"Prairie Fires" by Caroline Fraser

This is a biography of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her daughter Rose Wilder Lane as well as a analysis of the claims that Rose was, in fact, the primary author of the "Little House on the prairie" series. Having read many of the stories as a child, I was vaguely familiar with much of the biographical information regarding Laura Ingalls Wilder but much of this deep analysis, which went mostly chronologically, was new to me. I had no idea of whom Rose was, other than the purported real author of the beloved books. So much of the intrigue in this read comes from the taught relationship of mother and daughter. Rose was a real firecracker and was far ahead of her time. I imagine her as a hippy with high ambition and crippling depression. From, taking lovers, bringing in orphans, spending money as quickly as it is made and, even building homes abroad in Albania that she would never set eyes upon, she really lived a dramatic life. Not just the drama of manic depression. The final message seems to be that, though she prodded and assisted her mother, the LHOTP books are entirely Wilder's creations. The exhausting use of references is evidence that this was no 'My opinion is that..' but, rather, a definitive answer to the question that somehow permeates all of American academia and buddies the, what should be crystal clear waters, of Laura Ingalls Wilder's legacy. She was a normal woman who lived through exceptional times and proved to be incredibly capable and talented in her later years. A great recommendation for any LHOTP enthusiasts. A mildly curious researcher can just take my word for it. Laura wrote the books.