The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Having embarked on a re-read of the Little House books last year, this book would be a perfect companion piece to that series or for anyone who is a Little House fan. Such an enjoyable read.

I grew up on Laura Ingalls Wilder. I was a Minnesota gal! My favorite teacher shared two wonderful book series with us. The Box Car Children and all things Laura Ingalls Wilder!

I fell in love with the pioneering spirit of these wonderful books. The trials, the joy, sadness and heartache that all was apart of their lives.

As an adult, I returned to Minnesota and we visited Burr Oak, in Iowa which was not far from my Minnesota border town home. Now I've shared my love of these books with my daughter and also my granddaughter.

These books are so special to me and I was so thrilled to see this commemorative book on behalf of Laura's 150th birthday.

The book is beautiful and does a real loving memory to this wonderful author and pioneering woman. Her illustrations and art work are just amazing and the text brought a few tears to my eyes as I remembered the stories and the details of the lives of these people who became a part of my growing up years. Such a beautiful book, the kind you want to leave on your coffee table for all to browse through.

And as a genealogist, I loved looking at the plat maps, seeing where they lived throughout their lives. I never really realized how often they started over, although I knew that there were several homes.

This book is truly a reminder of the many happy childhood memories this author shared with me and many others who have loved and treasured her books. So happy to have had a chance to see this wonderful tribute to Laura Ingalls Wilder.

I received an e-book version of this book from NetGalley for my honest review, which I have given. All thoughts are my own.

Settle in for a deep dive into all things Wilder—and what could be better than that? Charming and engrossing and, appropriately for the subject at hand, rich in breadth and detail. One will want to read or reread Wilder’s books alongside, as Marta McDowell encourages readers to do. Illustrations are lovely and informative and match the book’s tone. Fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder will find much to relish here.

Reading this was like a journey back to my childhood. I read the Little House books with my mom and sister and again later as a awkward teen. With beautiful illustrations and art work, it was a wonderful reminder of sitting in a hammock, reading and putting myself in the world of Laura, Mary, Ma and Pa.

I received an e-book version of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Wonderful details and information. I would really enjoy having this in print to go with my LIW bios and books and everything. I always love getting more details into her life. The layout and images really packed a great punch.

Perfect for any fan of the Little House books. I really liked the addition of information of what sites you can visit today and the Garth Williams illustrations.

As a child I loved Little House on the Prairie both the books and the TV show. I still watch reruns now and then. This book is an awesome addition to anyone who loves Laura Ingalls Wilder and her adventures. It actually gives you actual historical facts. It introduces you in depth to more people mentioned in the story like Momma and Poppa Ingalls' family and more.

There are wonderful drawings, pictures, and maps in this book. It gives you an even deeper understanding of life during Laura's time. You also learn about the small towns, the foods both wild and farmed and so much more. it really is a very interesting book.

I received this book from the Author or Publisher via Netgalley.com to read and review.

Any fan, anyone who grew up with Laura Ingalls Wilder shaping their lives through her books and/or the TV Show based on her life will want an opportunity to read and explore this book. It’s a heartfelt and beautiful rendering of that strong, pioneer woman; a true dedication to her memory and the impact she’s had on multiple generations.

Marta McDowell included some great illustrations to accompany her carefully research text that will have you journeying down memory lane as if these stories were your own. It’s the kind of thing you keep out for guests to notice and peruse so they too can enjoy the emotional impact of a cherished treasure.

I knew she had moved a bit but until I saw this book I had no idea she moved this many times and across so much of the country.

I think it’s one of those books that will appeal to people who are into historical and or genealogical kind of studies as there is a great deal of info on plants, terrain, farming, architecture of the time, and so forth. If someone was going to pick this up thinking it’s just like the previous fictional books released by her and others they may be disappointed. I didn’t notice any new information so much as just a lot of info that had previously been spread across multiple works which focused on specific subjects of the time, people and obviously Laura’s family so this book is more of a one stop place to research.

What an amazing book. Any Laura Ingills fan would fall in love with this one.
Amazing drawings and pictures of plants and buildings, all relating to history of the Ingalls farm and their life. A great deal of information about the land, farming and how they lived.
Highly recommended reading for anyone who enjoys history and especially Laura Ingalls.

What a fascinating and beautiful book! I love the details such as an exhibit showing the length of plant roots, illustrations of growing edible root plants, and the extensive table listing plants found in Laura Ingalls Wilder's books. I appreciate the inclusion of several maps, and the researcher in me loves the end notes and references for further reading.

A truly worthy companion to The Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Beloved children's stories a become a part of each persons childhood memories. Writing about them or, even more bravely, writing a companion book like The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder has to been done extraordinarily well. Marta McDowell went above and beyond my hopes and expectations.

The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder is full of information about Laura's life; her family, the places they lived, and about the flora and fauna in those places. I loved the old photographs and the copies of old advertisements sprinkled throughout this book.

