This is a dual timeline novel that flowed beautifully. This is one of those books you curl up with and forget about life for a while. It holds your attention from the first page until the last. Loved it and highly recommend it.
I received a complimentary copy from Barbour Publishing via NetGalley and was not required to write a review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Mariah Patterson and her brother Charles are orphaned. Charles is older and cares for his sister. This is a book that goes from the past to the future showing several generations. It ells the story of Mariah and her brother Charles back in 1890 and then it goes to her Great Granddaughter in 1974. I loved this story and the secret that came out in this book. This book is about Love that you can not have but never is forgotten. I loved the character Mariah and her journey with her Great Granddaughter Trixie. This is my first book from this Author and a book I really liked. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read and write my honest opinion.

Laura’s Shadow is a split timeline from 1891 to 1974. Mariah is an orphan, living with her newly engaged brother. Trixie, a great daughter to Mariah, is a cartoonist with her “Lost Laura” cartoon. Ever since Laura Ingalls Wilder was briefly her teacher, Mariah Patterson has harbored resentment towards the woman. That resentment has grown over the years because the man Mariah is in love with secret pines for Laura, I really had a hard time liking her. The story: Not everyone loved Laura Ingalls Wilder. There was hardly a faith message in this story, I cannot classify it as a Christian fiction that Barbour Publishing is known to publish.

As someone who grew up reading the Laura Ingalls Wilder books, it was fun to have some familiar characters woven into this story. I enjoyed the dynamic of the 4 generations together but can't say I loved any of the main characters. Overall, this was a fun, quick read.

I received an advance e-copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and NetGalley. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

Laura's Shadow
by Allison Pittman
Pub Date: August 1, 2022
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book.
Allison Pittman’s Laura's Shadow is the story of the Gowan family of De Smet, South Dakota. Told in a dual timeline of 1890 and 1974, Trixie Gowan decides to return home to the farmhouse in De Smet where her great grandmother, Mariah, shares the story of her life. Pittman masterfully shows how the past can affect the future.
I have mixed feelings about this book. I will not be purchasing it for our library or recommending it.
3 stars

Another good addition to Barbour’s wonderful Doors to the Past series. Laura’s Shadow is slow paced but not in a bad way, with Allison Pittman’s beautifully descriptive writing. I was especially drawn in by Mariah, the 100 year old main character, thinking about how her life and all of the things around her so dramatically changed from childhood to the end of her life. The following poignant quote stuck in my mind: “The young woman illustrated in the novel would not recognize the woman upstairs, would not be able to survive in this world if not for the slow, day-to-day progression of life.” The timelines of the story worked together so well, especially because of the character who lived in both. I LOVED how the story ended, very imaginative and satisfying. A nice enjoyable read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Barbour for the opportunity to read and honestly review.

Allison Pittman’s Laura's Shadow is the story of the Gowan family of De Smet, South Dakota. Told in a dual timeline of 1890 and 1974, Trixie Gowan decides to return home to the farmhouse in De Smet where her great grandmother, Mariah, shares the story of her life. Pittman masterfully shows how the past can affect the future. I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this beautiful, well-written book full of mystery, family relationships, secrets, and romance. Well-done, Allison Pittman!

I have been a Laura Ingalls Wilder fan since I was in elementary school. When I saw the book, Laura's Shadow, I knew I had to read it. The idea that someone else was in competition for handsome Cap Garland's attention intrigued me.
Laura's Shadow is a duel timed novel. One part is set in De Smet, SD in 1890, and the other part is set in 1974. I thought the author did a great job of telling the story with perfect descriptions and clarity. I loved Trixie Gowan's family! They are funny, sassy, and tight-knit.
I was disappointed at one point of the story. As Christians, we know that sometimes we make bad choices and need to seek forgiveness. But, the main character in 1890, Mariah Peterson, runs full speed into sin with a one-night stand. I feel this is a flaw in the book and in Mariah's character.
Other than that, I enjoyed reading Laura's Shadow!

