The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure

Aug 03, 2011 Hannah rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011-reads, comfort-books, humor, historicals

This was a book clearly destined to be picked up by me, because I too consider myself one of the "Laura" tribe. I loved the LHotP books growing up, and watched the TV show every week. Even today, I still do a re-read at Christmastime of all the Christmas chapters in every book (tin cup, candy stick and a penny anyone?). I try to re-read my favorite: The Long Winter every 2 or 3 years to remind myself that my life isn't so hard after all (and even if it was, my Christmas turkey will still surely...more This was a book clearly destined to be picked up by me, because I too consider myself one of the "Laura" tribe. I loved the LHotP books growing up, and watched the TV show every week. Even today, I still do a re-read at Christmastime of all the Christmas chapters in every book (tin cup, candy stick and a penny anyone?). I try to re-read my favorite: The Long Winter every 2 or 3 years to remind myself that my life isn't so hard after all (and even if it was, my Christmas turkey will still surely come by spring). Occasionally, my daughter and I will do this weird thing where we imagine WWMD ( What Would Ma Do ) whenever we watch something *questionable* on TV. Ma Ingalls, like Jesus, has a very positive influence on our TV watching habits. (For the record, she would not approve of the "Real Housewives of__"). On another quirky side note, we also like to imagine what Ma would like to have for the perfect Christmas present. I'm convinced that nothing fancy or ostentatious would please her. Therefore, I would love to give her my Pampered Chef Potato and Carrot Peeler. She would ROCK and ROLL in the sod house with one of those gadgets! And yes, Laura comes in for her share of largesse in our household as well (we love to image what she would think of Wii Bowling, McDonalds french fries and Harry Potter).

I guess what I'm building up to with this TMI is that I'm a certified, calico card carrying member of the Little House geek club. And darn-tooting proud of it. So when I saw this book at my local Borders, I sat down and read the first chapter inside the store, and I knew I was going to love it based on how many times I snorted and laughed out loud among strangers (before this, only Bill Bryson could lay claim to that feat). Rushing home, I went to my local library, where I waited through a hold list of 7 other die-hard fans to get my hands on this to see if it lived up to Chapter One.

Dear reader, I'm afraid it didn't, although there is much to enjoy in the first 100 pages. McClure's scattered observations about identifying so closely with Laura and her world do have an appeal, and some of her anecdotes about her feelings for Laura are witty and spot on. Real fans will be able to see themselves in some of her experiences, and I sure do envy her for making the pilgrimage to all the holy sites of Laura-ism. Unfortunately, McClure's brand of humor begins to fall flat after page 120, and a snide, judgemental voice begins to emerge from what was previously a light-hearted narrative. In slamming other fans that she meets along her journey for their faith, their clothing, their ideology (and even their love for the TV show over the books), McClure morphs into the very judgmental, bigoted person she is trying so sarcastically to put down. Otherwise, when she wasn't puffing herself up at the expense of others, I did enjoy reading about all the sites and the events and things a fan could see and do.

I wouldn't recommend this book for people who have only a passing interest in the Little House world. I can't see that they'd get much out of this, since the anecdotes are very book/TV specific. In addition, this book suffered from a lack of photos to shore up the narrative. I highly recommend having at your side as a companion book:

Laura Ingalls Wilder Country The People and Places in Laura Ingalls Wilder's Life and books

McClure covered, almost verbatim, all the places in this book and it was great to have a visual reference to what she was discussing.

Of course, I had this reference book in my bookshelves already, along with over 60% the books in the selected bibliography at the back of the book. 'Cause I'm a Little House geek fan, in case you didn't know.(less)

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Apr 03, 2011 kari rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, goodreads-giveaways

I was curious if this book would be interesting for those, like me, who have never read the Little House books. I attempted them both as a child and as an adult and never was able to make much progress before giving up. Maybe I don't find the romance in a family's continual hardships and dragging young children from place to place over and over. Having close family who grew up poor, with hand-me-down clothes, not enough to eat, getting nothing but an orange for Christmas, complete with using an...more I was curious if this book would be interesting for those, like me, who have never read the Little House books. I attempted them both as a child and as an adult and never was able to make much progress before giving up. Maybe I don't find the romance in a family's continual hardships and dragging young children from place to place over and over. Having close family who grew up poor, with hand-me-down clothes, not enough to eat, getting nothing but an orange for Christmas, complete with using an outhouse and illness and family tragedy, I guess my own family stories were enough for me. Although I've enjoyed The Bears of Blue River and The Hoosier Schoolmaster which are both books about life on the frontier and the pioneer spirit.
This book kind of reads like one of those school reports of "what I did on my summer vacation" that goes on far too long and without a purpose. I felt like the last chapter when the author suddenly has this epiphany of what her search has been about when I understood what she was searching for before she started on her sojourn was very late in coming and seemed that the author didn't understand herself or her feelings at all.
The story kind of meanders and takes far too long to roll out. In honesty, this could have been a good short story in one of the women's magazines in which Laura Ingalls Wilder published articles. At every location of the "Laura story" we have to hear about all the other people who are there and the author's thoughts and feelings and then how her feelings disappoint her in the end. All of this, for me, didin't truly add up to much.
Having said that, again, maybe I'd have gotten more from it if I was a huge fan of the books, but I don't think so. I have to say that it just sort of sits there. I think it would have possibly worked better as journal or blog entries with far less "we stood there staring at the frozen lake" or "I wanted to feel Laura here but I didn't" or other bits of minutiae that s-l-o-w-e-d everything to a snail's pace.
So, if you're a big lover of the books, you might enjoy this one. If not, I'm not so sure you'll like it.

Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways.(less)

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Aug 07, 2012 Juliana rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: american-history, americana-captured, books, childrens-literature, memoir

When I was in third grade I borrowed a copy of Little House in the Big Woods at the school library. By some strange coincidence that same day my Mom had borrowed a copy of Little House on the Prairie for me at the county library. I was so surprised. I read both books quickly and became obsessed with the series and the idea of living the pioneer life. I wanted to grow my hair longer and wear long skirts and dresses just like Laura and her sisters. I would imagine riding a horse or driving a wagon...more When I was in third grade I borrowed a copy of Little House in the Big Woods at the school library. By some strange coincidence that same day my Mom had borrowed a copy of Little House on the Prairie for me at the county library. I was so surprised. I read both books quickly and became obsessed with the series and the idea of living the pioneer life. I wanted to grow my hair longer and wear long skirts and dresses just like Laura and her sisters. I would imagine riding a horse or driving a wagon on my way to school. My Barbies served as substitute Lauras, Marys and Nellys. While other girl's Barbies were trying out different fashions and driving their corvette, my Barbies were always striking out West in a covered wagon--which I was so excited to receive one year--a Jane West doll along with a plastic horse with actual covered wagon. My Barbies would set out across the backyard and make camp for the evening and live off land setting up to homestead when they reached a nice piece of level grass. The horror the day my father filled in the sprinkler run-off from our next door neighbors which was I was using as my Plum Creek.

Wendy McClure with her book the Wilder Life does a great job of capturing that little girl feelings for Laura and the Little House books as you follow along on her quest to discover more about Laura and the real-life she lived. She learns to churn butter, makes a hay stick and travels to different sites that the Ingalls and Wilders lived, visits museums, sees festivals, etc. You learn a little bit about Rose Wilder Lane--the controversy over whether she wrote the books or Laura did, and how the books are in the fiction section in the library. The editor in me would have liked some photos included in the book--her descriptions of photos aren't enough, but luckily they are all only an Internet click away. And it wouldn't have been all that bad if she would have included a recipe or two, surely permissions from some of the other books she mentioned could have been included. I did really enjoy the adventure with the extremist Christians on the Prairie. Her descriptions of Garth William's illustrations also makes me hope that someone will do a similar book on him. She also has some good comments on the difference between the book and TV fans. I was never a big fan of the television series--I just couldn't get over Little House in the rolling golden hills of California.

But overall, this is just the kind of memoir-project book I like. What do they call this genre? Maybe experiential memoir. Where the author sets out to relive, discover and learn, and you are along for the ride? There have always been books about a subject, but in the past decade or so it is as much about the author as it is about the subject. I think this genre could only come along in the post-blog Internet world--Goodreads has a good list for it called, "I Did Something For a Year and Wrote a Memoir about It." I blame it all on Under the Tuscan Sun--certainly not the first but one of the most successful that spawned more. Combine this type of book with a literary topic or books and you've sucked me right in. It allowed me a few moments to recollect on my own obsessions.

If you are a fan, you have your favorites--what are they? My favorite in the series were the two later books--Little Town in the Prairie and These Happy Golden Years. Little Town most likely because Nellie makes a grand reappearance. And Golden Years because who wouldn't want to be courted by sleigh or carriage drives at least once in her life? My least favorite was By the Shores of Silver Lake--I don't know why, that one I always had a hard time getting through.(less)

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May 23, 2011 Sarah rated it 4 of 5 stars

I love this book! I can so relate to so many of the authors thoughts, especially about relating Little House stories to my "real" life. I have my Little House Colorform set to prove my love. My sis and I were Mary and Laura for Halloween one year.

Unexpectedly, this book makes me very lonely for my mom. She read the series aloud to me as a child and I heard her reread it over the years to my siblings. I didn't commit the date of her death to my memory and I don't think about her on Mother's Day (...more

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Jan 14, 2012 Kelly rated it 3 of 5 stars

I have mixed feelings about this book. I enjoyed it, but I wonder if I would have enjoyed it more if I wasn't already such a LIW fan? McClure rediscovers Wilder when she is past her childhood. What about those of us who never lost her? I received Little House on the Prairie in 1977 and reread the series every couple of years. I watched the tv show, but saw it as something completely separate from the books. I already knew a lot about the family history and know some of the quoted authors through...more

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Mar 24, 2013 Caitlin Opeil added it

I could see Laura Ingalls Wilder everywhere. Really she was everywhere. She was no longer just a person but a universe made of hundreds of little bits, a historical fictional literary figure character person idea grandma-girl-thing.

