In the summer of 1975, I was a shy, awkward girl obsessed with the Little House on the Prairie series by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I couldn’t get enough of her stories about 19-th century settler life.
Her books were my gateway into historical fiction.
Wilder’s writing opened my eyes to the hardships that people experienced on the frontier. She introduced me to homesteading women who faced life-and-death struggles and who diligently, with resourcefulness and hope, safeguarded their families.
She also showed me examples of quiet strength, resilience, self-advocacy, inquisitiveness and how individuality and community can co-exist. She immersed me in her characters’ world and made me care about them.
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