Little Farm in the Ozarks

Little House: The Rose Years #2

by Roger Lea MacBride

Young Rose Wilder's first year on Rocky Ridge Farm contains a lot of excitement, including going fishing and saving the farmhouse from fire, as the daughter of Laura and Almanzo Wilder begins a new life in the Missouri Ozarks.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Childrens, Fiction, Classics, Historical, Middle Grade, Young Adult

286 pages, Library Binding

First published January 1, 1994

About the author

MacBride called himself "the adopted grandson" of writer and political theorist Rose Wilder Lane, the daughter of writer Laura Ingalls Wilder, and as such laid claim to the substantial Ingalls-Wilder's literary estate, including the "Little House on the Prairie" franchise. He is the author of record of three additional "Little House" books, and began the "Rocky Ridge Years" series, describing the Ozark childhood of Rose Wilder Lane. He also co-produced the 1970s television series Little House on the Prairie.

Controversy came after MacBride's death in 1995, when the local library in Mansfield, Missouri, contended that Wilder's original will gave her daughter ownership of the literary estate for her lifetime only, all rights to revert to the Laura Ingalls Wilder Library after her death. The ensuing court case was settled in an undisclosed manner, but MacBride's heirs retained the rights.

For more information, please see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Ma...

Reviews

[Emily Cottle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just want to BE Laura Ingalls Wilder and have since I was about 5 years old. I read her books about a dozen times each as a kid, but I just recently discovered MacBride’s series. I was a little skeptical—how could anyone measure up to Laura? But MacBride surprised me. He really mimics Wilder’s beautiful prose; at times I forgot that she didn’t write it. Like many of the Little House books, this one is not plot driven, but something about it just makes my heart melt. Rose is a spunky, mischief-loving, heart-of-gold kind of kid, and her family is so full of love. It’s one of those books that just makes you feel good inside.

[Katja Labonté · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ stars & 8/10 hearts. I really enjoyed this book, maybe even more than the first one. I love Rose’s relationship with each of her parents; I love seeing Laura & Almanzo through her eyes; and I love seeing Laura & Almanzo’s relationship! It showed up strong in this one. I also really liked Laura’s faith and little discussion about accepting what God gives. There are just a few euphemisms. The plot was interesting and even gripping, and has many interesting characters. I am really loving this series!
A Favourite Beautiful Quote: “The strong light made a lacy pattern through the tiny spring leaves. If Rose squinted her eyes, the woods looked like fall. But the gentle warm breeze and drowsy scent of the growing earth spoke only of the coming summer.”
A Favourite Humorous Quote: “‘You know Eliza,’ said Papa. ‘…Nobody has to give Eliza Jane any ideas. She’s got plenty all on her own.’”

*I do plan to reread these books next year to see what I think of them then; review subject to revision/updates*

[Marissa Hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

loved the description of everything. it was very good. What I found a funny was Roses cats's name was Blackfoot and if you read Warriors then you will know that is the name of ShadowClan's warrior/leader.

[Katina stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's easy to get caught up in Rose' s life in the Ozarks. Good easy read.

[SisterSara · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!

[Carolynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rose and her parents, Almanzo and Laura Ingalls Wilder, try to carve out a farm near Mansfield, Missouri, in this sequel to "Little House on Rocky Ridge." She makes friends with neighbor kids but has more difficulty adjusting to the school, where the "town girls" are condescending toward "country girls." Lovers of the Little House books will enjoy these continuations of the Ingalls saga, but they are less compelling reading somehow. Even a flood fails to keep the pages turning. However, these books are less racist than the originals.

[Katie Young · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel her school struggles so deeply!

[Ashtyn Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a whole lot happened but I like that Rose is a good speller. That speaks to me. It was a nice little break from the normal farming struggles and I did like the slice of life aspect

[Katherine 黄爱芬 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Novel ini enak dibaca, ringan dan sangat mengalir plot ceritanya. Jadi gak terasa cepat sekali saya kelar bacanya.

