Jili
Pearl Clutcher
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Posts: 4,378
Jun 26, 2014 1:26:48 GMT
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Post by Jili on Sept 30, 2014 4:05:47 GMT
Are you all enjoying the course so far?
I am. I've watched two of the four videos that were posted today, have read Chapters 2-4 of this week's readings, and have posted on the boards today. I even took the quiz (it wasn't difficult-- I was able to answer the questions accurately after reading Chapters 2-4, before I even watched the lectures). Last week I read through Little House in the Big Woods while on a roadtrip. I'm trying not to read ahead too much so I can keep the material straight from week to week.
I like that I'm taking a 'course' and am finding it kind of fun, though I didn't think it was all that much 'fun' when I was doing some post-graduate coursework a few years ago, LOL. And after I finish this post, I'm off to watch a webinar for work that is essentially a 'course'. This is just plain fun, though, because it's so low-key.
I'm not wild about the speaker/instructor, really, and in a sense I'm feeling that this isn't much more than a big advertisement for her current book and the soon-to-be published Pioneer Girl, but I'm enjoying it nevertheless-- and I'm learning quite a bit.
The parallels and differences between the fictional Ingalls family and the 'real' Ingalls family are quite interesting. I can see now how LIW used the theme of 'moving westward' across her novels, and how she selectively chose experiences to include and to leave out, such as the 'missing years' where the family lived in IA. I hadn't realized that there had been a baby boy Ingalls, and it was interesting that LIW chose not to include this aspect of her family story in her fiction.
What are your thoughts?
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 20:03:44 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2014 4:19:36 GMT
I am not taking the course but
I have read that if Freddy had lived they never would have moved as much.
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tuesdaysgone
Pearl Clutcher
Posts: 4,832 
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Post by tuesdaysgone on Sept 30, 2014 10:28:47 GMT
I'm enjoying the class as well. I watched all 4 videos last night.
Like Jili, I'm not getting that much out of the lectures. She is basically recapping her book. By contrast, I much prefer reading the biography and I'm getting a better picture of LIW life. In many ways, her real life was more exciting than her fictional account. I don't have any issue with the way LIW omitted and rearranged the facts. She clearly understood her audience and the books still provide a real and very valuable picture of western life. When you learn about an author, it always enriches their writing.
I've been so inspired by the class I've started a LIW book club for some 3rd and 4th grade girls; we begin Friday. I have 8 girls and we are reading "Little House in the BIg Woods." For 7 of the girls, it will be their first time reading the book. It will be fun to see them experience it for the first time and they are beyond excited to be in a real book club! I'll be able to share a lot of what I'm learning but I don't plan on giving them too many biographical details...I think they deserve to enjoy the books the way we did when we were that age.
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Post by melanell on Sept 30, 2014 12:16:23 GMT
I knew quite a bit about the real LIW's life through books my mom has had since I was still living at home. And I have always known that the books were fiction and were a "based on true events" type of thing from when I first read them as a girl.
Again, my mother was already a fan and she told me as I started putting together my own set of LIW books.
So while I know some people might be upset to read the differences in detail, I find it fascinating. It's a great way for me to fill in the little bit of knowledge I had going into the course.
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Post by melanell on Sept 30, 2014 12:17:41 GMT
I am going to ask my mom for the name of the book she has. It's a gorgeous book full of photos and information on both the Ingalls & Wilder families.
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Post by marzbar71 on Sept 30, 2014 12:42:02 GMT
I read the material and took the quiz - haven't watched the lectures yet. I do agree that this class seems to be a big marketing tool for the teacher's books. The discussion boards are a bit crazy - too much scrolling. I did read one interesting comment about the possibility of there being a genetic reason there were no surviving male children among any of the girls as well.
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Post by grammyj64 on Sept 30, 2014 13:12:48 GMT
Add me to the list of those not getting much out of the lectures. I am enjoying her book and I like the comparison of the books to the actual life of the Ingalls family. But so far she has not said anything I've not already learned from reading the book. I am taking another class on Ozarks history and the lectures are from his actual college classes. He is much more interesting, uses a lot of photos and maps, and answers questions from the class (can't always hear the question, but can figure it out from his answers).