This book tells the story of Laura Ingalls Wilder in such great detail. It's not only a history book, but a botany book, farmers guide, memoir, picture book etc etc. There are so many wonderful aspects of this work. It's interesting not only because I have a greater understanding of Laura as a person but I have a greater understanding of what was like when she lived. All the pictures bring things to life in a new way. I love that pictures that I remember from the Little House books are included. It really ties the reader to the books. Lots of connects were made in my head. I want to go back and reread all the Little House books now after having read this. Beautifully written and presented. Would be a lovely coffee table book!
I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

The story follows Laura Ingalls Wilder’s stays in Wisconsin, Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, and Missouri. The book is not a retelling of Wilder’s life, but a botanical journey of the areas she lived. Maps, pictures of the landscape, and numerous garden plant illustrations accompany text describing living conditions, cultural and social relevance for Wilder and family. An extensive list of the plants that Laura grew and knew includes the common name, botanical name, work the plant is reference in and whether the plant is grown at the Rocky Ridge Farm. There is also a list of recommended readings along with sources and citations. The book is an excellent addition to libraries for fans of Wilder and biologists.

I received this book through Net Galley. Although encouraged as a courtesy to provide feedback to the publisher, I was under no obligation to write a review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Brings back so many childhood memories. Great book for Laura fans!

"The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder" is a companion book to the Little House books. We're told the locations and dates for each book in the series. Going book by book, the author explained things like the history of each location and what was typical for the area at that time. She also gave more detail on the plants and farm work mentioned in the books. There were many pictures and illustrations of the places, tools, and plants. She included maps showing the locations where Laura lived.

Basically, each chapter was a companion to a book or location in the series: Wisconsin Woods ("Little House in the Big Woods"), New York Farm ("Farmer Boy"), Prairie of Kansas ("Little House on the Prairie"), Creekside in Minnesota & Iowa ("On the Banks of Plum Creek"), The Dakota Prairie ("By the Shores of Silver Lake" and "The Long Winter"), Settled Farm & Settled Town ("Little Town on the Prairie" and "These Happy Golden Years"), and Great Plains to Ozark Ridge ("The First Four Years"). The author also covered Laura's life at Rocky Ridge Farm and Rock Home (based on letters, newspapers, and other writings).

She ended by describing the places that a person might enjoy visiting if interested in seeing the places where Laura Wilder lived. She also included a list of plants mentioned in the books for those interested in planting those flowers, trees, etc. The book was a fun, quick read. Overall, I'd recommend this interesting book to fans of the Little House series.

Loved this book! It brought me back to my childhood and all of my fond memories reading the Little House on the Prairie series. I learned so much about the Wilders and the I wish this book had been around when I was younger! I'd love to try to plant my own Little House garden in honor of one of my favorite book series. The book itself is beautifully arranged and the photographs and illustrations are fantastic. Well done!

The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes that Inspired the Little House Books by Marta McDowell is a charming book filled with old-fashioned images that include wood cut prints and botanical drawings. Interspersed in her book our the stories of the Ingall's family's travels from the east to the west and the states they lived in. The Ingall's story often mirrored my husband's family's story as his family moved from the east to Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and later the Dakota Territory much like the Ingall's family. Reading this book truly does tell about the history of the American pioneers who moved westward in search of a better life.

McDowell has included a treasure trove of plant and gardening information throughout her book. She teaches about some of the old-fashioned plants not often found in modern times. She also tells about plants still enjoyed today by many Midwesterners. The chokecherry is a good example of a plant used by modern cooks today to make chokecherry jam or syrup.

Recommend.

Review written after downloading a galley from Net Galley.

I was a little doubtful when I started this book. I thought it would be a bit boring but I was pleasantly surprised to be wrong. The author talks about each of the places Laura and her family lived. She discusses what the landscape was like and the type of vegetation and flowers were around that the Ingalls family would have used to survive. The best part were the text examples taken from the book. I felt like I was re-reading the books again which now I really want to do. There were great photos of the family sprinkled through out the book and information and pictures of all the homesteads they lived on. The author has been to all of them and shares her experiences visiting them. I have been to two sites, South Dakota and Missouri, and would love to visit more, especially Almanzo's childhood home in Malone, New York. If you are a fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder, this is a must read. This book publishes at the end of September.

An in-depth look into the background of the Little House stories and the lives of the Ingalls/ Wilder families, with a focus on the agricultural details touched on in the books. I found this a fascinating read, as it meticulously follows the timeline of Laura and Almanzo Wilder's lives, including maps of their travels, townships and homesteads over the years. The author has done a lot of research, weaving together parts of the fiction series and Laura's biography, with anecdotes of her own that add color to the story. Beautiful botanical drawings, photographs and other vintage prints throughout make this a quality book to leave out on the coffee table. It would be a nice addition to any library, especially if someone has an interest in history and gardening.
Recommend!

A beautiful companion to the original Little House books by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

The moment I saw the author of this book, I wanted to read it. I sat down one grey and gloomy day to read McDowell's GARDENING LIFE OF BEATRIX POTTER and was completely immersed in summer, flowers, and the heady scent of the English countryside and the sheep-dotted slopes of the Lake District.