My only encounters with Little House on the Prairie are the reruns I occasionally watch, this website (Psyched on the Prairie, I'm too lazy to re-embed it right now), which is excellent, and reading the awesome Confessions of a Prairie Bitch. Sadly, I never read a sin...more

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Jun 01, 2011 Laura rated it 2 of 5 stars

The author claims to be a huge, obsessed Laura Ingalls Wilder (LIW) fan, I claim that I make, too. Because of her claim, I thought that I would really enjoy reading this book. How wrong I was.

In the beginning of the book, the author comes off as rather stupid to me. Her constant shocking revelations about what happened and, more importantly, what didn't happen, were old news and made her seem like a newbie LIW researcher. When she finally got past the "I can't believe it didn't happen exactly ho...more The author claims to be a huge, obsessed Laura Ingalls Wilder (LIW) fan, I claim that I make, too. Because of her claim, I thought that I would really enjoy reading this book. How wrong I was.

In the beginning of the book, the author comes off as rather stupid to me. Her constant shocking revelations about what happened and, more importantly, what didn't happen, were old news and made her seem like a newbie LIW researcher. When she finally got past the "I can't believe it didn't happen exactly how it was in the books" stage, she launched into a self-centered, whiny exploration of various LIW historical sites. At this point I do have to give her credit: she managed to get to all the Little House sites, which is something that I'm not interested in doing.* Along the way, the narrative is jumpy, self-congratulatory, and annoying. As the author strives to do all things Laura, she shows us all that she's a Nellie.

The best part of the book was the selected bibliography, which listed a few books that I have not already read. However, I wish the author had included a full bibliography, because she mentioned some books in the text that I was interested in reading. In lieu of a full bibliography, an index would have been nice.

If you are a true LIW fan, do yourself a favor and skip this book. Read one of the many better-researched and more comprehensive biographies of LIW. This book is an autobiography of a period in Wendy McClure's life, it is not a LIW biography. This book is better suited for someone who read the Little House books as a kid and then didn't think about them again.

• Full disclosure: I have been to two Little House sites. I've been to DeSmet, SD, which I consider to be the most significant location from the books series. And I've been to Burr Oak, IA, which is completely absent from the book series. The only other Little House site that I want to go to is Mansfield, MO, the place where LIW eventually settled and the place that hold the most LIW's possessions. (less)

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Aug 16, 2012 Audrey rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: humor, listened-on-audio, nonfiction, pioneers-settlers, present-day, memoir

I'd read quite a few reviews of this prior to reading, so I knew a bit of what to expect. I'd seen it described as "irreverent" and "snarky," and I knew there was some crass language. Those detracting elements aside, the overriding theme of being obsessed with a beloved childhood series was something that I could wholeheartedly relate to, and that's why I ultimately chose to read this. I'm glad I did!

I think the parts that I enjoyed most were when the author delved into many of the Little House...more I'd read quite a few reviews of this prior to reading, so I knew a bit of what to expect. I'd seen it described as "irreverent" and "snarky," and I knew there was some crass language. Those detracting elements aside, the overriding theme of being obsessed with a beloved childhood series was something that I could wholeheartedly relate to, and that's why I ultimately chose to read this. I'm glad I did!

I think the parts that I enjoyed most were when the author delved into many of the Little House questions I wondered about. For example, I too get lost in the confusing description of the construction of the door in Little House on the Prairie , and I have also puzzled over how they were able to measure distances.

This is by no means a comprehensive Laura Ingalls Wilder biography or history (and it doesn't try to be; it's written in more of a memoir style), but McClure does draw on a lot of books of that sort to provide background perspectives. I liked how she works through what was fact and what wasn't, and how she reconciled her "Laura World" (as she called it) with reality, and the many different shapes that the Little House persona has taken on. I read that some people disliked the detours that McClure's writing frequently takes, but I enjoyed that aspect. Interspersed between visits to the real life Little House sites, she shares her own recollections of the books, historical background, and her attempts at trying some of the Little House tasks—like grinding her own wheat to make bread. There is a chatty feel to the book that makes it fun to read. I also like how McClure described things. Many times I felt like she had perfectly put into words what I felt about some aspect of the Little House books. I thought the part where she explained why she didn't see Laura as a tomboy and also the section where she contrasts the books with the American Girl franchise (another childhood favorite of mine) was particularly interesting. There were also many instances that I found quite humorous.

That isn't to say that I agreed with McClure on everything; I didn't. For example, a line referring to Pa as “an opportunistic jerk” made me bristle a bit. Even if that were true, for me it doesn't change who I see the Pa in the books to be. I also happen to like Almanzo a lot and I really like Farmer Boy (which she eventually comes to appreciate more). Regardless, I enjoyed hearing her perspective, as I am the kind of person who likes to delve into and analyze books and the world and influences behind them (especially if it’s a series I love). Oh, I'm also guilty of being one of the people who likes that quote from Laura about the “sweet and simple things.”