Rose adalah anak yg msh kelas 3 SD, anak pindahan dari Dakota Selatan ke Missouri. Sbg anak dari sepasang petani miskin, Rose mengalami suka duka petualangan yg seru laiknya anak² kecil sebayanya. Rose juga mengalami masa beratnya dimana dia tidak menyukai sekolah barunya krn anak² disana sangat sombong. Namun berkat bimbingan wali kelasnya, Rose bisa menyesuaikan diri dan sukses di kelasnya.

Rose berjiwa bebas dan sangat natural. Dia menyukai alam bebas dan memiliki hati yg sangat lembut terutama pd hewan². Pa dan Ma nya adalah tipikal orang yg bersemangat dan tidak takut utk bekerja keras. Hal inilah yg menulari ke jiwa Rose utk tidak takut berusaha dan belajar. Walau Rose sempat ngiri dan kesepian krn dia hanyalah anak tunggal, tapi dia memiliki banyak teman yg sebaya. Nilai² kerja keras sangat ditekankan dan dihargai di novel ini.

Hanya saja tipe novel ini terlalu idealis menurut saya. Rose jg tetap saja bandel utk ukuran anak² tapi ortunya nyaris hanya memberikan hukuman yg ringan pd bocah ini. Tapi memang menyenangkan sih membaca buku tanpa ada kekerasan sama sekali.

[Celeste Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book #3 in the series about Rose Wilder (Laura & Almonzo's only daughter). This book especially has been incredibly inspiring to our kids. It has opened their eyes to what it means to work hard, be honest, merciful to others who have it worse off than you, how and why to reuse and recycle, and how to be a good and generous friend. I highly recommend this series to young families for a read aloud!!

[Elizabeth Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful book about a bygone era. I've been reading this series to several of my kids and we all love them! Family, honesty, bravery, making do, charity; those traits and more are all in this book.

[Coco and Snow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very nice book!

[Jenna · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is part of the Little House spinoff series I scored from Goodwill last year. I thought I owned book 2 in my collection but book 5 was mislabeled as book 2! Luckily, my local library came in clutch for me to borrow Little Farm in the Ozarks. Rose Wilder continues her adventures in Missouri through the Rocky Ridge series. The only books I can recall being set in Missouri I've read were Gillian Flynn's novels. A totally different vibe than these honeyglow prairie books! That, and Huckleberry Finn but that's a whole different kettle of fish.



I've been loving this series and I even prefer it to the original Little House series. I know it's written by a different author and nearly a century later, but it's much homier and accessible. Rose finally starts school and it's definitely an experience. Even though we matriculated 100 years apart, it was still relatable. I remember before transitioning to the gifted program, the class I was supposed to attend was way too easy and I didn't feel challenged enough: just like Rose. I liked the spelling bee and found it accurate that there will always be stuffy mean girls, no matter the decade. Luckily, Rose was able to befriend one in the end and even shared her spelling bee prize with her like the doll baby she is. My favorite part was an offhand comment that Laura Ingalls Wilder named one of her goats after Nellie Oleson. Sheer perfection. The honeyglow continues and I can't wait to continue with this lovely series.

[Paul Lunger · Rating 5 out of 5]

The second book in the Rose Years is just as enjoyable as the first if not moreso. "Little Farm in the Ozarks" follows us through 1895 as the Wilders get used to life in Mansfield. We witness a fire, a flood, the building of a kitchen, the first day of school & a hen house. MacBride keeps things moving along at a brisk enough pace & keeps the story moving as life in this part of Missouri moves along at a slower pace than we have today. Along the way we meet a few new characters & watch the development of this house into a home that will last for years to come. It's also nice to see that despite the conflicts & the hardships that somehow someway everything will be all right no matter what. An easy read & another classic for fans of the Little House series.