While there have been many books in the last couple of decades written about Laura Ingalls Wilder, this is the only one that addresses not simply events in Laura's life, but the landscapes her family lived in, the wildlife she saw, the plants that grew in the diverse areas in which she lived. Each chapter corresponds with a milestone in the life of a plant, from seed as Laura is born and spends her early years in the Big Woods of Wisconsin (and Almanzo grows up in the cold north of New York), to late harvest as she and husband Almanzo grow old at Rocky Ridge Farm in Missouri. It is also more generally a history of westward expansion and the flora and fauna found by the settlers when they arrived.

This is a beautiful book, liberally illustrated with color and black-and-white photos of the Ingalls family, illustrations from both Helen Sewell and Garth Williams from the Little House books, botanical prints, maps, and clippings from newspapers, brochures, magazines, etc. that tell the story of the European settling of the Midwest. McDowell's words bring to mind winter chill, summer warmth, birdsong, the sheer awe of the tall prairie grass (don't compare prairie grass to what grows on your front lawn; these are mammoth blades of grass which were higher than a man's head and gave to the bison all the nourishment needed), the scent and sight of fields of wildflowers, the blue sky arching above. For anyone who loves nature, or who wishes to know as closely as possible what Laura experienced in the Wisconsin woods, on the Kansas prairie, in the Iowa groves, and in the hills of Mansfield, Missouri, this is a keeper for certain.

Perfect for a quiet day with cocoa and soft music playing in the background.

As a lover of all things Laura Ingalls Wilder and a gardener, this is a perfect book to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Laura Ingalls birth. I thought that after reading the wonderful Pioneer Girl: the annotated autobiography two years ago that most of what we know about Laura Ingalls Wilder was documented. However Marta McDowell manages to not only bring a wonderful gardening slant to the information we have from the Little House novels as well as LIW's nonfiction and papers but she also gives us new tidbits: Ma & Pa lived near Ma's parents when they were first married and grew hops which were needed by many local breweries. (The one question I wish was answered however was what, if any, effect did the Civil War have on Ma & Pa?).
Most of the book follows the path of the novels, detailing the type of land and therefore the type of farming that the Ingalls as well as the Wilders did on their various farms. Ms. McDowell also intersperses her own family stories when they seem to intersect the experiences of LIW -- apparently husking black walnuts is not an easy thing to do! The author knows her plants and does an excellent job of passing on that knowledge. The last part of the book gives you detailed notes on visiting Wilder gardens as well as lists of plants that are in the novels and/or LIW's papers. This is a book that should go with you if you decide to visit the sites of Laura Ingalls Wilder.

This book would be a gardener's delight! I can think of several people I'd share this with. I'm not much of a gardener, but even I enjoyed the expanded history of one of my favorite authors!

Review: The World Of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes That Inspired The Little House Books

On June 8, 2017 by Dawn
The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes that Inspired the Little House Books
The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes that Inspired the Little House Books by Marta McDowell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

To wind up today, im going to hit you with a third, big, beautiful coffee-table book.

It’s 2017, and this year marks the 150th birthday of this most beloved of authors. The Little House On The Prairie series needs no introduction, nor explanation, being at the heart of American literature itself.

In this volume, we explore the trails themselves, the landscape, the history of the world young Laura inhabited. With charming botanical drawings and vivid language. McDowell sets the stage for us in a way Dame Wilder would have never considered necessary… it being unimaginable that her audience would be ignorant of basic farm tools and processes.

Scene by scene and farm by farm, “The World of Laura” draws out the reminders that while fictionalized, Wilder sets her tales in a very real place, a place that has since been painted over by modernity, but still exists in the cracks and corners.

Grab this for the Prairie lovers in your life, and all to the better if there’s interest in gardening, farming, or botanicals.

View all my reviews

Oh my, this is a wonderful book. So much information about plants, the journeys of LIW. I loved reading it and the pictures are superb. The author has done an outstanding job on this book.

It's been a very long time since I've reread Wilder's books or re-watched the television series, but just recently I was able to final fulfill a dream I've had of visiting one of the places that Wilder lived back in her youth, Walnut Grove, MN.
What a buzz I got from just seeing the land and the town that she wrote about all those years ago.

McDowell has done a fantastic job with her book. The illustrations and photographs, along with her text, bring back all the excitement I felt when I first read the books and have built on thrill of visiting Walnut Grove.

If you are a Little House fan this is a must read volume. It will make you fall in love with Wilder all over again!

This book gives an in-depth view of the places that Laura Ingalls Wilder lived during her life. Plants and vegetation grown during her life is better explained. The pictures and illustrations added immensely to the book. The added tidbits of information about Laura and her daughter, Rose is very interesting. Recommended!

Growing up, I always wanted to be in Laura's world and this book got me pretty close. It was beautifully done with its images and pages. I was thrilled to read this book and reminisce. It will delight any reader young or old that has a taste for the historic and the west.

I really, really enjoyed this book. Marta McDowell's exploration of the wild world Laura lived in was excellent. The book focuses a chapter on each of the places Laura called home. As we travel through Laura's life, we get to experience the wide variety of flora and fauna with her. Ms. McDowell quotes liberally from the works of Laura Ingalls Wilder, includes lush pictures, and solidly researched information about the plants and wildlife then and now.
The final two chapters are rooted firmly in the present. Visiting Wilder Gardens is chock full of helpful hints to make the most out of a road trip following the Laura Ingalls Wilder trail. Growing a Wilder Garden has a thorough lost of all the plants mentioned in Laura's writings and notations about cultivation at Rocky Ridge Farm. Additionally there are resources provided for heirloom seeds and gardening implements - basically everything you need to grow an authentic pioneer garden.
The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder is a must read for every fan of the Little House books.

