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Title: Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Woman Behind the Legend (Thorndike Large Print Senior Lifestyles Series) by John E. Miller, William E. Foley ISBN: 0-7862-1690-5 Publisher: Thorndike Pr Pub. Date: 01 February, 1999 Format: Hardcover Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $25.95

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Average Customer Rating: 3.6 (15 reviews)

Rating: 5
Summary: Worth much more than the paper on which it's printed!
Comment: This book gives a much more balanced account of Laura Ingalls Wilder's life than other recent biographies. John E. Miller creates a richly detailed portrait of the real Laura Ingalls Wilder, one that is well supported by his documentation. The relationship between LIW and her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, is examined in great detail. Miller's assertions about the relationship between mother and daughter ring true. His statements are clearly supported by his research. He does not attempt to negate Rose Wilder Lane's contribution to the Little House Series. This book gives a good picture of the complexities of the mother/daughter literary collaboration. One comes away with a better understanding of and an appreciation for both women. "Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder" is an interesting, well written, and highly readable biography. A most welcome addition to the shelf of any admirer of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books!

Rating: 5
Summary: Filled with great information
Comment: John E. Miller tells the story of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her writing in a realistic and informative way. I used the book for a major research project in my senior year as a literature major. He was one of my main sources. His book brings new information about Laura and the way her books were written into the public realm. He explains how Laura, with the help of her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane (who mainly edited and made suggestions) collaborated to produce the finest set of frontier children's novels in the country. His book is written in a way that shows the different sides of Mrs. Wilder and how she developed in her writing without being methodical or overly academic. "Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder" is an easy read and is a great asset to teachers and other adults who read Laura themselves as children and who want to know more about the woman behind the legend.

Rating: 3
Summary: disappointing, but if you love Laura - it's a must read
Comment: While I will never pass up any biography about LIW, I have to admit that this book is not too exciting. First, in some sections it is clear that Miller does not have enough documented sources of information. In these chapters, his writing jumps around, back and forth in time, and is very repetitive within and among paragraphs. Secondly, he provides almost no information that I have not seen before. Despite these complaints, this book seems to be very well researched and is readable throughout.

The focus on the "Rose Story," that many other reviewers complain about, is actually the most cleanly written part of the book. No doubt, this can be attributed to the fact that there are MANY extant primary sources that depict the relationship between Laura and her daughter. They apparently wrote to each other constantly. Therefore, Miller does not need to stretch his material regarding this part of Laura's life.

On the other hand, readers who love Laura and her stories want to know more about the family and other people described in the novels. We want to know about Laura's relationships with her parents and adult sisters and with the Wilder in-laws. We want to know what happened to Mary, Carrie and Grace after "These Happy Golden Years." We want to know what Almanzo was really like. These topics are not explored in depth.

In the end, my disappointment is not in Miller and his writing. It is rooted in two inescapable facts. First, most of Laura's adult life was quite ordinary. She and Almanzo, like the Ingalls family before them, were poor most of the time. The magical Laura and "Manly" of "Little House" fame did not heroically rise above circumstances and make a great success of farming. Their married relationship does not appear to have been remarkable. Their relationship with Rose seems to have been tense due to the usual generational differences. My second and most depressing disappointment is that there are no sources that have preserved the more personal aspects of the Ingalls and Wilder legacy. So, while I would like to know more of the family details, no one knows for sure what they are.

All in all, if you are a real Laura fan, you will want to read this book. However, do not expect much excitement or new information.