Pamela Smith Hill delves into Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House novels, examining their texts, characters, settings, and themes to reveal how the books impacted the literary landscape of children's and young adult literature.
Cogent and delightful ... In this perceptive and wide-ranging account Ms. Hill not only discusses the woman’s life, artistry and place in American literature. She also solves a literary mystery that has long bedeviled Wilder’s legacy—and millions of her readers.
Hill offers a balanced analysis that will help readers...make their peace with the series ... The picture [Wilder] paints of America is not pretty, but it has the virtue of being true ... Hill not only addresses many of the difficult issues that swirl around the Little House series but discusses each of the books in detail ... Hill makes a strong case that the powerful, complicated Little House books can teach us lessons about how we came to be who we are.
Should delight readers, including those unfamiliar with Laura Ingalls Wilder’s iconic Little House books ... The author takes time...to carefully explore the interesting role played by Rose Wilder Lane, Wilder’s only child, in her mother’s writing career ... Hill provides an insightful literary analysis of Wilder’s books, supporting her conclusions with extensive reference notes, illustrations, photos, a bibliography, and an index. With its prodigious research and readable, suspenseful style, Too Good to Be Altogether Lost deserves a space on everyone’s shelf.