Like many young girls, I grew up fascinated by Laura Ingalls Wilder's tales of frontier life. However, in re-reading them as an adult, I wanted more ~ more details, more description, a stronger connection with one of American's most beloved storytellers. "The World of Laura Ingalls" adds depth and dimension to the stories Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote for children. The research and historical fact in this book provides a broader frame of reference with which to appreciate Laura Ingalls Wilder's timeless series.

"The World of Laura Ingalls" is a must for educators and teachers. Those with a life-long love for the classic books will treasure this addition to their collection for the way it enriches the legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family.

This is a wonderful addition to my Little House library! This book is full of facts and information that gives the super fan more of the background surrounding the stories we love. It definitely reads like a non fiction book so do not start this book with the expectation that it will read like the original stories. The reader will find answers and explanations for things they had never thought of before. Perfect! Thanks to Netgalley for letting me read an early copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

A gorgeous book of natural history. Filled with illustrations, maps, and photographs, the presentation here is lovely, and the content thorough. Gardeners, history buffs, and Little House devotees will enjoy this close examination of the landscape of Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved novels.

Book received from NetGalley.

I think I woke my husband up with my squealing like a fangirl when I saw that I was approved for this book. I have loved Laura Ingalls Wilder's books for years and am always thrilled when something new comes out about her, though much of it is about things I have already learned about her. I grew up reading the "Little House" books, especially with my family coming from one of Missouri's neighbors. Laura was definitely one of their better-known daughters though her life took her through many states and territories in the US. Since this year is the 150th anniversary of her birth and with the success of "Pioneer Girl", I was hoping for some new non-fiction books to be released. I believe that this one is a great addition to the library. It focuses on the botany, biology, geography, and geology of the areas the Ingalls and Wilder families lived, focusing mainly on Laura. This would be a great book for the older children who want to know more about what the prairies that Laura lived on were like, and the adults that still wonder what a chokecherry is or why in the world Ma thought that watermelons gave you malaria. I loved the illustrations and photos in the book, especially the illustrations of the prairie plants that Laura described in her books. It's going to be a long wait until this comes out in September so I can add it to my shelves.

Such a gorgeous book with the most beautiful illustrations and photographs-- an absolute delight!

For those who love the Little House books, this is another angle into the Wilder world. Learning about the plants during the time of the life of Laura Ingalls Wilder helps readers understand another insight into their lives, in the very specific topic of botany.

“It is the simple things of life that make living worthwhile, the sweet fundamental things such as love and duty, work and rest, and living close to nature.”
— Laura Ingalls Wilder

You want to make someone smile? Start talking about Laura Ingalls Wilder.

“Once upon a time.” Like many children’s stories, Laura Ingalls Wilder opened Little House in the Big Woods with this quiet invitation to readers to turn their thoughts back in time. Hers was a long story, rooted in her father’s and her husband’s, tales of family and farms and nature – a nature that was sometimes inviting and sometimes ferocious. It began in Wisconsin. (World of Laura Ingalls Wilder, pg 17)

Marta McDowell, a New York Times bestseller in her own right, commemorates Laura’s 150th birthday with this enchanting book filled with flowers, photographs and delightful illustrations of the places, people, flora, fauna and homes that filled Laura and Almanzo’s lives.

Don’t be fooled into thinking this is a childish work. The author has crawled beneath the covers of the Little House books and brought the physical world depicted in Laura’s books alive. No fairy tale here; just hard working pioneers accepting the challenge of working in harmony with nature.

Stand alongside Laura, first as a child, and later as a mother herself, as she gathers berries and nuts from the forest and fields; meticulously documenting what she has found for future reference. Sweat with her as she boils the berries for preserves in a room already sweltering from the summer heat. Hand her the canning jars and the melted paraffin to seal in the fruit and keep out the spoilers. Stand back as she continues with her daily chores – on to fixing a hearty meal for her exhausted husband.

Head out to the forest with Alamanzo and his axe as he clears land for a new home, fields for the crops and domestic animals. As the years progress, observe his willingness to experiment with crop rotations and research new agricultural equipment to expand and improve their livelihood.
Experience the heartbreak of leaving loved ones and good friends behind after calamity has destroyed your hard work. Step up and take a seat in the wagon as they head out; stoically starting over…again and again. Somewhere else. Sit in the buggy and bounce and jostle along wandering through towering prairie grass toward an unknown future.

With all the hard work necessary just to survive, it will surprise you to see how valuable education and literature was to both the Charles (Pa) Ingalls family and later with Laura and Almanzo. Where did they find the time in each day? Charles nurtured his children with stories about faraway places. Laura has provided generations of children with pioneer pride, responsibility, unity of purpose, community spirit and a love for nature and the world. Her books are as popular as ever today.

