The Long Winter Review
To really enjoy this book, you need to read the others in this series. You COULD read it by itself, but it's not really written as a stand-alone book and should not be treated as so. If you've already read the preceding Little House books, then you should be familiar with this family and their circumstances as well as the time period they lived in, and the technology they had compared to us. I've read the negative reviews for this book and am surprised at some of the complaints, which didn't feel valid to me, but I digress.
I grew up in Wisconsin (where the first book in this series was also set), so I am no stranger to blizzards. But today we have city services, snowplows, supermarkets, and salt. We have heating and generators as well as better-constructed/insulated houses, so I can only imagine what being as cold as Laura's family must have been without all of the comforts that we enjoy today, and right in the middle of a furious Dakota blizzard! This book is an excellent look into pioneer life, not only is the Little House series a fun read, it's also immensely educational and is a vital read for anyone wishing to learn about pioneer life in a country that was still growing and forming.
It also makes you realize how lucky you are to have supermarkets and convenience stores, because Laura and the town nearly starved to death and wouldn't have made it without the bravery and luck of Almanzo Wilder. Pioneer life certainly was hard, so kudos to the people who forged on West and helped to make America the country it is.
The Long Winter Overview
The adventures of Laura Ingalls and her family continue as Pa, Ma, Laura, Mary, Carrie, and little Grace bravely face the hard winter of 1880-81 in their little house in the Dakota Territory. Blizzards cover the little town with snow, cutting off all supplies from the outside. Soon there is almost no food left. so voting Almanzo Wilder and a friend make a dangerous trip across the prairie to find some wheat. Finally a joyous Christmas is celebrated in a very unusual way in this most exciting of all the Little house books.
And so continues Laura Ingalls Wilder's beloved story of a pioneer girl and her family. The nine Little House books have been cherished by generations of readers as both a unique glimpse into America's frontier past and a heartwarming, unforgettable story.
1941 Newbery Honor Book
Notable Children's Books of 1940–1954 (ALA)
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Customer Reviews
Preventing the Blizzard from Freezing Hearts - Gale Finlayson -
We take up Laura's story when the family has moved onto their Claim outside of De Smet. LITTLE HOUSE readers will delight to learn more about Pa, Ma, blind Mary, Carrie and baby Grace. Plus we finally meet the famous Wilder boys from NY State--of whom the younger brother, Almazno, is destined to marry Laura some years later. (Considering the author's names I feel I am not spoiling anything.) Warned by an old Indian that every 7 years winters are hard, and that every 21 years they will be severe, Pa decides to move his family into the relative safety and social warmth of their house in town. The blizzards start in October and last through April, bringing subzero temperatures, ferocious winds, relentless snow and ice. Long days of early dark, and feelings of virtual isolation even with stores and houses close by make Life gloomy then downright grim, as the family battles personal depression along with hunger and fatigue.
They survive physically because Pa hauls loads of hay on sunny days--hay not only for their livestock but which they need
to twist into "sticks" for fuel, heat and light. Also because Ma, the ingenious prairie housewife, makes button lamps when the kerosene gives out, and uses a coffee mill to grind wheat for coarse, brown bread--managing to feed them all when there is almost nothing left. But the entire town faces starvation because the trains have stopped running west--mired in frozen snow drifts 20 feet deep. The Wilder brothers have their own store, but all grocery stores have run out of supplies and the town is desperate. Then they hear a rumor that somewhere out of town--in which direction?--some farmer raised wheat which might be for sale--at the right price? Who will risk their lives to find this fellow--If he exists?
The Ingalls family owes its psychological survival to internal factors, such as Pa's wonderful fiddle music and Ma's quiet insistence that the girls continue their education even when school is shut down for the winter. Despite occasional parental flare ups and sisterly bickering the family pulls through because of their deep love and respect for each other. Laura, "Half Pint" as Pa calls her fondly, matures over those long bitter months; she privately vows to become a school teacher after all, to earn money to send Mary to a college for the Blind. When tempers threaten to result in mob rule Pa speaks with the voice of reason to calm desperate men, to encourage greedy men to be reasonable. With Garth Williams' charming pen and ink illustrations this book is a sweet but sobering read for "young" adults of all ages.
Excellent Book - K.T. - Florida, USA
This one was my favorite when I was in third grade and I am sure my daughter will love it.
love this story - LibKat - Cape Cod, MA
I love Laura Ingalls Wilder as an author. I think her books are interesting and well written. Her descriptions of events, places, people, and time periods cannot be beat and it draws you right in.
Ok, but not perfect - Heidi J. Andrist - MN
I know this is a used book, but some of the pages are almost falling out. My daughter and I both plan on reading it for a book club and I hope it stays together long enough for both of us to get through it.
*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Jul 26, 2010 02:50:04
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