Author: Sarah Miller
Format: ARC
Publisher: William Morrow
Publish Date: September 19, 2017
Source: TLC Book Tours and HarperCollins
What's the Story?:
From Goodreads.com: "In the frigid days of February, 1870, Caroline Ingalls and her family leave the familiar comforts of the Big Woods of Wisconsin and the warm bosom of her family, for a new life in Kansas Indian Territory. Packing what they can carry in their wagon, Caroline, her husband Charles, and their little girls, Mary and Laura, head west to settle in a beautiful, unpredictable land full of promise and peril.
The pioneer life is a hard one, especially for a pregnant woman with no friends or kin to turn to for comfort or help. The burden of work must be shouldered alone, sickness tended without the aid of doctors, and babies birthed without the accustomed hands of mothers or sisters. But Caroline’s new world is also full of tender joys. In adapting to this strange new place and transforming a rough log house built by Charles’ hands into a home, Caroline must draw on untapped wells of strength she does not know she possesses."
My Two Cents:
"Caroline: Little House, Revisited" is the story of Caroline Ingalls, the beloved Ma from Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie books. I loved those books growing up and always remember Ma seeming like the rock of the family as the Ingalls family faced the trials and tribulations of life as pioneers. This book gives a little more insight into what made Caroline tick and how strong she truly was. While this book will especially appeal to readers of the Little House books, Caroline will find a lot of new fans among historical fiction fans who want a portrait of a strong woman.
This book begins when the Ingalls family is getting ready to leave all they've known in Wisconsin. Charles and Caroline are deeply in love but have differing views as to whether or not to leave their families. They have two young children and Caroline can't imagine not having her family around to help with the children but she knows how important going west and settling land is to Charles so she goes. What I loved about this book is that we get so much more of Caroline's own story: how she grew up and how she wants her kids to grow up. Caroline is ALL THE MOM GOALS for me. Even when the going gets tough, she remains a calm, steady presence.
In the Little House books, she and Charles seem to have a pretty perfect relationship filled with love. This book gives us a much more nuanced portrait of their marriage. We see how Caroline compromises and how she and Charles work together for the good of their family. Although their roles are clearly defined, they are really good partners, which I loved reading about.
I really enjoyed this book and loved revisiting the Ingalls family.
It is always interesting to see a family through the eyes of the children and then later through the eyes of the adults.
ReplyDeleteThanks for being a part of the tour!
Sounds rather interesting, the two different points of view.
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