Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder:The Woman Behind the Legend
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- Synopsis
- (front flap) Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Woman behind the Legend Although generations of readers of the Little House books are familiar with Laura Ingalls Wilder's early life up through her first years of marriage to Almanzo Wilder, few know about her adult years. Going beyond previous studies, Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder focuses upon Wilder's years in Missouri from 1894 to 1957. Utilizing her unpublished autobiography, letters, newspaper stories, and other documentary evidence, John E. Miller fills the gaps in Wilder's autobiographical novels and describes her sixty-three years of living in Mansfield, Missouri. As a result, the process of personal development that culminated in Wilder's writing of the novels that secured her reputation as one of America' most popular children's authors becomes evident. Miller places Wilder's life firmly within its historical context. Building upon his analysis of her activities and writings and mining documentary sources, including various drafts of Wilder's novels, he shows not only the extent to which her writings emerged directly out of her own experiences as a girl and young woman, but also how they were shaped and embellished by artistic intent. Wilder depended heavily upon her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane established novelist, biographer, and magazine writer in her own right-for and polishing her manuscript. Lane's encouragement, publishing connections (back flap)long, and example, the novels never would have been written. In addition to describing Wilder's apprenticeship as a farm newspaper columnist and occasional magazine writer before she began the production of her novels, Miller discusses Wilder's activities on her family's Rocky Ridge farm and as a vital citizen in Mansfield, Missouri. Playing out her many roles as wife, mother, chicken farmer, churchgoer, bridge player, seamstress, farm loan officer, and political candidate, Wilder led an active life for ninety years. By showing how Wilder honed her authorial skills for more than two decades before she turned to fiction writing, Miller convincingly demonstrates that Wilder's entire life was a process of becoming the woman we know as the beloved children's author.
- Copyright:
- 1998
Book Details
- Book Quality:
- Excellent
- Book Size:
- 306 Pages
- ISBN-13:
- 9780826211675
- Publisher:
- N/A
- Date of Addition:
- 08/04/08
- Copyrighted By:
- The Curators of the University of Missouri
- Adult content:
- No
- Language:
- English
- Has Image Descriptions:
- No
- Categories:
- History, Nonfiction, Biographies and Memoirs
- Submitted By:
- Kari G
- Proofread By:
- Chris Feist
- Usage Restrictions:
- This is a copyrighted book.