Meet Laura’s daughter, Rose, named for the sweet-smelling prairie flower that infused the air during the Wilder’s courtship. Learn how Rose, a bestselling author, helped her mother hone her own writing talents.

As each chapter was a diorama of a particular home site, I took my time reading the book. My favorite times were sitting on my screen porch overlooking my garden and I found that I shared Laura’s interest in the cycle of life progressing all around me. Laura and I watched birds hatch, flowers emerge from winter sleep, and note the arrival of summer’s sounds.

This dynamic work doesn’t end at Rocky Ridge Farm on the Wilder’s front porch where Almanzo and Laura enjoyed their waning years. It continues with several chapters that include a tour guide to the Ingalls and Wilder homesites today and a handy table listing all the flowers Laura mentioned in her books along with citations to each referenced. Bonus. Sources of heirloom seeds is provided for the inspired gardener.

Highly recommended reading. Here is the perfect gift for a nature loving friend or relative.

A treasure trove for the Laura Ingalls Wilder fan that goes above and beyond anything I have seen before. This book will satiate a wide range of readers and those that want to know and experience the maximum!

What a wonderful resource this volume is, filled with information about plants, geography, history and literature. Not every reader will want to read every word, but there is something for everyone, whether you loved the Little House books or are thinking of taking a tin-can tour of America ( as Alonzo described traveling by car) The photographs and colorful paintings of the Wilder gardens add an extra dimension to your enjoyment. The index and credits are very useful for tracking down a particular plant in a specific garden. All in all, this is a book to savor just as you might meander through a marvelous garden. Consider giving this as a gift to a very special gardening friend.

The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes that Inspired the Little House Books by Marta McDowell is facinating in that it follows Laura's moves from Wisconsin to Kansas, Minnesota, Iowa, South Dakota, and Missouri. Not only do we get to travel along with the Ingalls' and Wilder's, but we learn about pioneering history, American agriculture, animals, native plants, and trees.

Many of us that are familiar with Laura's books are aware she harbored a deep love for her country, and was of strong character. She was active in the community, participating in local fairs. The Wilder's were able to make a substainable living off their land. What they didn't eat, and store, was often fed to their livestock.

This is really the type of book I was waiting for. But, I don't want to give away to much of it. So, I'll just go over a few points that I felt were interesting. Laura was happy to tour 'Muir Woods' while visiting daughter Rose, in California. We know from history that Muir's family emigrated to American, his family settled in Wisconsin the same state Laura was born in.

You also learn that Laura was also known to be drawn to "Tennyson's...Maude". And, if you are familiar with the poem, you might think they were standing together when Tenneyson wrote , "From the lake to the meadow and on to the wood." This, too, was Laura's scenery. And, if you've read any of her books, you'll know she writes about being near water. I thought it very fitting this book includes a photo of an older Laura...near water.

Yes, there were many hardships for Ingalls' and Wilder's. And, I love how Marta McDowell depicts their struggles in a detailed but not depressing manner.

Laura was forty four when her first article appeared in the 'Ruralist' and she lived to see all of her books be reprinted, and in mutiple languages. I love that this story was teamed with photos, illustrations, drawings and clippings from newspapers of Laura's lifetime. My opinion is this book is truly a gem.

Author Marta McDowell takes readers to each location Laura Ingalls Wilder and her husband Almonzo lived, discussing things present and things omitted from the books. The book shows Laura's connection with the land, demonstrating the importance of agriculture in the era in which she lived. The book designed to celebrate the 150th birthday of the author is well-researched but written at a level most fans will enjoy. Its carefully selected illustrations add to the reading experience for the fan. The book would make a great gift for those reading the books for the first time or for a lifelong Laura Ingalls Wilder enthusiast. This review is based on an advance electronic galley provided by the publisher through NetGalley for review purposes.

Absolutely beautiful photographs. A must read for all fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Little House books.

Fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series will enjoy this beautifully researched and well written book. It explores the landscapes of Laura's life from her birth in Wisconsin to her death on her beloved Rocky Ridge Farm in Missouri. Filled with illustrations from the original Little House Books and photos of Laura and family as well as places she lived, the book provides an armchair journey through Laura's life. The last chapters provide advice for visiting gardens if exploring the landmarks in each of Laura's homes as well as a list of plants that could be included in a "Wilder" garden of one's own. A lovely read.

A great school book or a companion book if you just love the Little House of the Praise books or TV series. I really enjoyed this book. There are full color pictures in this book that brings what the author is talking about in a visual form. That is SO helpful for all ages and keeps the reader reading. We enjoyed reading about the “pioneers of our country” and the hardships they faced. The way they lived off the land and made due with what they had. I recommend you pick up a copy of this book for yourself and enjoy.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

All the background for you Laura Ingalls Wilder fans. The author does a great job of pulling in what the Little House family really ate, grew and saw during their travels and various homesteads. This would be a great companion piece to anyone who is reading the book series. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

I received this copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I love Laura Ingalls Wilder. The first chapter book I read by myself was Little House in the Big Woods. Even before that (and after too) I lived in my prairie dress. One year for Christmas, my grandfather got me a washboard and a washtub so I could wash things just like Laura did. We share the same first name. She was my constant companion through childhood. Even as an adult, I go back to her books year after year. I’m always cautious about reading a book about Laura (as opposed to one by Laura). What if this person doesn’t treat ‘my Laura’ the way I feel she deserves to be treated? So I approached The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder with caution.
I needn’t have been worried. Marta McDowell treated Laura with the reverence and love that is befitting of a beloved childhood friend. The book follows Laura and her family through their travels as portrayed in the Little House series (including an excursion to the Wilder farm in New York). At each step, McDowell details the crops, trees, vegetables, and flowers the Ingalls (or the Wilders) encountered. I’m not sure I had noticed the plethora of plant life in Laura’s books before, but they are very much there. My next read-through of her books will have me paying closer attention! And now, thanks to The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder, I have a visual to go with the names.
The pictures were lovely botanical prints, as well as articles and maps from Laura’s time period. Occasionally, I would come across a picture that seemed out of place. While talking about the family’s time in Kansas, there is a picture of a river or a creek, but which one isn’t specified. Is this the same river Mr. Edwards crossed to bring Mary and Laura their presents from Santa? I would love to know!
Sprinkled throughout the book, in italics, are the author’s personal recollections. While interesting, they didn’t feel like they belonged to the book. They were spaced oddly throughout the chapters, and they were infrequent.
The second part of the book was a travel guide of sorts to Laura Ingalls Wilder sites around the US. It made me want to immediately hop in my car and drive to Wisconsin! There is also a thorough, well organized list of plants mentioned in the Little House books. This list also notes which books the each plant appeared in. Next year, I am planting violets.
My ARC was an eBook, but based on the illustrations, I expect the physical copy to be beautiful! I look forward to seeing it in print. McDowell did her research (as evidence in the extensive sources at the end) and her love of Laura blooms across each page. I come from a family of Little House lovers and have already recommended The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder to several aunts and cousins. I really enjoyed the book, finishing it in less than twenty-four hours!

The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder (The Frontier Landscapes that Inspired the Little House Books) by Marta McDowell is the book for anyone who has ever fallen in love with the Little House books. I found it to be a comprehensive look of the land, crops and plants that Laura Ingalls Wilder would have known. Many people may well be aware of these maps, produce, flora and terrain of the regions where she lived, but for someone like me who knew and enjoyed only her books as a child, I found this book to be interesting and enlightening as I traveled back in time to journey with Laura.


Some features of The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder I liked the most were the quotes from the books, of course that’s a given, but also, I enjoyed the author’s personal notes from her own heritage. The varied type of illustrations; drawings and actual photographs from the time period as well as the flora, maps, the Currier & Ives prints and the illustrations that were in the first edition books. I especially loved the Growing the Wilder Garden section near the end of the book. When finished with this book, I had the urge to - first, go find my childhood copies of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s books to reread and second, to go plant something that would win Laura’s approval.

With accurate and often vivid descriptions, McDowell recreated the places where Laura Ingalls Wilder lived and that readers know from the Little House books. In the first part of the book, each chapter provides a history of each place as well as a natural history description of the flora and fauna located there. Often, the source of this material is Wilder’s own writing, whether it was her memoir Pioneer Girl, her novels, her numerous newspaper and magazine articles, or letters written to family and friends. Other sources include the writings of Rose Wilder Lane, Almanzo Wilder, and Carrie Ingalls Swanzey. McDowell also provides an overall historical perspective to each location and its time in history.

The second part of the book was filled with reference materials. There was a chapter about visiting the various Laura Ingalls Wilder historic sites, including must-sees and that natural resources still there. Another chapter featured a list of all the flora Wilder would have seen it her lifetime and where plus whether or not it was one of the many demonstration plants at the Rocky Ridge Farm site. This section also listed all of the resources used when penning this book and additional further reading.

Throughout the book, insights were provided that expanded on the Little House novels. With its abundance of photographs and illustrations, readers could finally see what Wilder saw and that should help in understanding the various flora and fauna in the novels. McDowell also traveled to many of the places to capture the images and at times interjects her own experiences that were similar to Laura in special asides to supplement the narrative. After reading this, I think I need to reread the novels of my youth and see if it has helped to broaden my understanding of the time and place.

I will come back and add a link to my review once it is posted to my blog, likely in late August or early September, closer to the publication date.

Thank you to Net Galley and Timber Press for an advance read of this title. I was a child who devoured this series, and I'm sure somewhat alienated myself pretending I was Laura....So, of course, it's likely I'd have liked this book....but I found it wonderful. It follows along the maps of Laura and Almanzo's travels, with beautiful botanical drawings and photographs that bring this area to life. It's a beautiful and well written book.

Like many women in America, I grew up reading all of Wilder's "Little House" books. For my 10th birthday my mother made me a prairie dress and bonnet so I could pretend that I was Laura Ingalls, living on the prairie and struggling through the many hardships that she experienced with her family. Growing up in Southern California, I wasn't familiar with the places where the Ingalls family lived, but learned a bit about geography and plants through her books.