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Post by tallgirl on Sept 30, 2014 13:55:46 GMT
I'm not taking the class but am intrigued about the book that details how Laura's real life compared to her memoirs (am I right in thinking the course instructor wrote it?) Can someone tell me what book that is? I would be interested to read it.
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Post by melanell on Sept 30, 2014 13:58:24 GMT
I'm not taking the class but am intrigued about the book that details how Laura's real life compared to her memoirs (am I right in thinking the course instructor wrote it?) Can someone tell me what book that is? I would be interested to read it. |
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Jili
Pearl Clutcher
SLPea
Posts: 4,378
Jun 26, 2014 1:26:48 GMT
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Post by Jili on Sept 30, 2014 14:02:59 GMT
I've been so inspired by the class I've started a LIW book club for some 3rd and 4th grade girls; we begin Friday. I have 8 girls and we are reading "Little House in the BIg Woods." For 7 of the girls, it will be their first time reading the book. It will be fun to see them experience it for the first time and they are beyond excited to be in a real book club! I'll be able to share a lot of what I'm learning but I don't plan on giving them too many biographical details...I think they deserve to enjoy the books the way we did when we were that age. I love this idea! I work with this exact age group and could see myself doing this as an after-school activity. Maybe next semester. I'd love to know how you're structuring the group and the activities that you do. Can anyone actually hear the author's voice when reading the biography? LOL. |
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Post by Prenticekid on Sept 30, 2014 16:40:37 GMT
Another book on Laura and Rose's relationship is .99 on Amazon today (Tuesday 9/30).
In 1928, Rose Wilder Lane—world traveler, journalist, highly-paid magazine writer—returned from an Albanian sojourn to her parents’ Ozark farm. Almanzo Wilder was 71 and Laura 61, and Rose felt obligated to stay and help. Then came the Crash. Rose’s investments vanished and the magazine market dried up. That’s when Laura wrote “Pioneer Girl,” her story of growing up in the Big Woods of Wisconsin, on the Kansas prairie, and by the shores of Silver Lake. The rest is literary history. But it isn’t the history we thought we knew.
Based on the unpublished diaries of Rose Wilder Lane and other documentary evidence, A Wilder Rose tells the surprising true story of the often strained collaboration that produced the Little House books—a collaboration that Rose and her mother, Laura Ingalls Wilder, concealed from their agent, editors, reviewers, and readers. Acclaimed author Susan Wittig Albert follows the clues that take us straight to the heart of this fascinating literary mystery.
For more on the book’s background, resources, discussion questions, read A WILDER ROSE: Reader's Companion, by Susan Wittig Albert (a Kindle eBook). A Wilder Rose |
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breetheflea
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Posts: 7,316
Location: PNW
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Post by breetheflea on Sept 30, 2014 16:47:34 GMT
I'm enjoying the class but am having a hard time with the lectures keeping track of what is the "real" Ingalls and the "book" Ingalls. I wish she would call "Wilder" Laura and her daughter Rose, then I wouldn't have to think about who she is referring to.
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mimima
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Posts: 5,213
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Post by mimima on Sept 30, 2014 18:49:57 GMT
I also agree that her lectures are basically just a recap of the required reading in her class, and that her book feels very dissertationish. I also knew pretty much all of the things that she's brought up, so there's not a disconnect for me at all.
Having said that, I've been intrigued by the idea that she honed her writing skills by being "Mary's eyes" which I definitely remember being her assignment. What a great way to look at that, and something I'd never considered.
I also appreciated the thought that there may be some genetic condition that was going on with the boys, and even with the girls in the family. It's awfully rare to have so many in a family to be married with no issue, or just one child.
Thanks for starting this thread, Jill. There are so many people on the discussion threads it's hard to participate more than to just drop your thoughts and then move on.
