Wilder

One of the reasons the Little House books are so compelling is because Laura Ingalls was a real person. She lived the experiences she wrote about. These things actually happened. But also? She’s a real person, with serious flaws, problematic family members (oh hey, Pa) and traumas she simply couldn’t face in her writing. This week, we’re fact checking the books. What is actually true? What is made up? And what is left out entirely? 

This one’s for you, Jack the dog.  

Go deeper: 
Caroline Fraser’s Prairie Fires
Visit the Laura’s birthplace in Pepin, Wisconsin 
Visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder Park & Museum in Burr Oak, Iowa

Edit 7/10: Dr. Debbie Reese posted about this episode, specifically commenting on Jack the dog and the phrase "happy hunting grounds" in her blog, American Indians in Children's Literature.

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Who actually wrote the Little House books? For decades this question has loomed over the series. Was it Laura, a 65-year-old farm wife? Or her daughter Rose, one of the country's most successful freelance writers? But that's not the only conspiracy theory these heartwarming, cozy books have spawned. Many people also believe they are a Libertarian fantasy masquerading as tales for children. In this episode we tackle the question: how involved in the writing was Rose, really? And how much of Rose’s sometimes extreme political ideology ended up woven into Laura’s story? And if that weren't enough, we also look into whether Rose was responsible for funding the education of two of the most powerful right-wing operatives in America. While we're on the subject of politics, did Little House bankroll a failed run for President? And, finally, how did a man Laura never met, come to control the entire Little House world? We told you Rose was complicated.

Go deeper: 
Caroline Fraser’s Prairie Fires
Visit the Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Historic Homes in De Smet, South Dakota
Visit Laura and Rose’s homes in Mansfield 
All About Kids! episode with Roger Lea MacBride, courtesy of Hennepin County Library
Roger Lea MacBride’s presidential campaign ad courtesy of Carl Albert Center Archives

Follow us for behind the scenes content! 
@WilderPodcast on TikTok
@Wilder_Podcast on Instagram

We want to hear from you! If listening to Wilder has changed your thinking on Laura Ingalls Wilder and the Little House books, send a voice memo to [email protected]. You might be featured in our final episode ;) 

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Behind the cozy wholesome sweetness of the Little House books, is a raging mother and daughter relationship that is the stuff of soap operas and tabloid talk shows. Laura Ingalls Wilder and her husband Almanzo had one living child named Rose. That child would go on to be Rose Wilder Lane – one of the most successful, and controversial, freelance writers in the early 20th century. Without her, the Little House books would never have been written. It was also Rose, the world famous writer, scared of being eclipsed by her mothers success, who, overcome with jealousy and resentment, almost derailed the entire Little House series before it even got started. In the first part of this two part episode, we’re going to meet Rose Wilder Lane. Where did she come from? What was her life like? How did she become her mother’s greatest collaborator, and under-miner?   

Go deeper: 
Visit Laura and Rose’s homes in Mansfield 
Caroline Fraser’s Prairie Fires

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@WilderPodcast on TikTok
@Wilder_Podcast on Instagram

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How do you convey how much you loved the things you loved as a child? For lots of people, that thing is the Little House books. For better or worse, the books have shaped children’s lives and influenced how we understand American history. But to truly understand what we love and why we love it, we have to know where it comes from. The books didn’t just spring fully formed from Laura’s mind. There were many people, places, and institutions responsible for getting them published. This week, host Glynnis MacNicol takes us from Mansfield, Missouri to the halls of New York publishing houses to explain how the Little House books got written in the first place and shaped into the books we continue to return to today.  

Go deeper: 
Visit Laura’s home in Mansfield
The Pioneer Girl Project
Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom

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Host Glynnis MacNicol has loved Laura Ingalls Wilder and her Little House books since she was a kid. She’s not alone in this, a lot of people have a strong devotion to Laura. Some travel miles to visit her houses and attend pageants dedicated to Laura and her books. But over the years, Laura, her work, and her legacy have become increasingly controversial. How do we reckon with the things we loved as a child? The stuff that made us who we are? Glynnis takes to the road to find out, driving across the midwest to all of Laura’s houses. First stop: Walnut Grove, Minnesota. 

Go Deeper:
Visit Walnut Grove 
Keiko Satomi’s article, At The Library: Libraries put 'Little House' series in new light
Dr. Debbie Reese’s blog, American Indians in Children’s Literature

Follow us for behind the scenes content! 
@WilderPodcast on TikTok
@Wilder_Podcast on Instagram

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices