Robin's Reviews > Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Fraser has done exhaustive research into the life and times of Laura, husband Almanzo, daughter Rose, and other figures that were involved in their lives, which has resulted in the most complete and unvarnished biography of LIW ever published. Also included are 80+ pages of extensive footnotes of books, unpublished documents, letters, and more, which are almost as interesting as the main text. As a huge fan of anything Laura Ingalls Wilder, I was totally absorbed, and while I was fascinated by the actual life and events of Laura's life, I felt a little sad about her and Rose's contentious relationship, and, frankly, how unlikable and disagreeable Rose turned out to be. And the final resolution of what happened to Laura's property and royalties was heartbreaking.

Someone asked me if this would be interesting to anyone who hadn't read the Little House books and I'm not sure but I would say knowing the books would definitely enhance reading this comprehensive biography. A good book to have by your side while reading this is the newly released The World of Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Frontier Landscapes that Inspired the Little House Books by Marta McDowell.

Thanks to Macmillan publishers for the advance reading copy.