie, in fact she had worn out her copies by repeated readings. Now, as her great grandmother, Mariah, is nearing the end of her life, she finds out that there is a long ago connection between her GG and Laura. Mariah has spent her whole life living in the shadow of what might have been, or so she thinks. But what does Laura have to do with it all?

What is the rest of the story? History that starts in South Dakota and continues in Minneapolis finds Trixie the creator of a cartoon called Lost Laura, drawings that are enjoyed by many. Is it Laura who is lost, or is it someone else? A wonderful story that begins around 1891 and resolves almost 100 years later in 1974. Who would have known!

This early copy of another installment of the Doors to the Past series was received through Barbour Publishing and NetGalley. These thoughts are my own and were in no way solicited.

This book was interesting. I can't say that I loved the liberties that the author took with the story. If you were raised on the Little House on the Prairie books, this may not be the book for you.

A delightful read. I truly enjoyed spending time with Allison's warm, lively, flawed, strong, very human characters. Thanks to NetGalley for the advance copy.

Laura's Shadow was not a book for me. I found myself bored while reading it and the characters were not favorites. I was surprised by certain content and that the characters didn't seem repentant of their actions.

All in all, I just didn't like it. I'm not a fan of Laura Ingalls, so that aspect didn't really connect with me either.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Another book from the doors of the past series, this book might appeal to fans of little house on the prairie. If I'm honest, I found this book took me a little while to get into and I never developed an affinity to the characters. I enjoyed it when the story picked up in the mid half of the book.

For me, the character of Mariah, while funny, was someone who had clearly never moved on from the past, even though in someways she had moved on. I also felt that the ex boyfriend was an unnecessary character except for the fact he is a doctor.

The author has clearly put a lot of effort into research. I generally enjoy her books as a rule. I received this in exchange for an honest review.

My blurb …
Setting: De Smet, South Dakota 1890 & 1974.
Remember Cap Garland, a friend of Almanzo Wilder, husband of Laura Ingalls Wilder? A novel based on Cap & a young Mariah (she was Martha in These Happy Golden Years).

And in 1974, a young woman, Trixie Gowan, who is on the staff of the newspaper. She creates advertising art *and* a comic strip–“Lost Laura” loosely based on guess who? There is a connection between the women in the 1890 and the 1974 stories.

My review …
Okay. I was hooked from the first phrase of "A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR" that begins Laura’s Shadow for the simple reason — she read Little House on the Prairie. I remember getting my first “Little House” book, Little House in the Big Woods, and read all of them as soon as I could. I’ve reread them since.

So, if you enjoyed the “Little House” books, I can pretty much guarantee you’ll like this book.

The books in the series, Doors to the Past, are all by different authors. Each book deals with a historic American landmark. In this case, it’s the town of De Smet, South Dakota.

What if you aren’t a “Little House” fan?
-- If you like a light mystery with a little romance …
-- If you like a story with a touch of “real life” characters …
-- Then Laura’s Shadow will be just right for you.
I do believe “Little House” readers will enjoy the book a bit more, especially the 1890 segments.

What else makes Laura’s Shadow special?
Swapping eras (1890 to 1974) is not always handled well. The swap is hard to follow; sometimes you don’t know which period you are in. Not so for Laura’s Shadow. No awkwardness. No feeling of what? Am I in 1890 or 1974?


The Real Cap Garland
I’d love to tell you more about how the girl in 1974, Trixie Gowan, is connected to the Mariah in 1890. But that would spoil one of the key elements of the plot. As does answering the question of where Cap Garland fits into Mariah’s story.

Yes, I recommend this book — whether you loved Laura Ingalls Wilder or not.

I received a complimentary e-ARC copy of Laura's Shadow via NetGalley from the publisher, Barbour Publishing, Barbour Fiction. A positive review was not required; the opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Rating: 5 stars
#LaurasShadow #NetGalley #AllisonPittman
The image of Cap Garland is from the site
Laura Ingalls Wilder, Frontier Girl, along with a short bio.