There wasn't a ton of profanity in this, but what was there was still definitely not necessary. Unfortunately, there was also one crude sexual reference and an equally pointless drug reference. The author lives with her boyfriend, which I don’t agree with (he does seem like a nice guy, and he's a great sport about McClure's whole Laura obsession). I also don't agree with her political views, and I wish she would've left out the two or three references to legalizing homosexual "marriage" and attending a "pride" march. I also thought that she was maybe just a little condescending to the homeschooling, Christian types that are fans of the books, although it did come across to me that she was *trying* to temper her sentiments. (My impression of this condescending attitude could've been influenced by the voices that the audio book narrator used for those people.) I will agree with her, however, that those "end-timers" definitely seemed a bit strange.

At certain points I felt like I didn't quite know what McClure was looking for through her obsession. It sometimes seemed that she was delving into her "Laura World" to find the answers to life's eternal questions. Personally, I love Little House A LOT, but it’s not like I need to get a “fix” by twisting hay or anything (although that would be fun to try!). It's not *everything* to me. Near the end of the book it was revealed that exploring all of this was partially a way for her to reconnect with her childhood and deal with the loss of her mother. That made things a bit clearer.

So, overall, while this book isn't perfect, I greatly enjoyed it and am glad I finally read it. I thought it was a very fun look at how deeply our favorite stories can affect and enrich us.
(less)

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Aug 13, 2011 Lisa Lewis rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir

I had high expectations for this book, a tale of a woman's obsession with Laura Ingalls Wilder. I first read the "Little House" book series in elementary school, and re-read them several times over the years including aloud to my children. So I totally understood how someone would be really enamored of the Ingalls clan and the pioneer life. I, too, wanted to churn butter and have a corn cob doll.
Reading this book, however, reminded me a bit of the book "Sweater Quest: My Year of Knitting Dangero...more

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Jan 19, 2013 Amy rated it 4 of 5 stars

For someone who rescued her Little House books from her mother's donation boxes, played "Little House" with her best friend every chance they got, and had same best friend's mother audio tape the proposal episode of the show since they couldn't see it, this book was a must-read. What I enjoyed most about this book was the mixture of the books, the show, the real Laura-life, and the author's year-long adult facination with the whole thing, leading her to a pilgrimage to just about every LIW site...more

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Jun 12, 2012 Monica rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: adult-novels, book-club, 2012, my-book-club-selection

The first chapter book I ever read was Little House in the Big Woods when I was given the box set when I was in second grade. I still have that boxed set of books because I treasured them (and still do). While reading this book I loved that I could look at scenes and illustrations that the author was referencing. I also was a fan of the television series. I just loved anything about Laura. Now this book has just made me remember just how much I loved Laura and these books so I I going to re-read...more

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Apr 05, 2013 Penny McGill rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book reached out and grabbed me - right off of the shelf - one afternoon when I was doing a tiny bit of Little House research with my daughter. We go on these spurts of wanting to know more about Laura Ingalls Wilder and we bring home some biographies and flip through them. Often the details are more than my daughter wants to know and things I've read before so we take them back to the library with a reasonable sense of satisfaction.

This book seemed more like something I would enjoy so I ke...more

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Mar 10, 2013 Kelly rated it 4 of 5 stars

See this review on 1776books.net...
http://1776books.blogspot.com/2011/06...

My husband and I just got back from the beautiful city of Montreal on a short vacation. We save money in other areas so that we can go on some nice vacations (Last year's Bermuda cruise was quite memorable.). Out of all of the places I visited, where have I enjoyed going the most you ask? Walnut Grove, Minnesota and Plum Creek...a home of the legendary Laura Ingalls Wilder. Wendy McClure and I seem to have been bred from...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Stefanie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to admit, I was very caught up in the wave of nostalgia in this book. I, too, was a fan of the Little House books back in the day. Granted, I never gave them a whole lot of second thought- until this book.

Some background: I, like Ms. McClure, was also very into the whole Little House/ Oregon Trail thing. In fact, the way she regards the books and the world around them, I feel like we are kindred spirits. As an only child living in a new development, I spent a lot of time loading up my aut...more I have to admit, I was very caught up in the wave of nostalgia in this book. I, too, was a fan of the Little House books back in the day. Granted, I never gave them a whole lot of second thought- until this book.

Some background: I, like Ms. McClure, was also very into the whole Little House/ Oregon Trail thing. In fact, the way she regards the books and the world around them, I feel like we are kindred spirits. As an only child living in a new development, I spent a lot of time loading up my authentic 1950's Radio Flyer (courtesy of Susan) and dragging it around behind me. These were my Oregon Trail adventures- picking "plants" and "cotton," spinning "yarn," collecting discarded stuff from the houses-in-progress to be a part of my homestead. Then, once I'd "travelled" it was time to clamp down (always in the abandoned lot next to my house) (I guess technically it wasn't abandoned, it was not-yet-bandoned) and start a home. That's what all the stuff from the houses was great for- I had an authentic tiled floor! I have fond memories of that, even though at the time I felt lame (but still also like I was having fun).

