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Laura Ingalls Wilder Country: The People and Places in Laura Ingalls Wilder's Life and books
"Laura Ingalls Wilder Country takes the millions of fans of the "Little House books and the hit TV series on an enchanting tour of the real world of the well-loved author, visiting the people and places who inspired her classic books. With hundreds of photos, many in full color, this memorabilia book makes a beautiful gift.
120 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1990
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877 people want to read
About the author
William Anderson
39 books64 followersWilliam Anderson is an American author, historian and lecturer. He is a specialist in the subject of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her times.
His interest in American frontier began after reading Little House on the Prairie. He is a director of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri, and he lives and works as a teacher in Michigan.
Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
His interest in American frontier began after reading Little House on the Prairie. He is a director of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home and Museum in Mansfield, Missouri, and he lives and works as a teacher in Michigan.
Librarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
October 5, 2021
A visual journal of the people, places, and assorted memorabilia related to Laura Ingalls Wilder. A nice supplement to biographies and other pictorial works about her life as this one gives a broader view of the landscapes where she lived.
August 2, 2022
I saw this book in the library and got captivated right away by the pictures. It did take me awhile to read this book, but that's not because it wasn't good. Quite the opposite! I am such a huge LIW, Little House fan, that I did not want this book to end. I thoroughly digested every page by pouring over the pictures and history behind all the destinations you can visit with anything Little House related. If you can't visit all the Little House museums yourself or if you've ever missed any, this book will give you a good picture of what the landscape is like.
This book was first published in Japan in 1988 after a Japanese translator expressed his interest in Laura Ingalls Wilder to William Anderson. Anderson then recruited Leslie Kelly for the photography. The majority of the pictures were done by Kelly unless they are noted in the back such as the museums' archived photos. There is a variety of full length pictures that take up both pages along with smaller ones and headshots of the family.
This is not just a coffee table book of pictures though. Each picture has a lengthy caption, and there is a chapter for each location with a page or two with history of the family's travels. I was happily surprised by the extensive history listed. I decided to shelve this under reference since you could easily flip open this book to check, for example, what years did the Ingalls live in Burr Oak or how long were the Wilders in Florida? There were even a couple of Laura's poems copied next to some of Kelly's photos to give you a better feel of the land with Laura's voice to help. I forgot she was quite the poet too.
If you are a diehard LIW fan or just starting to research her life, this book would be a great place to start. I learned some more information myself and was reminded of facts I had forgotten. Laura did go to school in Pepin, Wisconsin at four years old (she never wrote about it). In Independence, Kansas, the Ingalls cabin is gone but you can see the well Pa built and historians think they found the foundation of Mr. Edwards's cabin nearby. There are even pictures of places that used to stand back in the mid 1900s but are no longer there such as Pa's store in De Smet (this was torn down) and the Wilder home in Spring Valley, Minnesota where Laura, Almanzo, and Rose lived in 1890 (this house was demolished too).
I recommend reading all of her Little House books, and then stopping to read the first chapter on Pepin Wisconsin after you read Little House in the Big Woods, the next chapter on Independence Kansas after Little House on the Prairie, and so forth as you read through the series. This will help you distinguish the exact facts and dates as Laura did change some details for the books which makes them historical fiction rather than nonfiction. There is also a chapter on Rose and a chapter on the Wilders. Since Anderson did such a great job, I may need to buy a copy for myself!
Recommend for- Fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the history of pioneers
This book was first published in Japan in 1988 after a Japanese translator expressed his interest in Laura Ingalls Wilder to William Anderson. Anderson then recruited Leslie Kelly for the photography. The majority of the pictures were done by Kelly unless they are noted in the back such as the museums' archived photos. There is a variety of full length pictures that take up both pages along with smaller ones and headshots of the family.
This is not just a coffee table book of pictures though. Each picture has a lengthy caption, and there is a chapter for each location with a page or two with history of the family's travels. I was happily surprised by the extensive history listed. I decided to shelve this under reference since you could easily flip open this book to check, for example, what years did the Ingalls live in Burr Oak or how long were the Wilders in Florida? There were even a couple of Laura's poems copied next to some of Kelly's photos to give you a better feel of the land with Laura's voice to help. I forgot she was quite the poet too.