Series Doors to the Past #9
Genre Historical Fiction
Pub. Date 1 Aug 2022
Pages 257
Publisher Barbour Publishing, Barbour Fiction
Cover Love these "from behind" book covers.
Rating 5 stars

NOTE TO AUTHOR AND PUBLISHER: My review on my blog (https://lyndapbookreviews.com/lauras-shadow/) had an image of the "real" Cap Garland.

I have been looking forward to read Laura's Shadow by Allison Pittman ever since I heard about the book. Laura's Shadow tells the of one Laura Ingalls Wilder's former students, "Moriah" and her great-granddaughter, Trixie. In this Split-Time novel, Laura's Shadow goes back and forth between Moriah's life growing up and Trixie's life in the 1970's. Trixie rushes to her childhood home to be with her 104 year-old Great-Grandmother GG (Moriah). Always knowing that GG used to be a student of THE Laura Ingalls Wilder, Trixie starts learning secrets about Moriah no one ever knew about before. Trixie learns that GG has led a life full of heartache and secrets. As the secrets start coming forth, Trixie has a new respect and appreciation for GG.

I really liked this book. At times, I wasn't sure if I would like but I was able to see past what I didn't like. I do wish as a Christian Fiction book, that the Christian aspect was more to the forefront of the book, because at times the Christian nature of the book felt as though it was an afterthought. If you are a fan of the Little House books and Laura Ingalls Wilder, I believe you would find this book interesting. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read this book. My review is also on Goodreads.

Laura’s Shadow is a well written dual time line romance. I enjoyed the plot and the character dynamics. The two time periods are woven together perfectly. I recommend this book. My thanks to the publisher for my advance book. This is my unbiased review.

I grew up reading The Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, so I was immediately intrigued by the premise of this book.

Creating a dual-time story with one of Laura's characters was a fabulous idea. Allison Pittman has built an intriguing tale about unrequited love. Mariah, one of Laura Ingall's students, loves Oscar Garland (Cap). Unfortunately, Cap loves Laura, and Laura loves Almanzo Wilder. What a pickle!

In the future timeline, we meet Trixie Gowan. Mariah's great-granddaughter. She was a likeable character with a love of all things Little House. Unfortunately, she was forbidden to mention the name of Laura Ingalls in the house where her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother lived. The question always on my mind was why? Why did Mariah hate Laura so much? It couldn't be as simple as unrequited love after everyone was dead, could it? This was the question on Trixie's mind, and she was determined to get to the bottom of it before her great-grandmother died.

Unfortunately, we never really get a satisfying answer. The relationship between Laura and Mariah was non-existent. The relationship between Mariah and Cap was equally non-existent. So right away, the story begins to falter. And I really wanted to like this story. But several things had me on edge. This book dealt with premarital sex and its consequences. The seduction scene (while mild) was not something I expected in a Christian book. While the writing was good and the characters were intriguing, there was also a lack of faith content. The author tried to include God, but it seemed more of an afterthought to the story.

Mariah, the main character, lacked growth of any kind. She was perpetually stuck in the past. She was consumed with an unreasonable (almost twisted) love for Cap even at 104 years of age! I might have believed the love story if the author had spent time developing a relationship between Mariah and Cap. But that never happened. I was expecting more on the last page, but it just ended, and that was that.

The only upstanding character in this book was Merrill Gowan. I felt sorry for Merrill and his treatment by Mariah. His story should have been explored more. His chivalry and love for Mariah (also unrequited) needed more development. Especially when it was suggested that her feelings for him changed. I don't want to give anything away. But his relationship with Mariah should have been explored after Cap was out of the picture. There was so much more room for themes of redemption and the everlasting love God has for us. Instead, this book was about a woman who loved one despicable man so much that she was filled with hate for the woman he loved, even though both were long dead.

While I usually enjoy Allison Pittman's books, this one had me wanting more. If you enjoy dual-time fiction, however, you may like it.

I received a review copy from Barbour Publishing through NetGalley for my honest opinion.

Thank you to @netgalley @barbourbooks & Allison Pittman for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

As a lifelong Little House on the Prairie fan, I couldn't pass up the chance to read & review this book! Pittman researched the subject matter thoroughly, & I think she did a good job of staying true to the facts that we know & honoring Laura's story, while also making her own interpretations that led to an original, entirely fiction tale.

Overall, I liked Pittman's depictions of Laura & Cap. Avid fans of Little House books may be surprised by the unflattering image of Laura that's portrayed in this story; however, after having read the excellent biography, Prairie Fires, about a year and a half ago, I think that Pittman's portrayal of Laura in this story makes sense & might not be too far off from the truth. I was a bit more bothered by some of the liberties taken with Cap Garland's character. Without going into detail, there's a lot about him that we don't know, & I am wary of fictional works taking creative license with the deceased in a way that reflects negatively upon them - it often doesn't feel respectful to me. However, I do think that Pittman's embellishments with his character are consistent with the little we know & make sense within the context of the story. I also appreciated that Pittman was very clear in her author's note that this story is almost entirely made up.

As far as the fictional characters go - I loved every one of them! I admired Mariah's grit and I found Trixie to be both relatable and believable. Her relationship with Ron was my favorite part of the whole book and I had so much fun following their story. Often with dual timelines, I find myself liking one much more than the other; both in this story intrigued me equally. I only wish that we had seen more of the aftermath of Mariah's marriage and how her relationship with Charlie fared in the future.

Fans of Little House - I recommend that you try this fresh take on the series!

The story starts us off with Mariah and her brother Charles as teens, whose teacher for a short season is Laura Ingalls. Mariah and Charles have a tough life, just scraping by. Mariah’s long crush with Cap is overshadowed by his love for Laura. We meet Trixie in the 1970’s, the great granddaughter of Mariah. When she’s asked to come home to see her great grandmother, she gets a housesitter and takes off. We weave back and forth between Mariah’s 20’s and the present, learning more about Mariah and her brother Charles as well as meeting Katrina, Merrill and Cap. In the present we have Mariah, Eugenia, Alma, Trixie, Ron, Cam and Samantha. Enjoyable story overall.
A complimentary copy was provided By Barbour Publishing via NetGalley. A review was not required and all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Another split time read in the Doors to the Past series. This story focused on Trixie Gowan and her great grandmother, Mariah. It is set in DeMet, South Dakota. Mariah grew up in small town DeMet with Laura Ingalls who became her teacher in a one room school house. Laura was a beauty and pursued by the young man that Mariah had a crush on. Mariah made some mistakes in her life and found herself in a loveless marriage. No Mariah at 102 has some last wishes only Trixie can fill. Meanwhile, Trixie is wondering if she will ever find the love of her life.

I enjoyed the plot of this book, but the first part seemed to develop rather slowly. Also the first third of the book I had difficulty keeping the women straight with mom, grandmother, and great grandmother. Overall, a nice read and I enjoyed the use of the Little House books, but not among my favorites in this series.

**I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

What a delightful surprise! I've loved Little House for a very long time, though I'll admit I haven't read the last few books in years (the story is still totally enjoyable and understandable without knowledge of them). In the other Doors to the Past books I've read, the "modern" storyline is indeed modern, set in 2022, but here, the book bounces between 1890 and 1974, and the vibes could not be more fun!

That's really how I'd describe Trixie's storyline - fun. I smiled my way through her story, she's perfectly funny and quirky and confident, and her love story had me swooning. (and a certain conversation about the movie "Carousel" had me cackling) Mariah's storyline is much heavier, but the characters are ones that I cared deeply about instantly. I love a good sibling story, and the relationship between Mariah and Charles is beautiful.

There's definitely more innuendo-laced jokes than I was expecting, and less faith content, but I had such a good time with Trixie peeling back the layers of Mariah's past. I couldn't put the book down. 4.5 stars from me!