McClure's story captures the abandoned idea of "fun" we have as children. The book is teeming with nostalgia, but she successfully conveys a nostalgia that's accessible to many people- it's not her own personal jaunt down memory lane. She captures the world we leave behind as we grow up (no matter how hard we try to stay young, there comes a day when a trip to Home Depot is exciting, not boring) and how it still echoes into the things we do in the present. Plus it's true- the Little House books have a certain mass appeal, and there are a large swath of girls (at least in my generation, I have no idea about this one, but I suspect there's still a certain timelessness) who have read them.

Anyway, the main take home is that this is a fun books to read. I don't know if I would recommend it to anyone who hasn't read the books at least once (I think they stick with you enough that just once would suffice; also, interesting aside, I don't own any of these books, though I took them out from the library a bunch of times. I do own a bunch written later about her ancestors, including as far back as her great-great-grandmother) but for anyone who had a childhood, this book will resonate. (less)

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Oct 16, 2012 Jenn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Jenn by: Beth Harper

I am lucky enough to have a book-obsessed friend (another librarian, no less) who generously gifts my with books. I cackled with wild glee when I unwrapped this book. One woman's trek to visit all Laura Ingalls Wilder homesites dove-tailed nicely with my recently re-reading of the 9 books that are now considered the little house collection. I'm a sucker for non-fiction that combines a specific topic (all things Laura) with memoir (McClure's budding domestic life with future husband.) I learned a...more

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Sep 20, 2012 Shannon rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir, nonfiction

I didn't even finish this book; it bored me too much. This book was poorly organized and simply not interesting enough. For example, one chapter could start out with the author's trip to a Little House landmark and then she would go into talking about the TV show which would lead into talking about a movie made in 2005. I also thought there would be more trying to integrate more "Laura World" into modern day life a la Julie and Julia (like trying quilting and talking about the experience for ins...more

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Aug 30, 2012 Autumn rated it 3 of 5 stars

Like many other little girls, I was fascinated by Laura Ingalls Wilder's LITTLE HOUSE series. I read them over and over, until I hit about age ten... and then I was done. Still, images from the books (beautifully illustrated by Garth Williams, oftentimes) would slip into my head occasionally over the years; Wilder had built a little dwelling place in my brain that never quite disappeared. When I finally had children of my own, I had to have a set of the books to read to them, right? But before I...more Like many other little girls, I was fascinated by Laura Ingalls Wilder's LITTLE HOUSE series. I read them over and over, until I hit about age ten... and then I was done. Still, images from the books (beautifully illustrated by Garth Williams, oftentimes) would slip into my head occasionally over the years; Wilder had built a little dwelling place in my brain that never quite disappeared. When I finally had children of my own, I had to have a set of the books to read to them, right? But before I did that, I re-read them myself, and discovered a different world than that I'd adored as a child. Somehow, the deprivation, the loneliness, hell, the COLD, hadn't impressed itself on my brain back then, and I discovered another Wilder World as an adult. Somehow, reading about Pa's desperation to feed his family in THE LONG WINTER meant a whole lot more once I had children of my own.

It was from this perspective that I approached THE WILDER LIFE. Unlike many reviewers, I never expected this to be a biography of Laura (fawning or otherwise), so maybe that's why I enjoyed it so much. It's not so much that McClure was trying to emulate a childhood literary hero, but to recapture a feeling. I got that so much. I enjoyed her trips to the various museums, admired the loyalty of her boyfriend,Chris, and laughed at her surprise at finding so many things different from Laura's world, yet strangely the same; at times life and memory are like the bones of a dinosaur covered in silk--on the surface, the appearance is radically different, but when you look more closely the shape is the same.

Though I was interested in the factual history McClure relates (unlike her, I've not researched Wilder--generally I've found that seeing heroes away from their public milieu is a disappointment), I think she ties this obsessive quest together with her real life beautifully at the end of the book. Any search we make, any obsession, is usually rooted in a perceived lack in our own lives. If we're lucky, we find what we're searching for. And the luckiest of us find answers we weren't didn't even know we were looking for. (less)

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Aug 27, 2012 Catherine rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, kindle, travel, library-loan, biography-and-memoir

As a devoted fan of the Little House books, I thoroughly enjoyed Wendy McClure's recounting of her attempts to enter what she calls "Laura World" via butter churning, visiting the various Ingalls/Wilder home sites, pioneer cookery, and the purchase of more than a few sunbonnets. Accompanied and assisted by her boyfriend Chris -- a man who not only cheerfully participates in Wendy's quest for total immersion, but can also be counted upon for a hilarious one-liner to cap every adventure -- Wendy c...more

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Jul 30, 2012 Heather rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: memoir, new-reads-2012

This book was a lot of fun; although, it read less like a unified project and more like three or four different books all struggling to be heard. I think it would have been a better book if WMcC had settled on one of them. It's part memoir -- personal reflections on the author's quest to find / be Laura; part history -- she does a little bit of digging around about historical context; and part sociological investigation of the contemporary homesteading movement and the Laura-sub-culture. I found...more This book was a lot of fun; although, it read less like a unified project and more like three or four different books all struggling to be heard. I think it would have been a better book if WMcC had settled on one of them. It's part memoir -- personal reflections on the author's quest to find / be Laura; part history -- she does a little bit of digging around about historical context; and part sociological investigation of the contemporary homesteading movement and the Laura-sub-culture. I found the latter of these themes the most interesting -- I wanted another Confederates in the Attic -- but WMcC, I think, was most interested in writing something more personal, specific-to-her than that. She concludes that "these people are weird" and goes back to reflecting on what it all means to her.