This book serves as an adult fix for me to learn more about Laura, where she lived, and her local resources. I am amazed at all of the hardships she had to go through, including long blizzards, drought, locust plagues, and more. This book puts a lot of these events in a historical and geographical context.

After reading this book, I am ready to jump into my car and visit each of the locations where the family lived. It has renewed my fascination with this incredible woman!

Have you read the books that Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote? I did. My mom turned them on for me. I probably wouldn't had read them otherwise. This book is wonderful in that it added more information about what her life was like for her as she grew up. The author goes through each book and gives you maps, facts, activities, crafts, and recipes. Included in the book are family photographs. I learned about the trees, plants and gardens that she grew. I hope to someday to see at least one of Laura Ingalls Wilder homes that have been turned into museums if not all. There is also a family tree.

If you are a fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder books, this is a great addition to have. If you are curious about what the life, land and nature was, this is a good book to read. I am so glad I had the chance to read this!

This is a nice companion piece to Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House" series. It does a nice job of describing the various places her family lived and the flora of each locality. Like "Pioneer Girl," a complementary resource for any Wilder fans.

The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder is a wonderful book with an extensive amount of information. This gem highlights the natural world that surrounded Laura and her family. It is full of information, pictures, photos, and maps. It's a cross of a botany book, and reminiscent of a farmers almanac mixed with factual information n our beloved family, as well as updated references. This book belongs in the library of any Little House but is a great standalone book to anyone who just enjoys learning about a natural environment.

Full disclosure: I received a free e-galley from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ms. McDowell takes us through the gardens, fields, meadows, and towns where Laura Ingalls Wilder and Almanzo lived as children and as adults. There are in-depth descriptions of the plants they encountered along the way, as well as the trials of life they endured. The illustrations alone are worth purchasing the book.

Recommended for public libraries and for academic libraries that have children’s literature collections.

As a fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder's LITTLE HOUSE series, I highly recommend this book for others who love the books. It provides an interesting insight into the world presented by Wilder.

A look at the natural history behind the flora and fauna described in Laura Ingalls Wilder's books. A delight to peruse, and I especially enjoyed seeing the rare Helen Sewell illustrations (though I love Garth Williams's also).

What a gorgeous book! And what an interesting twist on biography! Obviously, the Little House books are set in the forests and prairies of the American frontier. We all have vague notions of lots of trees and lots of grass, but this book enables the reader to understand much more fully how those trees and grasses shaped the people of the Little House books that we know and love so much.

I found the book utterly fascinating. I’m not an avid gardener myself, but I enjoy learning about nature. Understanding how very different the prairie of 150 years ago is from the prairie now was eye-opening. I live fairly close to an Indiana state park that is seeking to restore the prairie as it was, and this book was very helpful in learning about the native plants of the Midwest and enabled me to picture more completely the scenes that Mrs. Wilder so vividly describes.

The table that lists each and every flora and fauna covered in Mrs. Wilder’s books is impressive. I especially liked the resources for ordering heirloom seeds for the various species of plants. A wonderful immersive project for a classroom or homeschool family would be to grow a Wilder Garden. Nowadays, it’s overwhelming to think about growing all the food that one’s family might need, and yet back then, it was very common. This books gives insight into what it might have taken to accomplish such a task.

I gratefully received this book as an eARC from the author, publisher, and NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased review.

This is a lovely companion to the Little House on the Prairie books which shows Laura's love of nature, including the beautiful flowers and abundance of wildlife in the American West, and describes the history of the family's journey to the West. The author also writes about her own relationship with nature and her search for Laura's past. The gorgeous illustrations and photos help readers imagine Laura's life.

I received this free ebook from Net Galley in return for an honest review.

The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder will be a delight to fans of her books. McDowell's carefully researched book brought to life the flora, fauna and terrain of those beloved books. What a wonderful commemoration to step into Wilder's shoes in what would have been Wilder's 150th birthday year and vicariously see her world! Gardeners will also enjoy the instructions for growing a little house inspired garden. Thank you Timber Press and NetGalley for the Advanced Reader's copy of this book and for allowing me to review it.

The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Frontier Landscapes that Inspired the Little House Books



by Marta McDowell

Timber Press

Biographies & Memoirs , Home & Garden

Pub Date 20 Sep 2017

I am reviewing a copy of The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder through Timber Press and Netgalley:

I remember reading The Little House on the Prarie Books in Childhood, and again as an adult. This book is an excellent companion to the series, the illustrations are well done. The photographs give us a glimpse into the World Laura, Mary and Kerri grew up in.

The book not only describes the food their parents grew on the various farms but also the beautiful plants like Geraniums.

The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder goes on to talk about Laura's growing up, her life with Manny (Almanzo) and her daughter Rose.

I give The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder five out of five stars!

Happy Reading!

This is a really cool book for those who are interested not only in the stories of the Little House in the Prairie, but also in the lifestyle of the day. There are tons of pictures, maps, even botanical drawings of the plants that grow in various places the Ingallses have lived in. You will also find pictures of the actual Ingalls sisters, Laura's husband Almanzo, as well as other members of the family. Aside from that though, it includes a lot of detail about life back then, in all its facets - foods, plants, weather and even pests, clothing, games and entertainment. It's even got a list of plants the Wilders grew so you could grow your own Wilders' garden! For any history, pioneer or just plain old Little House fan, this book has the right stuff.