If you are a diehard LIW fan or just starting to research her life, this book would be a great place to start. I learned some more information myself and was reminded of facts I had forgotten. Laura did go to school in Pepin, Wisconsin at four years old (she never wrote about it). In Independence, Kansas, the Ingalls cabin is gone but you can see the well Pa built and historians think they found the foundation of Mr. Edwards's cabin nearby. There are even pictures of places that used to stand back in the mid 1900s but are no longer there such as Pa's store in De Smet (this was torn down) and the Wilder home in Spring Valley, Minnesota where Laura, Almanzo, and Rose lived in 1890 (this house was demolished too).
I recommend reading all of her Little House books, and then stopping to read the first chapter on Pepin Wisconsin after you read Little House in the Big Woods, the next chapter on Independence Kansas after Little House on the Prairie, and so forth as you read through the series. This will help you distinguish the exact facts and dates as Laura did change some details for the books which makes them historical fiction rather than nonfiction. There is also a chapter on Rose and a chapter on the Wilders. Since Anderson did such a great job, I may need to buy a copy for myself!
Recommend for- Fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the history of pioneers
April 26, 2015
An invaluable guide to the real places behind the Little House books, this book is perfect to share with children who are currently immersed in the series. Though older, the book is painstakingly photographed and all the images are accompanied by quotations from the books or from Laura's other writings. Large black and white and color photographs of house interiors, Pa's fiddle, family members, and sweeps of prairie are interspersed with the beloved Garth Williams illustrations. A fascinating photographic experience from cover to cover.
February 11, 2015
If you love the "Little House" series, and you have a hankering to visit the places where Wilders and Ingallses once trod, this is the essential guide. I have used it to find Walnut Grove, MN and those very banks of the Plum Creek. It even includes some places not mentioned in the novels, like Burr Oak, IA, where the Ingalls family ran an inn for awhile. A worthwhile investment for any wannabe 21st century prairie girl (or guy).
October 22, 2018
Anyone who loves the Little House books would enjoy this short biography lavishly illustrated with maps and photographs of all the places Laura and her family lived, including pictures of their things as mentioned in the books — Pa’s fiddle, Ma’s china shepherdess, the whatnot, etc.
January 20, 2014
Published a year after my first Little House trip this book illustrated the same photos that I tried to capture, only this includes the interiors and artifacts that I couldn't. Bill Anderson and Les Kelley created a perfect memory book for anyone who has toured or those who want to see the real places of Laura Ingalls Wilder's pioneer world.
January 20, 2014
If you can't travel to the many "Little House" homesites, then this book will take you there. Part biography and history, loaded with photographs, this is a wonderful keepsake book for any reader of Laura Ingalls Wilder.
October 21, 2019
A fantastic pictorial collection of the homes and landscapes of Laura’s childhood, sprinkled with illustrations from the books. William Anderson is a great researcher of Wilder’s life and he does a great job on this book.
March 17, 2021
This book was so lovely! I read most of it in one afternoon, engrossed in studying the photographs of various places that Laura Ingalls Wilder lived throughout her life, and learning a bit more about her actual history. She did leave some things out of her books, like the hotel in Iowa that her family ran for a couple of years and the fact that they went back to Wisconsin after the events of Little House on the Prairie, not straight to Plum Creek. So those was really fascinating to learn a bit about.
Plus, it was just lovely to get to see actual photographs of her family! I've seen a couple of them before, but this had many more than I had ever encountered. If you're at all a fan of her books, this is definitely a great resource to pair with them. My only complaint is that I wanted there to just be more and more and more, hee.
Plus, it was just lovely to get to see actual photographs of her family! I've seen a couple of them before, but this had many more than I had ever encountered. If you're at all a fan of her books, this is definitely a great resource to pair with them. My only complaint is that I wanted there to just be more and more and more, hee.