I think the take away is that people get from the Little House books whatever they bring to them, which is a little bit disconcerting. They certainly don't seem like books with much subtext -- what can possibly be read into descriptions of hemming sheets and carrying water buckets? And while WMcC doesn't actually make the point, she certainly demonstrates it -- that for athletic, tomboy girls, Laura is a tomboy. For conflicted feminists who want to be assertive AND wear pretty clothes, Laura is a proto-feminist role model -- refusing to say "obey" in her wedding vows but lingering over description of her dresses. For crunchy people and modern homesteaders the books are like the urtext on self-reliance and the simple life. For conservatives they're about the evils of big government. For Christians they're a tribute to family values. (WMcC basically proves my point here -- she writes that she doesn't find the books to be particularly religious. I think she's wrong about that, but not being religious herself didn't bring that to the books and, therefore, didn't notice it.) And so on. I think all that is fascinating. Did Laura write books that are only deceptively simple, but are really full to bursting with all these agendas? Or did she write books so ideologically passive that they effortlessly absorb and reflect whatever a reader already thinks? And which of those approaches is the more brilliant one?

WMcC ultimately concludes that her pursuit of Laura has something to do with her mother's death. This felt like an unexpected left-turn and one that I didn't completely follow. To distract oneself from grief, to give oneself a project to fill temporarily a gap in one's life, all these explanations and many others seem reasonable. But after rereading the pages where WMcC explains what she thinks it all means, I still don't really understand it and definitely can't explain it. Something about childhood.

One can't blame a book for not being a different book -- I wanted Prairie People in the Attic, but it's not fair to blame The Wilder Life for being what it is. It does feel like the tip of the iceberg, though, and I'd like to see more of what's underneath. Still, definitely worth reading. (less)

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Jul 12, 2012 Lark rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was great fun to read and answered questions I've never thought to ask about Laura Ingalls Wilder. Already knew many of the 'Laura' details, since they are in biographies, but happy to hear that some of the places Laura lived are still around.

Made me sad to realize that of the Ingalls family, only Laura had a child, and Rose never had children. No ongoing family generations. I'm sure that makes it nice and tidy for all the museums - they have Pa's violin and many other items - but sad, just...more

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Jul 08, 2012 Traci rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm having a hard time knowing how many stars this one deserves. It's in part a book about the relationship she feels various people have with the Little House books as a type of social phenomenon, part description of places you can go visit if you're interested in visiting Little House related sites, and part Wendy McClure's boring too-old-for-a-quarter-life-crisis-but-too-young-for-a-midlife-crisis crisis.

When she gets out of the way and talks about book Laura versus real Laura or the various...more I'm having a hard time knowing how many stars this one deserves. It's in part a book about the relationship she feels various people have with the Little House books as a type of social phenomenon, part description of places you can go visit if you're interested in visiting Little House related sites, and part Wendy McClure's boring too-old-for-a-quarter-life-crisis-but-too-young-for-a-midlife-crisis crisis.

When she gets out of the way and talks about book Laura versus real Laura or the various Little House sites it's a very interesting book. When she gets in the way, though, it's painfully slow. You get the feeling throughout the book that she's trying to be cooler than the obsession she actually has. She doesn't want to be the cliche, so instead she's half-in and half-out and a real boring stick in the mud. You can tell she looks down on the people who dress up in period clothing, but she buys 6 bonnets at museum shops (but won't wear them). She won't participate in some of the hands on crafts. She continually refuses to see one thing or another on the trips, as if that in some way puts her above the 'fan boy' cliche she seems desperate to avoid. But instead what you end up with is following along a real downer on what could be a fun playful journey!

She tries to make it all deeper--there's a lot of discussion of being with Laura, being in Laura World, searching for something and not finding it...that feels forced, silly, and annoying. The standard mid-30s-women-with-no-kids-looking-for-deeper-meaning navel gazing that I find so tiresome. In the last chapter she tries to tie all of the 'searching' going on with an explanation that her mother had died shortly before her obsession began. I think it's all a futile effort, though, to make her relationship with the books more cerebral and less cliche than the other travelers she encounters.

I discovered last night that a few months before this book was published another book with a very similar premise was published--I'm curious if that one would have been a more enjoyable read.

Ignoring her own narrative, the book was interesting enough to prompt me to want to reread the Little House books (which I liked as a kid but never enough to actually read all of them) and plan for the day when I can take Ellie on a similar trip. But unlike with McClure, our trip into Laura World will be fun.

