The Books and the Truth
No matter how much you love the books, there is no denying that the “Little House” series tends to hide and stretch the truths in Laura’s life. While Laura Ingalls Wilder herself said that the books are complete truth, today we know this is not true. In a letter, Rose once spoke of the change Laura had to make in a book, such as her age in her first two books. The publishers felt Laura being so young at the time, she would not remember the stories, so to make the memoirs seem more believable to the readers, Laura made herself a year or so older.
However, this is only the tip of the iceberg. If you have read the books or watched the television series, you remember the character, Nellie Oleson. Nellie Oleson was that character who tormented nearly everyone who crossed her path, especially Laura. But in Laura’s real life, Nellie is actually made up of three different people, each who had their own unpleasant run-in with Laura. The three people who are believed to make up Nellie are Genevieve Masters, Nellie Owens, and Stella Gilbert.
And now, with the newly published autobiography, Pioneer Girl, Laura Ingalls Wilder fans can read for themselves the truth behind the “Little House” book series. Pioneer Girl looks to be more blunt, honest, and not completely made for the eyes and ears of children novel. The autobiography looks at horrible details of Laura witnessing domestic abuse because of her neighbors and how Charles once snuck the family out-of-town in the middle of the night due to unpaid rent.
Keep in mind, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s autobiography is not meant to portray any character in a negative light. It is meant to bring the truth of Laura’s world to the fingertips of her readers. This book is meant to bring the truth out in a history that so many people around the world have loved for decades. Finally, it is meant to make people feel closer to Laura Ingalls Wilder as no life and no one is perfect.