Laura’s Shadow takes a minor character from the Laura Ingalls Wilder books and makes her the focus. We meet Mariah, a re-named character from the Brewster school where Laura taught, and her brother Charles. Mariah and her brother haven’t had it easy in their lives, but they have each other. Mariah loves Cap Garland, another relatively minor character from the later books in the Little House series, but Cap loves Laura, leading to Mariah’s resentment. We see Mariah as she adjusts to a lot of changes in her life in a short period of time. We also jump forward in this dual timeline book to the 1970s, where we meet Mariah’s great-granddaughter, Trixie. With Mariah at the end of her life, Trixie learns the family secret that Mariah’s been carrying for years.

I liked Mariah’s story better than Trixie’s, but neither character won me over completely, particularly since I felt the family was written as dysfunctional more than lovable and a lot of the characters in this book were just plain unlikeable. That being said, Ms. Pittman’s writing was engrossing and emotional and I felt for these characters, particularly Mariah, even when I was a annoyed at them. Also, this is a minor thing but a significant part of the story was spoiled just by revealing Trixie’s last name early in the book.

I wanted to like this book so much more, and I know and appreciate that every book doesn’t have a happy ending so to speak but I just couldn’t get into this one mostly because I felt like there wasn’t much to redeem these characters.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.

I've read every book in the _Doors to the Past_ series (and really enjoyed them). This one is no exception!

Pittman is a talented author, quite skilled at crafting believable, interesting dual-time novels. I wasn't immediately sold on the 1891 storyline, but appreciated it by the end. (I also entirely overlooked the Laura Ingalls Wilder connection when requesting the book at NetGalley, so that discovery defo added another layer of interest; I did, after all, grow up during the 80s/90s, and caught reruns of the TV series at my cousins' house!)

I haven't read much fiction set in the 1970s, and thought it was great. How things have changed since then, lol--even since the 80s! (And yet, sometimes, nothing has changed, amirite?) This book really brought the decade to life for me, and its South Dakota setting reminded me not only of Wilder's books--which I need to reread now--but also Willa Cather's. I listened to _My Antonia_ earlier this year and have a newfound + deeper appreciation for Midwest settlers and their experiences.

The epilogue in particular stood out to me as a highlight of this read. The fangirling over Michael Landon made me literally LOL (because again, child of the 80s/90s ... and female at that. What female hasn't swooned over him at least once?)

I will note, there is a fade-to-black romantic scene in _Laura's Shadow_. Thankfully it is a one-off both in the "Doors to the Past" series and Pittman's books...I was glad it didn't go further than it did, but felt it could have been handled...better? Differently? Not sure. It was disappointing, though, and a bit jarring/unexpected. The only reason this gets 3.5 stars and not a full 4.

I received an eARC of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

At times I can read a book for pure enjoyment. I'm not immersed in facts, historically or otherwise. I simply find a compelling story and I sink into it. Laura's Shadow is that kind of book for me. I didn't read any of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books until I was in my early twenties, so I didn't have the childlike devotion to the wonderful stories others have had including Trixie Gowan.
I don't care for dual timeline stories, but I cared for the two main characters, Mariah and Trixie so much that that dislike melted away as I journeyed back and forth with their stories. I won't delve into them, I'd say, read the book!
This, to me, is one of the best what if storylines I have ever read and I love that the author let herself go there. What if Almanzo Wilder's friend and fellow hero, Oscar "Cap" Garland, was also in love with Laura Ingalls? What if one of her students, close in age, saw her very differently than her later years readers did? What if that girl, Mariah was drawn to Oscar? Oh, the what ifs are great in the story, right down to Mariah's great granddaughter. Trixie has surprises in store when she travels home to her 104-year-old GG's bedside. The book is well written with such an interesting take. I don't want to give any spoilers. The book is that good for my imagination and I want other readers to make their own discoveries.
I thank the publisher and NetGalley for my advanced reader's copy. This is my own personal opinion. I rarely read a book twice because there are so many out there but, I can see myself reading this one again.

