An Author is Born
Contrary to what many people believe, Laura did not start writing her “Little House” book series until later in life. That is if you believe Laura herself wrote it. Many people believe, and some speculate, that Rose had a big hand in writing the “Little House” books. While it is certain that Rose was an editor for her mother’s books, it is not certain that she wrote the series. No matter who it was, we do know is the “Little House” series is still popular and that while there were some revisions, Laura took most of the book from her memory and the memories of her relatives.
Laura’s writing career began in Mansfield, Missouri, but not with the “Little House” books. At first, she wrote articles for magazines and for the Missouri Ruralist, where she served as a columnist and Home Editor. In the 1930’s Laura wrote her first book, her autobiography, Pioneer Girl. However, she was able to find a publicist, so with the help of her daughter, she rewrote her journey. In its new form, her autobiography was titled Little House in the Big Woods, which was published in 1932 and became a success.
After the first book, people started begging Laura to write more stories about Mary and Laura, thus the “Little House” series was born. Finishing up the 1930s, Laura wrote five more books in the “Little House” series with all but one of the Little House series books published by the mid-1940s. The last one, the ninth book, to be published happened after Laura’s and Rose’s deaths. The First Four Years was published in 1971 and discusses the early years of Laura and Almanzo’s marriage. It was found after Laura’s death and published in its original form.