[Kacey Kendrick Wagner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still love following along the lives of the Wilders. This one tells about farming, gardening, fishing, raising chickens, making friends, and Rose as the new girl at school. They are finally diversifying their farm so as to avoid financial ruin...woohoo! Happy they figured that out. One of my favorite parts--now that I'm a married adult--is the fight Laura and Almanzo get in over the stove. :)

[Mr. Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

These are not as good as the original Little House books which were written in first person by Laura Ingalls Wilder herself. However, all indications are that these books are faithful to the life of Laura's family. They were written as a continuation of the story of Laura's life beyond the original series.

[Chrisanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm infinitely curious about MacBride. And why he waited to long to capitalize on the legacy left him by RWL.

[A.K. Frailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this story. It was one of the most like the original Little House series. I am getting a real feel for the characters and the setting. We already ordered the next couple books...

[Leeanne G · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I love little house books...

[Abigail G · Rating 5 out of 5]

A childhood favorite, as I could completely relate to the challenges and joys of farming.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

It started off with an attempted theft from the henhouse by a poor orphan boy. Almanzo asked for his name and the boy didn’t answer. Manly asked where he was from and he said from nowhere. I really didn’t like him or his attitude. Or that they fed him and let him stay the night after he tried to steal from them.

It was funny that Swiney’s older brother, Abe, brought raccoon over to make up for the attempted theft. Laura said she wouldn’t know the first thing about cooking a…what is it? She said she wasn’t quite sure they were ready for that. He insisted and there wasn’t anything more she could say, so the boys skinned it and Abe told her how to cook it. Laura didn’t even try it, which wasn’t good, but Almanzo and Rose liked it. But Laura fed hers to Fido at least!

The Land of the Big Red Apple was a name the railroad companies gave the Ozark Mountains to persuade people to come there, buy land, and grow apples to ship on the trains.

The “tree-topping” was crazy, how Swiney climbed a tree until the top bent over and rode it all the way down to the ground, then jumped up and down until the tree swung back up and went all the way down on the other side. It was crazy how Rose’s tree broke and she fell to the ground and was hurt and stunned but then wanted to do it again.

They had to sell Little Pet and Prince and it was sad them leaving their moms, in order to trade for two working mules to help with the planting.

I felt bad for Swiney with the childish spat that had him and Alva facing off. He ended up walking along a fence to prove only he could and fell off and got hung up in the wire, hanging upside down. He was mad and embarrassed and almost crying, and even though Rose laughed along at how he looked, I was glad she couldn’t be really mean, and told Alva to help get him down.

In the springtime, Almanzo didn’t shoot any of the rabbits because that was the time of year they had their babies.

They left Rose home alone while they went to town. She was supposed to keep an eye on the stove, but she teased the mules with salt and was outside the whole time. Swiney came over and when they went back to the house, it was on fire. He put it out and saved the day. Almanzo promised to tear down the lean-to and build her a real kitchen with a chimney.

I realized after re-reading the scene that when Manly said it was too late to move the stove back in, that he had things to do and for her to cook outside that night, that he had planned it. He said he had railroad ties to sell and was gone a while and came back with a new stove. I felt so bad for him that he came back grinning and said proudly that it isn’t the best stove money can buy but when he does a thing he does it right. She said no, he’ll have to take it back, she couldn’t use it knowing they’re in debt. He told her to wait a durn minute, that he went to no end of trouble trading and he’ll pay for it one way or another. He told her to quit this foolishness. She said he won’t talk her into anything by cussing and he could unload it himself but she won’t use it. He said why should he let her wear herself down slaving over a flimsy stove, worrying about fire. It ended in a stalemate and it wasn’t nice witnessing this argument between them. She used her old stove that night and afterward and she and Manly didn’t speak.

Almanzo told Rose that Laura is strong-willed and it’s what he liked about her from the first. She’s got spunk and spirit.
He shared that Charles called Laura flutterbudget when she got her dander up as a kid.
Rose asked if they could keep the stove and he said that’s for Laura to decide. They must wait and see.

Rose woke up to a bouquet of flowers on the table and Laura using the new stove.