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mimima
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Stay Gold, Ponyboy
Posts: 5,213
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Post by mimima on Sept 30, 2014 18:50:47 GMT
I've been so inspired by the class I've started a LIW book club for some 3rd and 4th grade girls; we begin Friday. I have 8 girls and we are reading "Little House in the BIg Woods." For 7 of the girls, it will be their first time reading the book. It will be fun to see them experience it for the first time and they are beyond excited to be in a real book club! I'll be able to share a lot of what I'm learning but I don't plan on giving them too many biographical details...I think they deserve to enjoy the books the way we did when we were that age. What a fantastic idea! I hope you keep us posted on how the book club goes. |
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Jili
Pearl Clutcher
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Posts: 4,378
Jun 26, 2014 1:26:48 GMT
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Post by Jili on Sept 30, 2014 18:53:15 GMT
Thanks for starting this thread, Jill. There are so many people on the discussion threads it's hard to participate more than to just drop your thoughts and then move on. You're welcome. I'm not loving the format of the discussion threads, and there are just too many people. I read through a few posts, made my contribution, and then moved to create a post over here, LOL. |
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Post by grammyj64 on Sept 30, 2014 20:42:12 GMT
On this board, I try to read the comments in a thread before I post, so I don't duplicate what someone else has said. In the discussion board for LIW, I just make my comment because trying to read all the others is way too time consuming.
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Deleted
Posts: 0
Aug 18, 2025 20:03:44 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Sept 30, 2014 21:14:46 GMT
I also agree that her lectures are basically just a recap of the required reading in her class, and that her book feels very dissertationish. I also knew pretty much all of the things that she's brought up, so there's not a disconnect for me at all. Having said that, I've been intrigued by the idea that she honed her writing skills by being "Mary's eyes" which I definitely remember being her assignment. What a great way to look at that, and something I'd never considered. I also appreciated the thought that there may be some genetic condition that was going on with the boys, and even with the girls in the family. It's awfully rare to have so many in a family to be married with no issue, or just one child. Thanks for starting this thread, Jill. There are so many people on the discussion threads it's hard to participate more than to just drop your thoughts and then move on. Not as rare as you may think. My father was from a catholic family. His mother had four brothers and two living sisters. Out if those siblings , all of them Irish Catholics, but there were only 7 children. Two of the bothers and one sister were the only ones to have children, the rest never felt the need to. This would be around the 1920s. My great grandfather was an only child and his wife was one of 2 or 3. They were born about 1870 or so. My maternal grandmother was born in 1899, and her view was that the corsets her female relatives wore had a lot to with why they didn't have children. Caroline wore heavy corsets and according to family letters was not always in the best of health. Add in the strain of constant moving and poor nutrition, her and Charles were lucky to any children. |
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mimima
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Post by mimima on Sept 30, 2014 21:25:45 GMT
I also appreciated the thought that there may be some genetic condition that was going on with the boys, and even with the girls in the family. It's awfully rare to have so many in a family to be married with no issue, or just one child. Thanks for starting this thread, Jill. There are so many people on the discussion threads it's hard to participate more than to just drop your thoughts and then move on. Not as rare as you may think. My father was from a catholic family. His mother had four brothers and two living sisters. Out if those siblings , all of them Irish Catholics, but there were only 7 children. Two of the bothers and one sister were the only ones to have children, the rest never felt the need to. This would be around the 1920s. My great grandfather was an only child and his wife was one of 2 or 3. They were born about 1870 or so. My maternal grandmother was born in 1899, and her view was that the corsets her female relatives wore had a lot to with why they didn't have children. Caroline wore heavy corsets and according to family letters was not always in the best of health. Add in the strain of constant moving and poor nutrition, her and Charles were lucky to any children. You know, I hadn't thought about the corsets - that's a very good point. That's interesting about your family - I guess I'd be curious as to what the birthrate was during the same period. And, also, just thinking out loud. There were probably more chronic health conditions for the mothers that did cause infertility and difficulty in childbearing. |
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breetheflea
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Posts: 7,316
Location: PNW
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Post by breetheflea on Oct 3, 2014 3:20:53 GMT
I read on one of the message boards that there are over 7000 people taking this class. No wonder it's impossible to keep up with the message boards, eeks!