(As a side note, after thinking about it more I just am so bummed for her. Putting down the book was like walking away from lunch with a severely depressed friend. I'm glad it's over, but her sadness has now rubbed off on me and will be a dark cloud over my day. Her proudly agnostic views seem to explain so perfectly this lost/sad/looking-for-something-Laura-could-never-provide feeling that pervades the whole book. It reminds me so much of a story an ICU nurse friend told me once. She was working with a patient who had tried to commit suicide and he was boasting that he doesn't believe in God or religion. She looked down at this man who was so lost he'd tried to take his own life and said "and how's that working out for you?" Which isn't to say that her encounter with the survivalist sect wouldn't have equally freaked me out or that the people who are so ready to impose a 'perfect Christianity' on the Ingalls are historically accurate, but when someone is that proudly agnostic and that very lost, it's hard not to wonder why they haven't connected the dots.)(less)

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Jul 02, 2012 Misha rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book was so much fun to read. I, too, adored the books growing up, and found Wendy's journey of understanding "Laura World" to be amusing and interesting. I didn't see it necessarily as a biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder as much as a journal of a fellow fangirl of about my age, whose interest in the books and Laura was rekindled, and obsessing about learning everything she could about Laura's life.

I actually called my mother and read to her - over the phone - the section about Wendy huntin...more

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Jun 21, 2012 Elizabeth K. rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-new-reads

You guys, I enjoyed this a lot! It's a very sweet and thoughtful and funny story about the author's exploration of the impact of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her books, framed by her visits to many of the LIW historic sites. I love her voice, I felt like many parts of the book read as a terrifically fun and engaging conversation with someone who would be great to know. Her husband Chris, who cheerfully joins her on many of her jaunts, becomes a wonderful character in the book, and has some of my fav...more You guys, I enjoyed this a lot! It's a very sweet and thoughtful and funny story about the author's exploration of the impact of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her books, framed by her visits to many of the LIW historic sites. I love her voice, I felt like many parts of the book read as a terrifically fun and engaging conversation with someone who would be great to know. Her husband Chris, who cheerfully joins her on many of her jaunts, becomes a wonderful character in the book, and has some of my favorite lines. This one in particular had me snorting on the subway:

" "I don't get why you don't like Farmer Boy," he said on the phone. "This book rules. This kid has the best life ever. There's a doughnut jar in the kitchen." "

It was a special treat to recognize several of the LIW experts she encounters as women I know primarily through Betsy-Tacy.

Even though I think this is a solid four star book, I had a few quibbles as well. The bulk of this may have to do with the fact that it's hard to tell if I am the audience for it or not ... I consider myself a casual LIW fan at best, but I'm pretty sure my level of LIW knowledge is greater than hers was when she started her research hobby. It's possible I'm going into it a little ... not jaded, but on the pragmatic side, I suppose. There are a few moments where she focuses on the unusual aspects of her interest in all things Little House, and even while I get this is her story so if something is unusual for her, then I can't really argue with that, but notions such as "who would even try to churn their own butter?" didn't resonate that much with me, because I know a lot of people who do stuff like that for recreation. And not only kidlit fans, either!

There's a recurring theme throughout the book, that she has conflicts between what she hopes to get out of the sites (mostly, a sense of connection to the Laura of the books) and what she actually experiences during the visits (things feel remote, unauthentic, shlocky, or simply "not what you expect"), and this happens OVER and OVER. Given my involvement with BT, and general networking with fans of historical children's literature, this feels overly obvious and maybe it's something that's more integrated in the conversations and explorations I've been active with over the years ... but come on, what did you expect? I do, in fact, find those questions about what is real/not real, fiction/not fiction, here/not here interesting, and I think it's one of the most fascinating aspects of figuring out the relationships found in fiction based on actual events, but this might have worked better as a theme to explore in an individual chapter.

To her credit, though, even when the site visits are not quite doing it for her, she places a lot of emphasis on the good qualities, interesting people, and unexpected experiences that she does encounter, so it's not as if she's complaining, exactly.

Overall, though, I would highly recommend this as a quick, pleasant read to anyone who enjoyed the Little House books as a kid.(less)

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Jun 17, 2012 Michelle rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was meeting a friend in Harvard Square for dinner just two nights ago, as usual our plan was to meet at the Harvard Coop. Which is one of my all time favorite places-- it is essentially the Harvard University bookstore. Miles upon miles of books, with unparalleled people-watching and street performers right outside the front door.

As usual, my friend was late, but no worries, I can browse for hours in this place. I certainly did not NEED to buy a book, but this one caught my eye and I had to ha...more

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Jun 09, 2012 Jrobertus rated it 4 of 5 stars

I read and enjoyed the entire Little House series. This book is by a woman who has read them many times, in addition to lesser known works, and takes a trip to visit the many "Ingalls/Wilder" sites across the upper Midwest, Wisconsin, Minnesota, S.Dak, Kansas, Mo. and Iowa. She reveals that the Little House books may be based on remembrances of actual events, but they are not entirely accurate. FOr example, Laura was really only 3 in Kansas and could not personally remember the events in Little...more

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May 16, 2012 Anne rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Any adult fan of the Little House books

Shelves: non-fiction, own-this, memoirs, stumble-upon

Reviewing The Wilder Life rather requires reviewing my own continuing love of the Little House series of books. Wendy McClure indulges her childhood love as an adult obsession, all the while questioning why the books have such a hold on her. I won't spoil discovery of her inner journey. We differ at several points and it's fascinating to consider the myriad ways readers who love the Little House series connect to them.