They went fishing with Abe and Swiney. It was so nice to have them go out of the house, along with their previous trip to town to buy cloth.

Decoration Day was when the church members weed and tidy up the graveyard, and have a picnic. It was ruined by the flood. It was so tragic about the poor animals that died or were stranded or in the current.

Eliza Jane had talked Pearly into moving to Louisiana, and was trying to talk Almanzo and their parents into it.

She went to Alva’s for supper, a big country family, which was so refreshing for a change of scenery and company. Her dad told her of a hoop snake that swallowed its tail and rolled down a hill but always runs into a tree. He was clearly pulling one over on her but Rose didn’t know whether to believe it or not.

It was nice that they touched on the subject of other babies, because you wonder. Rose asked Laura if they could have a baby brother or sister. Laura explained that they’d both prayed for another baby, but she’d gotten sick and then the baby boy died and she thought God decided they won’t have any more children.

Rose asked if Laura would walk her to school and she was like Why, Rose! She’s a grown up girl now and knows the way, and they had chores to do at home. Rose asked if Fido could come, and Laura said no, he was needed at home. It was sweet how Fido started off with Rose, and Laura had to call him back twice to get him to come back.

Rose went to take an open seat at the front but the girl said she couldn’t sit here because it’s her friend’s seat. Kids stared at her and pointed and she blushed and looked for another seat. I related to Rose when she waited for her name to be called at school, and her throat became so choked it was hard to breathe. And how she hated being stared at and laughed at. Of course her name wasn’t called so she had to raise her hand and stand up and say her name, except she said it too quietly and was told to speak up.

Rose thought the lesson was stupid, having everyone say “ing” all those times to pronounce words correctly. She read her passage perfectly but didn’t care about the teacher’s praise. I commiserated with her never having had a male teacher and not liking it or sitting beside the sniffly girl.

I was so glad when the twins invited her to eat with them. It was funny how Rose didn’t know how anyone told them apart, especially with the similar names. She went to say goodbye and hesitated because she didn’t know which was which! It was so nice, as a twin, to have her think that twins were lucky because they always had a best friend.

Rose did so good at spelling she wasn’t proud of it because it had been so easy. She didn’t want to go back to school but Laura wouldn’t let her stay home.

One day she left on recess and went to Alva’s and lost track of time and stayed gone the rest of the day. She was punished by having to stay inside for the following recesses. It was a surprise that Professor Kay spoke to her and said she’s a good student and he doesn’t blame her for being bored. She should be in the 4th reader but can’t because the class is full. He offered her books from that class to take home. Among the books were Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and the Leatherstocking Tales, which she chose because she liked the title. It was about the beginnings of America. That was awesome to have that in here. She was transported away from school and to NY, hunting with a ride and wearing a deerskin coat with the hair still on. She got to bring it home and Laura read it and liked it a lot because it reminded her of when she was a child.

There was a pretty, rich girl at school that Rose wanted to talk to, but was too shy to. Blanche wouldn’t speak to Rose, and when the teacher had them both clean the erasers, Blanche said they could never be friends because Rose was a country girl. I liked when Rose vowed to never let Blance spell her down. She studied extra hard to keep beating her.

They went on a picnic with the Copley’s and another family, the Kinnebrews, with a stuck-up, city woman not happy living there. It was so nice to have an outing like this.

Irene died of diphtheria.

They had a spell down and invited all the parents. It was nerve-wracking but so great that Rose won! Blanche was crying with her parents and I was like Rose, don’t do it, but then she did! She went over and offered to share with Blanche her autograph book prize, saying she’d almost lost first and won just with a lucky guess. At least she offered to share it and not give it. Her dad said they was nice but it isn’t easily shared and she did win. Blanche said it’s her prize and she must keep it but it was nice to offer. Rose said they could share and Blance said it wouldn’t be right which I was glad for. Rose asked if she would write in it, to take it home and be the first to write in it.
It was nice Laura said she had two reasons to be proud of her, a good winner is a gracious winner.

