The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Biographer and historian Anderson (Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Biography; River Boy: The Story of Mark Twain) draws on archives and personal collections for the more than 400 letters—the last known previously unpublished material—that comprise this glimpse into the inner life of Laura Ingalls Wilder (1867–1957). Renowned for her immensely popular "Little House on the Prairie" series, Wilder first published the stories when she was in her 60s as a response to the Great Depression. Spanning much of her adult life, from 1894 up to the year before her death, these missives comment on family (in particular, correspondence with Wilder's daughter and collaborator, Rose Wilder Lane), the day's current events, Wilder's childhood, and the books that made her a household name. Conversational and affable, Wilder's observations benefit from Anderson's headnotes and a contextual introduction that draws on his vast knowledge of the novelist's achievements. Still, even such a treasure trove of exchanges leaves gaps: "This is only a fraction of her lifetime correspondence," writes Anderson. "Sad to say, many of her letters are lost to history."