The First Four Years Reviews
As
the story begins Laura Ingalls has just married Manly Wilder. Both
of them are on cloud nine as they prepare to settle into married
life and their small homestead on the prairie.
Although Manly is set on being a farmer Laura advises him against it, saying that she fears poverty and being taken advantage of by the store owners. Manly makes a deal with Laura - he will farm for three years, at which time Laura will decided if farming is going well for the family. If not, Manly will choose another profession.
Although both Laura and Manly see all the wonderful aspects of the prairie, neither of them is prepared for the hard times that will strike during their first year together as a married couple.
Together they will face destroyed crops, illness,
cash flow problems and the ravages of fire. As they welcome a baby
daughter into the world both Laura and Manly wonder if their family
will be able to survive the unpredictability of prairie life.
By: Sandra Calhoune of allreaders.com
Children's Literature
Many parents and teachers are well acquainted with Laura, the
high-spirited pioneer girl who moved by covered wagon with her family from
a "Little House in the Big Woods" of Wisconsin to Oklahoma, Kansas,
Minnesota, and finally the Dakota Territory in the late 1800's. Laura
Ingalls wrote the original eight "Little House" books, as they are often
called, for children. After her death, a manuscript she had written was
found and published under the title The First Four Years.
Today, it appears to be just another in the yellow-covered, paperback series from Harper. But The First Four Years is different. It is a very adult book. Mrs. Wilder did not have the opportunity to balance the bad with the good in the recounting of her early married life. From her doubts about farming and her husband's handling of their finances to the overwhelming tragedies of death, fire, ruined crops, and lurking Indians, there is little relief. Her courage and positive outlook struggle to be heard in this final book, but many of the consolations she had in her earlier stories don't appear. Pa never plays the fiddle, her sisters never visit, she doesn't sing or flirt or get the best of a bully.
The First Four Years is an excellent book and well worth the read, but parents should be mindful of its more serious nature when selecting literature for younger children.
Bailey, Freshman from
Kentucky, 06/19/2001
This story shows the hard times of living on the prairie. Laura Ingalls
Wilder is the best children's author that I have ever read. She tells of
her life with such grace. Her former books were out of this world but for
some reason this book flew by to fast. It starts out with her marriage to
Almanzo Wilder and moves on to tell about her new daughter Rose and all
the hardships that occurred the first four years being married. If you
haven't read the Little House books I encourage you to read them. Reading
these books will stay with you forever.