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Jili
Pearl Clutcher
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Posts: 4,378
Jun 26, 2014 1:26:48 GMT
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Post by Jili on Oct 3, 2014 4:12:24 GMT
I also agree that her lectures are basically just a recap of the required reading in her class, and that her book feels very dissertationish. I've read a couple more chapters since I last posted, and mimima is right-- it really does feel like reading a dissertation or thesis. Has anyone read any other LIW biographies? In junior high I read Laura: The Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder and did some sort of book report on it. I no longer have the book but am curious as to how the reading experience compares to the instructor's biography. I may have to look for it at the library. |
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Post by betty on Oct 3, 2014 5:01:43 GMT
I'm not taking the class but it sounds interesting. I posted on another thread a while back about an old paperback book titled "Laura" by Donald Zochert. It outlines the real travels of the Ingalls family using census reports and tracking the actual locations that they lived.
It sounds like the course is sort of like this book the real travels vs. the works of fiction.
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Post by ntsf on Oct 3, 2014 5:41:22 GMT
my family lived in many of the same areas as the wilders...wisconsin, iowa/minnesota etc. of my grandfather's family..5 kids, 3 married, 3 kids total. another set of cousins..same age as my grandfather...5 kids, no marriages, no kids. our family just shrinks... there were also some major recessions in the 1870's and 80's...and it was a risky business to have kids.
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pinseeker11
Shy Member
Posts: 41
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Post by pinseeker11 on Oct 3, 2014 12:32:51 GMT
Is the reading assignment this week chapters 2-8??
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Jili
Pearl Clutcher
SLPea
Posts: 4,378
Jun 26, 2014 1:26:48 GMT
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Post by Jili on Oct 3, 2014 12:59:42 GMT
Is the reading assignment this week chapters 2-8?? It is. I think next week's assignment is chapters 9-11. |
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Post by melanell on Oct 3, 2014 17:13:44 GMT
I asked my mom about her book and she's trying to tell me that it was my book and that I must have it. Ugh. I don't have it. She's going to poke around and see if she can find it, but she doesn't recall the title. All she knows it is was a larger book and it was published by Harper & Row. I'll let you know if we ever solve this mystery.  |
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Post by melanell on Oct 3, 2014 17:23:07 GMT
She can't find the one I was talking about but she said that she recalls that both a Roger Lea McBride & a William Anderson used to write about LIW.
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breetheflea
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Post by breetheflea on Oct 3, 2014 17:23:58 GMT
Was it Laura Ingalls Wilder Country by William Anderson? It's an oversize book, by Harper. That book has a lot of photos, then and now and the captions for the photos are quite informative.
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Post by melanell on Oct 3, 2014 17:27:27 GMT
Was it Laura Ingalls Wilder Country by William Anderson? It's an oversize book, by Harper. That book has a lot of photos, then and now and the captions for the photos are quite informative. Yes, I was just coming to say that I found it on Amazon. You beat me to it. Thank you! I remember it having many photos of even extended family members. LIW Country |
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mimima
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Post by mimima on Oct 3, 2014 18:30:17 GMT
I also agree that her lectures are basically just a recap of the required reading in her class, and that her book feels very dissertationish. I've read a couple more chapters since I last posted, and mimima is right-- it really does feel like reading a dissertation or thesis. Has anyone read any other LIW biographies? In junior high I read Laura: The Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder and did some sort of book report on it. I no longer have the book but am curious as to how the reading experience compares to the instructor's biography. I may have to look for it at the library. I read that one probably about that same age, and picked up a copy along the way. It's a quick read, IIRC, and most of the details that have been "revealed" in the class I knew from that one. |
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Post by grammyj64 on Oct 4, 2014 22:26:17 GMT
MacBride was Rose's godson(?) and attorney and inherited her body of work. He took her manuscripts and notes, etc., and authored the series about Rose as a child - I think it was the Land of the Big Red Apple series. He may have also authored the series about Caroline in Brookfield, but that could have been a different author.
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