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The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie Audiobook
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(3.00) - 4,732 listener ratings
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Wendy McClure is on a quest to find the world of beloved Little House on the Prairie author Laura Ingalls Wilder—a fantastic realm of fiction, history, and places McClure has never been to yet somehow knows by heart. She traces the pioneer journey of the Ingalls family—looking for the Big Woods among the medium trees in Wisconsin, wading in Plum Creek, and enduring a prairie hailstorm in South Dakota. She immerses herself in all things Little House—exploring the story from fact to fiction, and from the TV shows to the annual summer pageants in Laura’s hometowns. Whether she’s churning butter in her apartment or sitting in a replica log cabin, McClure is always in pursuit of “the Laura experience.” Along the way she comes to understand how Wilder’s life and work have shaped our ideas about girlhood and the American West.
The Wilder Life is a loving, irreverent, spirited tribute to a series of books that have inspired generations of American women. It is also an incredibly funny first-person account of obsessive reading, and a story about what happens when we reconnect with our childhood touchstones—and find that our old love has only deepened.
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"For the first time ever, I finally felt like someone "got" this facination that I have not only with the pioneer days, but specifically with Little House on the Prairie. It was amazing to read and be able to say "exactly". Granted, at time the author gets a little to obcessed and looks a little too into things from the stories, but in doing that, she also gave me a new, adult perspective on the Little House series."
— Melanie (4 out of 5 stars)
The Wilder Life Listener Reviews
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" Was a little slow for me to get into this, but ended up liking it. I had no idea about this resurgence of Laura tourism. McClure's descriptions are funny and, sometimes, poignant when she connects to her memories of her recently deceased mother. Also, enjoyed learning a little of the historically accurate truth of the Ingalls family travels. "
— Shelly, 2/9/2014 -
" Good, but not "laugh-out-loud" funny as touted. "
— Lisa, 1/18/2014 -
" This is a bookclub pick, but I can't finish it. It's part literary review, part blather. Not compelling at all. I'm going to read LHOP instead. "
— Molly, 1/14/2014 -
" I loved this book! It was really fun visiting the Wilder sites with Wendy McClure. "
— Tracey, 11/17/2013 -
" Fun quick read. If you are any sort of Little House fan this is a must read. "
— Lhymowitz, 11/8/2013 -
" A fun read. I kind of wish there was a similar one for "Anne of Green Gables" fandom. More representative of my obsessions. "
— Courtney, 11/6/2013 -
" After reading this book, I considered making a road trip like the author does, but decided against it. Good book, though. "
— Jeannie, 10/21/2013 -
" If you love the Little House Books and were obsessed with everything Ingalls this is the book for you. Brought back so many fun things about my childhood. "
— Beth, 8/29/2013 -
" Silly read about her travels to trace the path of Laura Ingalls Wilder by visiting the sites she mentions in her books. Some good background on the writer and the series for die-hard bonnet fans. "
— Victoria, 7/29/2013 -
" Fun summer read for Little House fans. It is written in the Julie Julia style. Author Wendy McClure tries to revisit her childhood love of Laura Ingells Wilders books by visiting the homesites, cooking and churning butter. "
— Kandace, 3/1/2013 -
" Now I know more than I ever cared to know about LHOP. "
— Amie, 12/20/2012 -
" I love immersive journalism, I love funny women, I loved the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. Guess how much I liked this book? "
— Nette, 10/18/2012 -
" Great fun, especially for all of us "Laura" fans! "
— Abby, 9/20/2012 -
" I think it's hard to truly enjoy this book without having read the Little House book series as a child. "
— Catherine, 11/20/2011 -
" Oh boy. This was a great book. Brought back lots of memories and my love for the Little House On The Prairie books. Added bonus....laugh out loud funny at times. Thanks Wendy McClure! "
— Denise, 5/23/2011 -
" Cute, fun, revisiting of the Little House books. If you loved them as a child, you'll totally relate to the author as she examines the books and the people in them, and visits all the different places in the books. You'll learn about all the bits of reality that were left out of the books.... "
— Kim, 5/21/2011 -
" I liked this book... but for some reason it took me forever to read. When I was reading it I enjoyed it but I just never felt like picking it up.<br/> "
— Mia, 5/19/2011 -
" It wasn't what I thought it'd be but it was still a wonderful read for anyone who was obsessed with LIW books as a child (or adult). "
— Jenifer, 5/18/2011 -
" Anyone who has ever wanted to either live in another time period or become a character in a favorite book will love this. And if you were a fan of the Little House books when growing up, you'll truly enjoy this book. Cleverly written, fun and entertaining, yet insightful. "
— Deshay, 5/14/2011 -
" A fun, breezy, odd kind of book. I enjoyed learning more about Laura-world and thought that McClure was a charming, if somewhat disorganized, narrator and travel companion. <br/> <br/>I end up reading a lot of these "project" type books and being disappointed, but enjoyed this one. "
— Michelle, 5/11/2011 -
" Loved this! It was a very quick read, but felt substantial all the same. Funny and charming, with just the right level of meandering/diversions/tangents. I now wish to make a similar Anne of Green Gables pilgrimage and write a similar book. "
— Lizzie, 5/11/2011
About Wendy McClure
Wendy McClure is a columnist for Bust magazine and a children’s book editor. Her essays have appeared in the New York Times Magazine, Chicago Sun-Times, and in numerous anthologies. She was born in Oak Park, Illinois, graduated from the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and now lives in Chicago with her husband, Chris, in a neighborhood near the river.
About Teri Clark Linden
Teri Clark Linden is a professional stage, screen, and voice-over actress with years of industry experience. She received her BA in theater from Chicago’s Roosevelt University and has been seen along side Laverne & Shirley star Cindy Williams in Kong’s Night Out at Meadow Brook Theatre. Appearances in film include Jack Reacher with Tom Cruise, Won’t Back Down with Viola Davis, and Super 8.