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
The Long Winter, Chapter 14: One Bright Day
Guest post by Laura McLemore This is a relatively short chapter and serves as bit of reprieve from the tension of the story. In this chapter, the blizzard of the previous days has subsided. 
The Long Winter, Chapter 13: We’ll Weather the Blast!
Guest post by Susan Barton Malphurs Another bone-chilling sunrise, more ravaging winds with “wild voices,” yet Pa sings. He calls to Caroline that he is headed to the barn, but the fires are going. Ma
Long Winter Chapter 12: Alone
I have to restrain myself from starting this post in my finest Dickensian style: “Alone: In which the family begins to speculate about how MUCH trouble they’re in, and how truly dire this winter will