Unfortunately I struggled getting into this dual timeline novel. It seemed to be a little slower paced than I typically prefer. I did enjoy the mentions of Laura Ingalls Wilder and it brought back sweet memories from my childhood when reading the Little House books.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine.

*Note: I received an advance copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest book review.

Laura’s Shadow is a great read for those who have, at one time or another, been a Laura Ingalls Wilder fan. Although this book does not feature Laura, it uses her as a connection to events that happened to her once-students mentioned in These Happy Golden Years. Cap Garland, a character mentioned several times in the later Little House books, is a supporting character in this fictional novel as well. The writer interweaves the story of generations of a single family, mainly the great-grandmother who knew Laura Ingalls Wilder, and her great-granddaughter who is living in the 1970’s. As I was reading the book, I likened the set up to Fried Green Tomatoes, where you hear a bit about Idgie’s story then a bit of Evelyn’s.

This was a quick read, as the story moves along at a good clip and keeps the reader engaged in the plot. Although this book was fictional, it was still researched enough to include true facts about some of the Little House characters. I was very sad to read what happened to Cap Garland while in his mid-twenties.

Having traveled to many of the Laura Ingalls Wilder homestead locations in the past, this book has enticed me to want to go back to DeSmet for a re-visit to the area.

We all have secrets, some that are carried to the grave. This book proves life has always been full of them, no matter the time period you live in, location you’ve lived, or age.

Part of the Doors to the Past series, this novel focuses on turn of the century Mariah and modern day Trixie (Mariah’s granddaughter). Trixie always knew that Mariah hated Laura Ingalls Wilder, but never knew why. The story unfolds by telling the circumstances leading up to Mariah’s hatred. I had a bit of trouble with Mariah’s thought process after she found out she was pregnant. During their ill fated night together Oscar told Mariah he didn’t love her and wouldn’t marry her. She was not forced. I really had a hard time liking her. Trixie is a “modern” girl raised by an out of wedlock mother. In fact, all the women in Trixie’s lineage seem to have trouble with men. I like Trixie a bit better than the women who came before her. All in all—just an okay read for me. I’ve read a lot of other books by Pittman that I liked better.

This was a great dual timeline book with a background focus on Laura Ingalls Wilder. This book focuses on a minor character in one of the "Little House" books in both timelines. In the past timeline, she's of similar age to Laura and in the more modern timeline (1970's), she's the great-grandmother to the heroine. Like many dual timelines, this is a story about how decisions in one's past affect the generations going forward. I enjoyed the character development in both timelines and the story lines as well. As a fan of the "Little House" tv series but not necessarily the books, I didn't get the same level of "geeking out" that fans of the book series likely will, but it was still fun to harken back to my childhood fandom of all things Laura Ingalls and it was fun to see a different take on her story through Mariah.

Both stories have likable and relatable characters, a subtle romance thread, good character-driven story and good real-life scenarios. I enjoyed that the modern character had an occupation that I've not seen in story before (a newspaper comic artist and ad creator). I enjoyed the "little house on the prairie" tie-in, but even if you've not read the books or watched the show, I think you would still enjoy the book - just may not get all of the references. But the storyline can still be enjoyed without that knowledge. I really enjoy this author's writing style and enjoyed this book and both of its timelines, and would recommend this one to fans of dual timelines and historical novels. Special thanks to Barbour Publishing and NetGalley for an advance e-copy of this book. I was under no obligation to provide a review and the thoughts contained herein are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 4
Pace: 3
Plot development: 3
Characters: 3
Enjoyability: 3
Ease of Reading: 4

Overall rating: 3 out of 5

Laura’s Shadow is Allison Pittman’s take on what could’ve happened with Marthe(who has been renamed Mariah) and Charles Patterson.

