Growing up, the Little House series was my favourite. It is indeed a childhood memory I hold very close to my heart. Even though I read thousands of books after that, still those words are so much alive in my head. I don't know the reason I cherished the narrative of a little girl living in the 19th century, but the descriptions of nature, the lifestyle of a strongly bonded family, comforted me as a child.
Little House is a series of autobiographical novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder(1867-1957) that describes life in the 19th century United States settlements. Adventure, calm tenacity in the face of hardship, the excitement of the unknown, and the ability to re-establish oneself wherever one may land are all themes that run through her stories. Her father and mother are Charles and Caroline Ingalls, and she had three siblings; Mary, Carrie and Grace. In 1869, they moved from Wisconsin to the Indian country in Kansas after stopping in Missouri. They later moved back to Wisconsin, and these memories inspired the novels "Little House in the Big Woods" and "Little House on the Prairie." In 1874 they moved to Walnut Grove, Minnesota, where they settled on the banks of the Plum creek. After two seasons of crop failure, they relocated to Iowa.
They kept moving throughout her childhood, and she eventually became a teacher two months before her 16th birthday. However, her teaching career ended when she was 18 years old because of her marriage to her lover, Almonzo Wilder. I can tell you the whole story in detail here, but I highly recommend you to read. I will put a link to a website I found to get the pdf versions of the books. In 1954 American Library Association inaugurated a lifetime award for children's writers named after "Wilder", of which she was the first recipient. In 2018 it was renamed " the children's literacy legacy award" because the association perceived Laura's work are biased against Native and African Americans.
There was a controversy around these books and even discussions about banning the books. In my opinion, you cannot erase history; you can't undo what's done centuries ago. Laura's narrative is an excellent representation of the sentiments of the time. She is expressing her memories and thoughts as a child who lived through the conflicts between the natives and white settlers. Like always, there are two sides to a story, and this is hers, the viewpoint of a white child. Frankly, I enjoyed it as a kid and as an adult too. I find how she brought the beautiful landscapes and the warmth of a family to life heart touching, and I am thankful for Laura for gifting me some beautiful memories.
-From a Brown girl who enjoyed Little House
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