November 14, 2014

These Happy Golden Year by Laura Ingalls Wilder

The Ingalls family will always have a special place in my heart. As a little girl, I grew up reading (and watching) the Little House on the Prairie series. And now as an adult I'm thrilled to be able to reread and enjoy the adventures of Pa, Ma, Mary, Laura, Carrie and little Grace.

"These Happy Golden Years," which won the Newberry Honor award in 1944, continues the autobiographical account of the Ingalls family. The book starts when Laura is fifteen and ends when she turns eighteen. Laura is now a young lady, and her life is getting interesting. To help make ends meet, Laura takes on a teaching job twelve miles away from home. This is the first time Laura is living away from home and she struggles with homesickness and learning how to be a good teacher. Every Friday afternoon, the handsome and much older Alamanzo Wilder braves the cold weather to take her home. As the story progresses, Alamanzo becomes an even bigger part of Laura's life. Between the buggy rides, the singing school and sledding; soon a friendship turns to love for Laura and Alamanzo ending in their marriage and the start of a new life together.

Laura's romance with Alamanzo is an excellent example of a wholesome courtship without the pressures of modern dating. Should I have daughters I would definitely suggest this book during their tween/teen years. Laura is a fine example for young girls - someone who studies hard, goes out and does what she needs to do, has adventures and along the way finds true love.

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