The Days of Laura Ingalls Wilder
The Days of Laura Ingalls Wilder is a series of books written by Thomas L. Tedrow. They are fictional books about the adulthood of Laura Ingalls Wilder in Missouri.
Books
- Missouri Homestead (1992)
- Children of Promise (1992)
- Good Neighbors (1992)
- Home to the Prairie (1992)
- The World's Fair (1992)
- Mountain Miracle (1992)
- The Great Debate (1992)
- Land of Promise (1992)
Main characters
- Laura Ingalls Wilder – Portrayed as a fiery, opinionated woman who writes articles for The Mansfield Monitor
- Manly Wilder – Laura’s husband who walks with a permanent limp
- Rose Wilder – Laura and Manly’s daughter who has been sent off to boarding school in New Orleans
- Rev. Youngun – The Methodist minister who is a widower with three children
- Larry Youngun – Oldest son of Rev. Youngun,
- Terry Youngun – Middle child of Rev. Youngun, has red hair and a knack for getting into trouble
- Sherry Youngun – Youngest child of Rev. Youngun
- Maurice Springer – African American neighbor of the Younguns who has befriended the Youngun children.
- Eulla Mae Springer - Maurice's wife
The Books:
Missouri Homestead
Laura, Manly and Rose arrive in Mansfield, MO in 1894 after suffering terrible losses in the Dakotas with only $100 to their name. They use this money as a down payment to buy the land that will become Apple Hill Farm. The story jumps to 1904, where Apple Hill Farm is thriving. Laura speaks out against the clear cutting of trees by William Bentley, a rich logger and starts writing newspaper articles against Bentley. What Bentley doesn’t know is that two of his workers, Carver and Flannigan, have been drilling holes in the trees to make them appear to have been fit by “fungus” so they can chop down perfectly healthy trees.
Children of Promise
An Irish Catholic schoolteacher has come to teach elementary school in Mansfield. The town is in an uproar because of the Catholic teacher and many parents keep their children home from school. The Klan wants the teacher to leave and threatens Mr. Summers, the newspaper editor. Laura writes articles in favor of the new teacher and finds herself an enemy of the Klan as well.
Good Neighbors
Dr. George's life changes when his nephew Cubby Elliott arrives on the train to stay with him. He has been looking after Martha Helling who is 38 and 8-months pregnant, but her husband Jacob doesn't want Dr. George to touch her because he's black. Rose is trying to get home for the holidays but is delayed by mechanical breakdowns and poor weather. She and Lemuel Springer hitch a ride with a mailman named Kris Kringle on a sled who will take them to Mansfield. The weather is getting worse and many of the townspeople are freezing to death.
Home to the Prairie
Pa Ingalls comes to visit Laura in Mansfield. Pa wants to go back to see the log house in Kansas and Laura agrees to drive him there in her car
Controversy
The series has gotten some flak for using Laura Ingalls Wilder as a character.
In this book series, the Wilder's farm is called "Apple Hill Farm" instead of "Rocky Ridge Farm" which is what is in historical accounts. Pa Ingalls visits Laura in book 4 but he had died historically several years earlier. Laura also gives birth to a daughter at the end of book 8 when, historically, she did not have any more children.
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