What role did Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Christian faith play in her life and writing?
The beloved Little Housebooks by Laura Ingalls Wilder have sold over 60 million copies since their publication in the first half of the twentieth century. Even her unpolished memoir, Pioneer Girl, which tells the true story behind the children’s books, was widely embraced upon its release in 2014. Despite Wilder’s enduring popularity, few fans know much about her Christian beliefs and practice.
John J. Fry shines a light on Wilder’s quiet faith in this unique biography. Fry surveys the Little Housebooks, Pioneer Girl, and Wilder’s lesser-known writings, including her letters, poems, and newspaper columns. Analyzing this wealth of sources, he reveals how Wilder’s down-to-earth faith and Christian morality influenced her life and work. Interweaving these investigations with Wilder’s perennially interesting life story, A Prairie Faith illustrates the Christian practices of pioneers and rural farmers during this dynamic period of American history.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Mark A. Noll
Acknowledgments
Introduction: “Between Him and God”
1. Home, on and off the Prairie: Kansas and Wisconsin, 1867–1874
2. Exploring the World and the Church: Minnesota and Iowa, 1874–1879
3. Adolescence and Courtship: Dakota Territory, 1879–1885
4. Trials: Dakota, Minnesota, Florida, 1885–1894
5. New Beginnings: Missouri, 1894–1911
6. Writing about the Farm, the Good Life, and God: 1911–1924
7. From Memoir to Children’s Literature: 1924–1935
8. The Later Little House Books: 1935–1943
9. Aging, Together and Apart: 1943–1957
10. Remembering Laura: Since 1957
Personal Afterword: Faith and the Popularity of the Little House Books
A Note on Sources
Appendix: Pastors of the Mansfield Methodist Episcopal Church, 1895–1939, and the Mansfield Methodist Church, 1939–1958
Index
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