I Remember Laura

New Pioneer Joined : 04 Jun 2007 Posts : 52 Mood :

Last night I was at a half-priced book store and was looking around and saw a book called I Remember Laura! I had never heard of this book before and really didn't want to buy anything but I knew I had to get it! It was only $8 anyway. So has anyone read this book before I skimmed through it a little last night but haven't really began to read it yet.
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Subject: Re: I Remember Laura Sat Sep 01, 2007 1:24 pm

I have this book and I loved reading it. I haven't read it in a long time, but it talks about people who knew Laura and how they remembered her.

Let me know what you think of it when you finally get a chance to read it.

Cheryl
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All my life, I wanted to be like you - Laura to Ma in The Last Farewell

Subject: Re: I Remember Laura Sat Sep 01, 2007 2:23 pm

Aww, that's so cool. I never knew they had a book like that.

Beckie
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Subject: Re: I Remember Laura Sun Sep 02, 2007 4:14 pm

thats kool i didn't know they had one like that! it should be really kool!
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Subject: Re: I Remember Laura Mon Sep 03, 2007 8:35 pm

Yes. I've heard about this book. It's in all Laura's books catalogues. I've not read this one ,tough. But I know it is very good.

Vanesa.
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New Pioneer Joined : 04 Jun 2007 Posts : 52 Mood :

Hey Cheryl I finished it on Monday and thought it was great. Sometimes I really forget that a Laura different from the books and TV shows actually lived. She was a real person which is a hard concept for me to get! This book helped and I liked the way that other people recalled her. Though I didn't get why a lot of the times they had trouble remembering! I was like this was Laura Ingalls why don't you remember. But I guess they didn't know really how famous she would really be. I got the Rose biography The Ghost in the Little House last night, well thats no light reading LOL. At least for me! So far it seems a little negative towards Laura I think but then again I'm not that far into it yet at all! Did you read this book? If so let me know.
Katie
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Subject: Re: I Remember Laura Wed Sep 05, 2007 3:53 pm

I think that's the most amazing part of Little House for me--Laura Ingalls Wilder was a flesh and blood person who experienced the things she wrote about. Laura lived during an amazing time in American history--the West was tamed, the pioneering lifestyle came to an end, and technology started to advance in leaps and bounds.

As for why some people didn't recall her well, I think you've hit the nail on the head. I can't remember half the people who lived next door to me growing up, and if my next door neighbor becomes famous 30 years from now I might not remember everything about her either.

The Ghost in the Little House is a very hard read. Not only because of its length, but because the aim of the author, William Holtz, is to prove that Rose co-authored the LH series. I have read this title and did an extensive, multi-post review of it on my blog. I enjoyed learning more about Rose Wilder Lane, but not at the expense of her mother's reputation.

After reading Ghost, I borrowed Free Land and Let the Hurricane Roar from the library to see if there were any similarities in the writing. I have come to no real conclusions about Holtz's claim that Rose should be credited as co-author of Laura's books.

I've also read, Laura Ingalls Wilder's Town, Where History and Literature Meet by John Miller. He refutes Holtz's claims that Rose is the co-author of the LH series.

I believe it is always best to hear both sides of things before making a decision. However, like I mentioned, I am still undecided about Rose. I haven't seen enough evidence to make me believe that she was anything more than a good editor for her mother's books and that Rose's connections helped Laura get her books published.

Cheryl
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All my life, I wanted to be like you - Laura to Ma in The Last Farewell

New Pioneer Joined : 04 Jun 2007 Posts : 52 Mood :

I've read let Let the Hurricane Roar though the version I got was called Young Pioneers which is just a different name I have yet to read Free Land though now I want to! At least in Let the Hurricane Roar to me it just was totally different than the Little House books. Yeah it was the same story and everything but Laura's books just have a certain style of writing that it didn't. Next time I go to the Library I'm going to get Free Land.
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Subject: Re: I Remember Laura Fri Sep 07, 2007 3:17 am

Subject: Re: I Remember Laura Fri Dec 21, 2007 8:09 am

I also have I Remember Laura. Your lucky you found it at such a great price. I think I paid $20 in 1990. It was like finding treasure, because I had never even heard of it . It was nice to "see" Laura as an older woman, and part of a community that loved her.
This book gave us some insight in her life with Almonzo living on Rocky Ridge. She truly bloomed wherever she was planted.
I would love to read The Ghost in the Little House....but something tells me I wont like it. I know Rose had strong influence in getting Laura's books published, but Laura was the one that knew how to write about what she had experienced. I believe that in all fairness to Laura's family and the children she was writing them for, she probably knew they needed to be told with an honest heart. Rose got talent from Laura not the other way around. In all fairness though to Rose, my hat comes off to her for making sure Laura told her stories. Thank goodness for that.

Subject: Re: I Remember Laura Fri Dec 21, 2007 9:54 am

Gin,

I think Ghost is hard for anyone who loves and respects Laura and Almanzo to read. It paints them as awful parents that poor Rose had to deal with. And it speaks often of how torn Rose was in trying to live the life she desired, but feeling the obligation to care for her parents. If Holtz's aim was to prove that Rose co-authored the Little House series, then he could have done that without painting the Wilders the way he did.

The parts I enjoyed most were chapters were I learned about Rose's travels and her writing career, because even though she wasn't satisfied in writing articles and wanted more out of her career, the things she accomplished were great for a woman of that era.

Cheryl
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All my life, I wanted to be like you - Laura to Ma in The Last Farewell

Subject: Re: I Remember Laura Fri Dec 21, 2007 3:36 pm

I agree Cheryl, Rose really did do wonderful things for that time period. I think she felt bad when she left her parents for extended trips as they aged. But I am glad she tried to care for them.
I cant help but wish Baby Wilder had lived. Things might have been different with two children in the family. Boys tend to be closer to their Ma's ya know.
I will read "Ghost" sometime....just because its about Laura. How could I not and say I'm a fan? LOL

Subject: Re: I Remember Laura Fri Dec 21, 2007 4:13 pm