Thursday, February 2, 2012

10:17 The First Four Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The last book by Laura in the Little House series, the manuscript of which was found in her possessions after she passed by her daughter Rose and was not printed until Rose's passing.  Similar in style but you can see the detail goes down to more bare bones as it progresses.  The first thing that strikes you is what a run of bad luck that family had after all the problems her Pa had had getting proved up on a homestead and then the first four years for her and Manly were filled with bad weather and the ruination of their crops time and time again, the loss of their son when he was only a few weeks old, and the loss of their home when it burned down shortly afterward.  But what really comes through louder, is their indomitable spirit, their tenacity to make it work, their love for each other and their daughter, their willingness to keep working hard even when it hadn't paid off yet.  That was the pioneer spirit and it was truly remarkable to read.

Page count: 134p/5,631p ytd

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