**I received a copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.**

Unfortunately, I think this was mostly a case of cover love for me.

The writing was incredible, and it's clear that Allison Pittman does her research for her 'Doors to the Past' books. However, as someone who grew up reading and loving the 'Little House on the Prairie' books and was slightly obsessed with Laura Ingles Wilder, this just didn't do it for me.

Personally, I felt that there was just very little plot other than the fact that Mariah simply didn't like Laura because the man *she* likes is in love with Laura instead of her. It just gave the story an undertone of childishness that I didn't really enjoy. I also don't think that Trixie's timeline was necessary to the story, which made it detract further from my overall enjoyment.

Laura's Shadow was published in early August 2022. Thank you to Barbour Publishing, NetGalley and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

If you loved “The Little House on the Prairie” by Laura Infalks Wilder, then you will love this book! It is told in alternating time periods. Mariah lives in the 1800’s and was a student in Laura’s one room schoolhouse. Trixie is Mariah’s great-granddaughter, living in 1974.
If you read “These Happy Golden Years”, it tells about Laura’s time teaching. Mariah and Charles were in the book, but Mariah was named Martha. Mariah had a big crush on Cap Garland. He was Almanzo’s friend who also had a crush on Laura. We don’t really see Laura a lot in the book, but the effects of her relationship with Mariah and Cap are everlasting.
Trixie works for a newspaper in 1974. Her family calls her home because at 104 years old, great-grandma Mariah, GG, isn’t doing well.Trixie returns home and becomes reacquainted with her high school sweetheart. I loved how the story jumped back and forth telling the stories of these two amazing women. The young version of Mariah sometimes annoyed me. It’s not good to hold a grudge for your whole life.
This is perfect for a beach read. I want to thank the author, Barbour and NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Where to begin? I never read the little house on the prairie books, but I did watch the tv show when I was younger. I thought the book would have been about Laura Ingalls. But it was about a character from one of the books. If you have read the books and know of Mariah, is may be an easier transition into the story. As it is, I had a hard time following what was going on and especially why Mariah disliked Laura so much. As time went on, I followed along pretty good and started enjoying the story. Until Mariah allows a man into her bedroom and… yes it was behind closed doors, but I didn’t think she would really go through with it. The dual timeline takes place in 1974. I’m still not sure who all lived in the family home, but Mariah’s granddaughter Trixie, is summond home because Mariah is probably not going to live much longer. There are some loose ends that it’s really hard to follow. Not to mention I was very torn with whom I wanted her to end up with. I just felt like there was so much potential that was missed in this story. I really enjoyed a lot about this book, but I still felt a disconnect. Which really makes me sad when I wanted to love it. I have really in enjoyed all of the books in this series. 3.5 stars rounded up.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have enjoyed Barbour Publishing's Doors to the Past series, but this particular addition to the series fell a little flat. I didn't dislike it, but neither did I ever feel fully engaged with the story or the characters. I had been excited by the author's note at the beginning of the book explaining how the book was inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie books, thinking it would make the perfect gift for our daughter-in-law. After reading Laura's Shadow I no longer anticipate that she, a great fan of Ingall's books, would be delighted with this book. I also want to mention that I would classify the book more as clean fiction rather than Christian fiction. It is a dual-timeline tale.

I do remain grateful to have received a complimentary copy of Laura's Shadow from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

This was a very slow read. There was a lot of promise of great mysteries to be revealed but everything was discovered on a gradual pace.

I also did not really caught on to why the name Laura was such a bad thing for Mariah. She made her choices knowing facts so I did not believe that what happened was a cause for such a severe reaction.

There was a lot of mistakes made and opportunities for great redemption stories which I missed.

I also would have like to have a bit more insight in Mariah and Merill’s marriage.

Overall this story is a nice tribute to Little House on the Prairie and some lesser known characters, but it was a bit slow for my taste. Fans of the book series will enjoy seeing the places and people Pittman highlights! 3/5 stars

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.