I don't remember when I first read the Little House books, which suggests to m...more Reviewing The Wilder Life rather requires reviewing my own continuing love of the Little House series of books. Wendy McClure indulges her childhood love as an adult obsession, all the while questioning why the books have such a hold on her. I won't spoil discovery of her inner journey. We differ at several points and it's fascinating to consider the myriad ways readers who love the Little House series connect to them.

I don't remember when I first read the Little House books, which suggests to me that I must have read them when I was no more than first or second grade. Like many girls in the 1970's, I fell in love with the prairie story, the family that seemed so together no matter the hardships.

Laura's world was so different from my own. I think that's the key to my Wilder experience, to understanding my longing for the world of the books. I grew up in a world that was questioning the validity of modern living, whether I understood that consciously or not. The stylings of the 1970's -- the vinyl, the plastic, the colors -- all had their counterpoints in the decade's back to the earth movements, even the anti-littering ad on TV with the native American with the single tear on his face. We still struggle with this, I think, trying to answer the question, what's "real" life? Is the story of how one pioneer family faced the work of providing for their wants and needs more real than our own stories? Laura and her family faced grasshopper plagues -- I faced what? Parents who were reluctant to acquire cable television?

I often wonder what we've lost over the decades as we've filled up our landscapes and turned into a nation of suburbanites. I was fortunate to be able to spend a lot of my time outside as a child, finding things to do in the woods around our home, but this is something my kids haven't done. We live on a plain quarter acre lot, next to a plain grassy park area. Not much for kids to explore -- you can see all the way around that park without stirring a step from the back yard. Even my outside had more unexpected discoveries and risky paths to take, like discovering the way to another subdivision off another road, a fifteen minute drive by car. Or like discovering that when the ice is melting on the nearby creek (really a large drainage ditch, but creek to me), you can balance on the floating ice and feel like an Arctic explorer on an ice flow -- well, for a few minutes at least, before the ice betrays you and you wind up soaking wet. At least the walk to home for dry clothes and a cup of hot chocolate was a short one. No life threatening experiences in my explorations, no near drowning or freezing to death stories to liven up my childhood recollections.

I want to visit the homesteads and museums like Wendy did, continue to try to unravel my interest in these books that has persisted for decades. I also love the "what happened next?" questions, learning what became of the characters in her books. I don't find these characters diminished when I can find out their real life stories -- for me, they're enriched and widened. I can see more clearly what Laura did as a writer when she processed her experiences, shaped her story to communicate something she felt important to a generation of children who would never know what homesteading and pioneering was like.

Reading Wendy's story is reigniting my interest in the books and their connections to the reality of Laura Ingalls Wilder. This should be an interesting journey!

(less)

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May 08, 2012 Jessica Harlan rated it 4 of 5 stars

For anyone who was obsessed with the Little House books as a child, this book is a fantastic opportunity to get to know the Wilder family again, and to know a little more about what their lives were *really* like. The most compelling part of the book is when McClure and her boyfriend road-trip across middle America to see all the historic Laura sites. McClure is sometimes impressed, but more often disappointed with how reality differs from what was in the books, and she also does a great job res...more

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May 08, 2012 Margaret Sullivan rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am generally not a big fan of memoir, especially when I find it difficult to care much about the author, who is, after all, the main character, and his or her whiny first-world problems. Or maybe I'm just spectacularly self-centered. That may be why I so enjoyed The Wilder Life: the author, Wendy McClure, was so much like me! Or at least her experience of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House books were much like mine. Somebody else read The First Four Years at too young an age and was bummed ou...more

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May 05, 2012 Sara rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-about-books, memoir, nonfiction

“Little House on the Prairie” has long been considered one of the classics of children’s literature, and even today, amid the onslaught of fantasy and horror being published for young adults, is still held in high regard. Wendy McClure, a children’s book editor, chronicles her adventures in “Laura World” as she researches Wilder’s life, unravels the fiction from the fact in the stories, and makes multiple road trips to sites mentioned in the books. Along the way, she educates her boyfriend, Chri...more

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Mar 29, 2012 vc rated it 1 of 5 stars

As a lifeling fan of anything even remotely related to Laura Ingalls Wilder I thought I'd love this book. Most of the book is the author being disappointed to realize the books are not completely true & being a bit snarky about other LIW fans. I'm not sure how a person who claims to have read the books so many times never managed to see that the books are *fiction* not *autobiography*. But I did like that the author talks about the tomboy thing. I have always been a total anti-tomboy kind of...more

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