Mariah doesn’t like Laura Ingalls Wilder. This is the premise that Mariah was in love with Cap, who was, in turn, in love with Laura but he had nothing to offer Mariah.

This is a dual-time story with Mariah’s great-granddaughter, Trixie’s story is in the other timeline.

I didn’t connect with either Mariah or Trixie. I thought I wouldn’t be able to follow because I haven’t read Laura Ingalls Wilder but that wasn’t the case. It was just Mariah who had had a hard life and wasn’t a fan of Ms. Wilder.

This was a case of cover love for me and that’s what initially got me hooked into wanting to read this. It just did not end up what I was hoping for or where I wanted it to go either.

My gratitude to NetGalley and Barbour Books. All opinions expressed are mine.

If you are a huge Laura Ingall’s fan and do not want your golden image of her broken, you might not want to read this book.
The story is fictionalized, all except for Cap Garland’s death. Crafted from two briefly mentioned characters in “These Happy Golden Years”, the author creates a family duel time story to weave her own version of events.
I found the story sad for the most part. I can empathize with the great grandmother as I was also raised poor and isolated from my peers.

I'll read anything with reference to Laura Ingalls. This gave another perspective of Laura as a school teacher and then a fictional account of another independent female who lived in the same town of de smet, years later.

I enjoyed this book throughout. The characters were cheerful. It did read almost as a young adult book.

Ever since Laura Ingalls Wilder was briefly her teacher, Mariah Patterson has harbored a resentment towards the woman. That resentment has grown over the years—first because the man Mariah is in love with secretly pines for Laura, and then because of how Laura later portrays Mariah and her brother in her book These Happy Golden Years. Mariah did not have an easy life. She and her brother were orphaned at a young age, and they spent their teenage years trying to eke out a living on the South Dakota prairie. When her brother marries, Mariah is left feeling abandoned. Her loneliness drives her into making a mistake that affects the rest of her life.



Trixie McGowan is Mariah Patterson's great-granddaughter. She's always known about Mariah's hatred of Laura Ingalls Wilder, but she's never known the reason why. With Mariah dying, Trixie is summoned home from the big city to hear her great-grandmother's family secrets.



To be perfectly honest, the only reason I requested LAURA'S SHADOW from NetGalley was because the description mentioned Laura Ingalls Wilder and I wanted to see what that was about. Otherwise, I wouldn't go near anything that is categorized as Christian fiction. Those who do enjoy reading Christian fiction will probably be disappointed by the lack of religion. There were a few brief passages that took place at church and a couple discussions about religion, but that was about it.



Laura Ingalls only makes a physical appearance in the prologue. The rest of the time, she's just a shadow hanging over Mariah's life and Mariah places an insane amount of blame on the other woman. She thinks Laura was a horrible teacher. She's jealous of Laura because she had a better life than Mariah. And she absolutely hates the woman because Cap Garland has never gotten over his teenage crush on her.



Laura isn't the only real life person in the novel. Cap Garland was also a real person, and, while Pittman took liberties with his personality, she did stick to the facts when it came to his heroic act in helping save the town of De Smet one winter. She also portrayed his tragic death accurately. Mariah and Charles Patterson were also based on real people. (She calls them Marthe and Charles Harrison in her early writings.) It is believed that they were really Charles and May Elizabeth Rundle. Pittman took these two real people and made them completely her own.



I'm really not a fan of dual timelines/dual narratives. In LAURA'S SHADOW, every other chapter switches between Mariah and Trixie. Personally, I wasn't a fan of either main character. Mariah is extremely bitter, and I found Trixie to be annoying. I could have done with more story from Mariah and a whole lot less of Trixie. Overall, the novel was well written, but I felt there was a lack of depth. Facts were presented and statements were made, but there was absolutely no explanation or backstory. Had there been some more details, I think the novel would have been more enjoyable.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.