A visit back to my childhood.. A reminder of simpler times that required a lot of hard work. My favorite is the romance between Laura and Almanzo. Still my favorite books of all time!

What a fascinating book this is for fans of Laura Ingals Wilder books! A great deal of research obviously went into the writing of this book and it paid off in a concise and detailed account of the plants, flowers, and locations found in Wilder's books. I loved the photos that were liberally sprinkled in the book (though granted I will always picture Pa as Michael Landon, not the actual portraits!).

This is a must read for any fan of Wilder's books.

In my youth there was one or two series I can lovingly remember being a fan of and one of them was Laura Ingalls, Little House. Marta does such a fantastic job of creating what that world would have looked like as Laura was writing these novels. There is so much thought, research, and details put into each line, each page and story. I loved being taken back to that place I loved to venture as a child and see it through a biographical form. Marta did it beautifully.

As a Laura Ingalls Wilder fan I am always looking for more about her and related to her life. This book is very interesting for Laura fans and those interested in elements of pioneer times and the world around in those days. There were items within I knew but there are things I learned too. The photos are well added too.

This book was supremely cool! I am a HUGE fan of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE. I grew up reading the books and watching the TV show. I am pretty sure I have seen the repeats so often I could give you the dialogue from whole episodes verbatim. *lol* So I knew the minute I saw this one available for review that it was meant to be mine.

This book was stuffed full of cool information. Drawings, photos, newspaper clippings, and maps. Information about their life back in the day (food, clothing, weather, games, etc.). Personal photos of the Ingalls. Sometimes this type of book can make for dry reading, but the way it was written with the Little House tie-in kept it charming and fresh. It would make the perfect gift for any fan of the books or TV show.

Great read for fellow Little House on the Prairie fans like myself. Definitely recommended!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy. I apologize for my short review, but unfortunately a technical problem on my end prevented me from completing the book. But have no fear; I shall simply get my hands on a new copy and start again.

Marta McDowell pens a delightful addition to the Little House canon with this book, which focuses on the frontier landscapes depicted in the series. The table of contents provides the first hint of how tightly Wilder's narratives are woven into the land that fed her - the chapters are titled "Clearing the Land," "Preparing the Soil," "Harrowing," and so on, ending with "Putting Food By: The Rock House and the Farmhouse" (referring of course to Laura and Almanzo's final residence on Rocky Ridge Farm in Missouri).

Readers will revel in the detail provided here. I live in the apple belt of Pennsylvania and was intrigued to learn that Rocky Ridge Farm's previous owner planted an orchard containing Ben Davis and Pippin apples (Ben Davis is unknown to me, but a nearby town still has a Pippinfest celebration every September). The book explains that Ben Davis is not an eating apple and was ideal for cider. The Cortland apple (still common today and used as a pie apple) is a descendant of the Ben Davis. If you are the kind of reader who likes learning all the extra bits of trivia about a book or a person, there is plenty of that in this tome.

Each chapter is richly illustrated with archival photographs, Garth Williams' beloved book illustrations, and other full color images (such as the beautiful Brown Leghorn chickens she raised and covers of seed catalogs Wilder undoubtedly saw). The ARC was difficult to read as a pdf, though I understand why the publisher released it that way (all the gorgeous illustrations). I definitely plan to look at this book again in hard copy.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing the ARC.

A wonderfully evocative and informative account of Laura Ingalls Wilder’s life and work, and her travels across America. Beautifully illustrated, reading it was such a joy. A must-read for anyone who loved – or indeed loves - the Little House on the Prairie books, but also for anyone interested in the history of the times and places Wilder knew so well.

This is a delightful book of drawings, stories and memories from our childhood spent with Laura Ingalls Wilder . For all of us that grew up with her life stories this is a treasure. Its memorabilia , heartwarming stories and especially interesting is the description of the different areas and states where they traveled and lived. From Laura Wilder's perspective here story is told here in its entirety. This is very well documented and researched. I absolutely loved it and am buying hard copies for gifts.
Thank you so much for the ARC which did not influence my review.

I found this book very interesting. It was full of information and I especially enjoyed the pictures. I learned so many things that I never knew about the author and her life. I grew up with the books and TV show and I just knew that this book would be great reading.

I recommend this for any lover of Little House.

This is a wonderful companion to the Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. This is a biography of the Ingalls/Wider families and their lives with an emphasis is on gardens, food and plants. The author goes through the series book by book and describes the landscape and plants. At the end of the book the author suggests your own road trip and how to plant similar gardens. The text is accompanied with wonderful photographs and historical photographs. You really feel like you are traveling along with the Ingalls/Wilder family and how they made each place a home. You will also be inspired to plant your own garden. This book will appeal to fans of the books but also to those interested in history and historic gardens and plants. Enjoy this armchair travel/gardening journey.

I loved reading the story before the story. There is so much that is seen on television and by reading the series but this book gave a much better view of the life the Ingalls family lived with background information passed over in the book. Great read and companion to the series when reading in the classroom.

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!

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.