It was surprising that they snuck an illustration in on pg. 261 when there hadn’t been a single other one anywhere else in the story.

Almanzo kept record of his earnings and spendings. Had one column for trading and one for selling to keep up with their pluses and minuses.

He put straw down and piled the potatoes and onions inside and covered with straw and boards to keep the food during winter.

I didn’t like what Blanche wrote, too wise you are, too wise you be, I see you are too wise for me. But at least she signed it your friend Blanche. Almanzo wrote “to my prairie Rose: be faithful in all things, superficial in none, and always remember that home is home.” Laura wrote a weird poem about flowers keeping the fairy Drop o Dew from washing them. I wanted heartfelt sentiments.

There was a harvest moon, the moon so brought farmers can work into the night gathering crops.

She got up and sat on the porch thinking wolves her howling. Laura joined her and they enjoyed the night, her arm around Rose which was nice. She said the moonlight was lovely like you were inside a dream. Then the roosts crowed and it was a new day beginning.


It definitely went on about Rose’s physical reactions to things, like her blushing hot or tingling or shivering in reaction to something, and describing the natural world in depth when I wanted more thoughts and conversations and actions. When you get a description at first, you’re like okay, I get it, but then it kept going on and on. It felt like it was an attempt to make the book longer because not much happened.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I may have not read the original Little House series for a good many years, but thanks to frequent re-runs of the TV show, I still have a pretty good recollection of the events (although I know that it differs quite significantly from the books.)

That’s why I’m starting to see quite a few similarities between the first two books and the original series. Or, Rose has just been too influenced by her mum’s stories/helping to write her mum’s stories. Why else would you have EXTREMELY similar characters to Nellie and Harriet Oleson, in the form of Alva and Mrs Kinnibrew?

There’s always the major events that happen as well. The fire. The first day at school. The first friend. The flood. You could probably pick any of the earlier Little House books and it would have the same events to this one. Or similar.

I still enjoy reading about Rose but the first two books cover the span of a year. There are another six books after this, so I reckon there’s going to be a big jump in time or there will be a lot of skimming of time.

This is only 286 pages, so slightly shorter than the first book in the series. Is there anything significant that happens in these books? Not really. They’re a quick and easy read and what I found, particularly with the books based around Laura and Caroline, is that the latter books are the better of the series.

It’s worth picking this series up, if you can find it for a reasonable price, if you have read any of the other books. For some reason, these books aren’t as readily available as the Laura books, and even the Caroline books are quite hard to pick up - I had to get some of them from the US. I haven’t tried to get the earlier books (based around Laura’s grandmother Charlotte and great grandmother Martha - or vice versa - due to the price).

[Jaime K · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a decent continuation of Rose's life. Overall though, it was kind of bland, though it shows Rose aging. Still, she still seems 7 and not 8/9.
We've skipped over the Wilder's first winter in Missouri, showing that nothing of import happened then. The book begins in February, where spring is a-coming. It's weird for them, and for me, to think of spring so early.

Swiney and Abe Baird are interesting boys. Abe is a fine young man with a lot of responsibilities, but he carries them well.

Eating raccoon sounds nasty.

We and the Wilders see how different it is to farm in soil vs. the prairie.
And we readers can really see how heavily debt weighed on Laura.

I feel bad for Rose, who realizes how nice it could have been to have siblings.

The schoolhouse is separated by Reader (not so much age, though age is a bit of a factor). It's interesting to see a segregated school after everything in Laura's days (and before her).
Cora and Dora Hibbard are humorous.
Professor Kay is harsh, yet overall understanding. As a current educator, I don't like how he berates the language of the locals, but I get it considering the time.

[Sherry Sidwell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a review that by necessity must be full of caveats. If you're just looking for a continuation of the Little House books for a budding reader, they're very much in the same vein in the day to day of not quite subsistence farming and not bad at all. But if you've read Caroline Fraser's excellent Prairie Fires about the lives and mythmaking of both Laura Ingalls Wilder and daughter Rose Wilder Lane, you quickly realize this series like the original is a lot of romanticized and highly fictionalized nonsense that could at times be quite hamfisted into trying further both women's own extreme politics and idealizing the heroic settler pioneer. Worse, they're written by someone who never knew Laura at all and because of Rose's decidedly odd proclivities in "adopting" various young men until they no longer suited her, lucked into getting control of the entire Wilder estate and copyrights.

This is the second book in a series. If you're interested in the day to day of living poor and barely getting by while hanging on to some idealized dream of farming that never quite seems to pan out, here you go.

[Hapsari Darmastuti · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with the other Little House books, I thoroughly enjoy it. It is as cozy and comforting as the other ones. I love that Rose loves reading! It reminds me of Matilda by Roald Dahl. And of course this book reminds me of the little things in life that we took for granted. Seeing how amazed Rose feels seeing one of her classmates wearing different clothes every day for a week when she only has one clothes to wear for the whole school term. And also her reaction of seeing her classmate eating chicken for lunch. I love the description of Rose's anxiety on her first day at school.

These books are even more farm-centric than the Laura books. Reading the book made me want to play Harvest Moon or Stardew Valley so bad. Although since it is really focused on farming, I found myself skimming some passages just because it didn't really interest me.

Overall, still enjoyed this a lot and looking forward to continuing.

[Emily Kidd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such an underrated series for LHOTP fans! I mean, Laura is still ever-present!!! But the story is this time told through Rose’s childhood, with the same whimsy and romance that made the original series (co-written by Rose?) the classic they remain today.

Nothing too bad directly happens to the Wilder family here in Book 2. There was a flood that caused extra work, but they were fine (just lost a few chickens!) A classmate at Rose’s new school died, but the disease didn’t spread and she was quarantined (before her death) for most of the book.

Rose got a little cat. She won a spell down. She went on picnics and chased grasshoppers and learned to swim. In most ways, this is a very typical, unremarkable story—what makes it special is the LHOTP connection.

Definitely recommend for a deeper dive into this pocket of history, or even just as a clean family read-aloud!

[Nicole D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I could explain why I like these books so much. They are all the darned same. Chores and school. Yet, I do love them. Laura and Almanzo are grown up (and call each other Bess and Manly - whatves) and their daughter is Rose. I struggle because I picture Laura as both the mom and the daughter, but picture the dad as Michael Landon no matter what, so it's a bit awkward at times. I've finally just decided to picture Michael Landon and Karen Grassle and move on with my life.)

Rose doesn't necessarily seem as bright as Laura, and she gets into a few spots of bother in this book. Fun entertainment.

[Rachel N. · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story of Rose Wilder, the daughter of Laura Ingalls and Almanzo Wilder, and her first full year at the families new home in Missouri. Rose has fun learning about the farm and meeting neighborhood children. She also starts school where she is a champion speller. The author knew Rose as an adult and managed her estate after her death. Unfortunately he died before finishing this series so the later books are very short, based on his notes. I enjoy the series but not as much as the little house books.

[Kris Phillips · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second entry in the Rose Wilder series, and I enjoyed it even more than the first. It's wonderful to get to know Rose as a child, to hear her thoughts and feelings towards her own Ma and Pa, and to learn of her adventures in their new home in Missouri. I'm so glad that Roger Lea MacBride became the "adopted grandson" of Rose, heard all of her stories about her life with her famous mother, and then decided to share them with the rest of us! I'm now reading the third book in the series and enjoying it just as much as this one.

[Anita Routh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Written by Rose Wilder Lane's adopted grandson, Little Farm in the Ozarks is the second book in a continuation of the Little House series, picking up when Laura, Almanzo and Rose have been in Missouri for a year or so. It is written in a very similar manner to the original series. I always loved the Little House series, and I reread it periodically, getting something different out of it with every reading. This is a worthy addition to the Ingalls/Wilder lore.