Almanzo’s going off half-cocked, or so Royal worries. What is his little brother thinking going after that wheat?
The Long Winter, Chapter 24: Not Really Hungry
It’s the middle of February. Things are bad. Ma produces a hidden codfish — and no one cares.
The Long Winter, Chapter 23: The Wheat In the Wall
The wheat’s about to run out, but Pa has a hunch, and heads to the Wilder Feed Store to see if he’s right.
Crosswise Letter Writing, Mary Dislike, and Generic Chapter Titles
How Mary bugs me, and that cool way that Ma uses to save paper when writing letters.
The Long Winter, Chapter 22: Cold and Dark
The house is buried in snow — great! — until the next blizzard blows it away. Ma snaps at Pa for swearing, and Pa discovers that he can’t play the fiddle.
The Long Winter, Chapter 21: The Hard Winter
Guest post by Barbara Mayes Boustead
The chapter begins on a hopeful note, on a day full of sunshine. After the day’s chores, Pa heads across the street to hear the news. He returns with 4
The Long Winter, Chapter 20: Antelope!
What strikes me, soon into this chapter, is that it is told mostly from Almanzo’s perspective. I always have liked that. As a fellow horseperson, I could relate to how he felt when he thought he may h
The Long Winter, Chapter 19: Where There’s a Will
Guest post by Sommer Sorenson
We open this chapter with Pa busily working to keep his family warm. His brilliant idea for hay sticks has a price… they must continually be keeping it in supply and so w
The Long Winter, Chapter 18: Merry Christmas
The Little House books are full of cherished Christmases, each uniquely special. It takes a real gift to make a charming Christmas out of this paltry holiday celebration, however.
The chapter begins f
The Long Winter, Chapter 17: Seed Wheat
Guest post by Dr. Laura McLemore Céad míle fáilte
I have to tell you people that it is very difficult to write about blizzards as I am sitting only a few hundred feet from the Alabama coastline.
The Long Winter, Chapter 16: Fair Weather
Guest post by Karen Witham After the dreariness of the last chapter, “Fair Weather” opens with the blizzard over but the after-effects lingering. The lack of a train is beginning to strike a somber no
The Long Winter, Chapter 15: No Trains
Guest post by Erin Blakemore Now it starts to get GOOD, people. And by good, of course I mean bad, because to Laura it’s not even worth the effort to get up in the morning (sacrilege to a group