March 2, 2018
A scrapbook of all things Laura--115 pages and it could have been twice as long for me. Shouldn't I get a life of my own instead of living a life of a woman who died the year before I was born?
Nah. I was born and raised in one place. While it would be interesting to gather up a similar scrapbook about my life and times, it's more exciting to live in hers.
This gives me plenty of room to roam about in her memories--he's collected photographs, both modern and historical, illustrations, maps and just a little text to hold them together. Arranged them according to the actual timeline, not the condensed one she uses in her stories. While he's careful to speak of the books as "her stories about her childhood," his historical narrative borrows heavily from the books and thus, is mostly not to be trusted.
On one page he has two illustrations from On the Banks of Plum Creek. One by Helen Sewell and Mildred Boyle and one by the later illustrator Garth Williams. They show different scenes, so they can't really be compared--but I can't help comparing them anyway. I think my first introduction to the books, circa 1964, must have been the first set. I just like those illustrations better. Yeah, they're cutesy and simplistic, but they're more in tune with the people of the stories. The clothes are done better.
Someone should do a reprint with them both. I'd buy it.
Nah. I was born and raised in one place. While it would be interesting to gather up a similar scrapbook about my life and times, it's more exciting to live in hers.
This gives me plenty of room to roam about in her memories--he's collected photographs, both modern and historical, illustrations, maps and just a little text to hold them together. Arranged them according to the actual timeline, not the condensed one she uses in her stories. While he's careful to speak of the books as "her stories about her childhood," his historical narrative borrows heavily from the books and thus, is mostly not to be trusted.
On one page he has two illustrations from On the Banks of Plum Creek. One by Helen Sewell and Mildred Boyle and one by the later illustrator Garth Williams. They show different scenes, so they can't really be compared--but I can't help comparing them anyway. I think my first introduction to the books, circa 1964, must have been the first set. I just like those illustrations better. Yeah, they're cutesy and simplistic, but they're more in tune with the people of the stories. The clothes are done better.
Someone should do a reprint with them both. I'd buy it.
August 11, 2012
I picked up this book at the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum in Mansfield, MO. It is a neat snapshot of Laura's life with a brief description of her history and travels. It includes a lot of photos, a timeline, and interesting info on her other family members. A quick and interesting read for Laura fans.
October 26, 2014
If you liked the Laura Ingalls Wilder books you will probably like this book. It covers the life of Laura and her family and also her husband Almanzo Wilder and daughter Rose Wilder Lane. It gives a chronology of her life with photos of her family and follows the places she lived as a child and an adult. It's also a quick read -- lots of pictures!
May 9, 2015
Think of this a photo accompaniment to books by or about Laura Ingalls Wilder ... there's not a lot of depth in the material, but it's great to see some of the places, people and things that were key to her story. I would recommend getting this one out of the library, unless you are a real LIW addict and have to own it all.
March 5, 2009
Just happened on this - an interesting book tracing the life in pictures of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Pictures of the many places she lived, her family, her homes - Found it put her many books into perspective -- great if you were (are) into her books.
August 17, 2012
This book is a wonderful photographic journey through all of the locations Laura talked about in the Little House books. There are photos of the family, the places they lived and items mentioned in the books. Another must read for the true Wilder fan.
March 28, 2018
A really nice random collection of Wilder things. Loved discovering new facts and artifacts related to Laura Ingalls Wilder. Anderson has done so much to help preserve Wilder's legacy as well as helping her legacy be accessible to the public.
July 25, 2015
If you can't travel to the Little House home sites, this is a great look at how they are. If you can, it's a great memory of your trip.
September 25, 2022
This book contains photographs of the places, people, and their houses and belongings that were all a part of Laura's life story.
February 3, 2025
I really loved this book! While the Little House books are amazing narratives, there was so much more going on in the lives of the characters—so much more nuance that goes into homesteading. It isn’t just about the homemaking, chores, and hunting. This book really gave a lot more context to what actually is entailed in homesteading and early American life.
July 14, 2022
So glad found this book at used bookstore. More about the places and the memorial/historical places in DeSmet, SD. Have visited some of them but not all. Now know where others are near DeSmet and so many other places.
August 30, 2023
So cool! A satisfying addition to the Little House séries.
February 18, 2010
I was very excited to purchase this book online and add it to my collection of all things Laura Ingalls Wilder. Sadly I was disappointed when I received it.
The production values in this book and the design are very very poor. This may not be of notice to the average reader but I was a print production manager for many years. The page layout is from the 1980s, of course. It is horrible. The typography is dated and awful. The information is not connected very well. I found it hard to concentrate on the information when the packaging was so atrocious. The book looks like a not-talented amateur put it together in his garage on the weekends for fun.
Much of the information contained was already known to me, as I have many other books about Laura's life. I enjoyed the photographs and I am glad I own it. It's just not a book I browse on my shelves when I want a Laura fix.
This book badly needed a good editor and an art director.
Poor little book. It's not your fault you're so ugly. I love you anyway.
The production values in this book and the design are very very poor. This may not be of notice to the average reader but I was a print production manager for many years. The page layout is from the 1980s, of course. It is horrible. The typography is dated and awful. The information is not connected very well. I found it hard to concentrate on the information when the packaging was so atrocious. The book looks like a not-talented amateur put it together in his garage on the weekends for fun.
Much of the information contained was already known to me, as I have many other books about Laura's life. I enjoyed the photographs and I am glad I own it. It's just not a book I browse on my shelves when I want a Laura fix.
This book badly needed a good editor and an art director.
Poor little book. It's not your fault you're so ugly. I love you anyway.
June 11, 2012
This book is mostly photos of the places mentioned in the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. It includes some places left out of the stories as well as a few others. I read this book as a companion to The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure. She mentions another book by William Anderson several times in her book, but I couldn't get my hands on a copy of that book yet. It was nice to see actual photos of some of the places Ms. McClure was talking about. I highly recommend they be read together.
July 13, 2012
This helped me understand The Wilder Life better. Seeing the pictures of the places where Laura Ingalls Wilder really lived just really hit home how different the picture in our heads is. And it's funny because it's really not Wilder's descriptions of the places that is incorrect, or our imaginations...it's the absolutely charming illustrations of Garth Williams. By lining up actual pictures with Wilder's text and a few of Williams' illustrations you get that sense of let down. The illustrations created pictures that real life could never live up to!
April 25, 2011
What a wonderful photographic journey down the Little House on the Prairie memory lane of my youth! I loved reading the series as a child...and loved the television series as well (well, at least the early years). Seeing all the pictures of each book's setting/location, as well as pictures over the years of all the main characters, was a pure delight. It makes me want to plan a vacation to all the Little House museums scattered about.
July 5, 2015
My husband bought this for me on one of his recent business trips; he stopped at the Walnut Creek site. It is, primarily, a pictorial view of all the places Laura and her family lived throughout her childhood, along with some holding-it-all-together text and quotes from Laura's writings. There are also some absolutely stunning landscape photos.
Basically, there's not a lot here that I didn't know, but the packaging is a little different.
Basically, there's not a lot here that I didn't know, but the packaging is a little different.
June 15, 2019
Interesting but I wish it had gone a little more into depth and included more biographical information about the whole family. One odd thing I wonder about is why three generations of male children in a row of this family didn't make it past infancy--Laura's brother, son and grandson all died soon after birth. I think with a full timeline and more information about the family this would have been really good.
February 7, 2008
This is a fascinating book if you love the Little House series as much as I do. It has many pictures of the family as well as pictures and descriptions of places they lived. I have read this several times and wouldn't mind owning it.
December 30, 2011
After reading The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure, I started to want to see some of the Laura hot spots being visited. But I don't particularly want to go to South Dakota. But I really want to see the homestead!
July 7, 2018
Fascinating walk through of some key places in Laura Ingalls Wilder's life while she was growing up and as an adult. Pics and poems and other bits I've never seen or read before. A book every LIW fan should have in their collection.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews