Kleines Haus im grossen Wald (1932)

This is a re-read for me as it's been so long since I've been able to sit down and enjoy the story from another perspective. As an adult, it is easier for me to understand the simplicity behind the telling of the Ingalls' story and the way Laura Ingalls chose to describe the area in which she lived with such loving detail. It was lovely to visit the Big Woods and be able to visualize the area and the events she described. ( )

Another childhood classic. This was a huge part of our homeschool curriculum when we studied America Expansion - post Civil War! ( )

Such a good one. ( )

Enchanting, my favorite books as a child. ( )

A very young Laura Ingalls (she celebrates her 5th birthday in the book) tells about life in a Wisconsin cabin with her Pa, her Ma, her older sister Mary, and her baby sister Carrie. Over the course of about a year, Laura describes the hard work of frontier life, interspersed with times for play and family gatherings.

My fourth grade teacher read this to the class and I was bored to tears at that age. It didn’t speak to this child of the TV generation. I had no frame of reference for the kinds of chores that were part of the Ingalls family’s daily existence, and Laura was too young to interest a 9-year-old.

My adult self relished the vivid descriptions of farm living. My own Midwestern ancestors likely lived in much the same way. I was struck especially by Laura’s description of her mother, who worked with joy and had just the right blend of firmness and gentleness with her children.

I highly recommend listening to the audio version if you can get your hands on it. Cherry Jones’ superb narration enhanced the experience, as did Paul Woodiel’s fiddle interludes. ( )