Lost in the Stacks: Too Good to Be Altogether Lost
It’s no secret that Laura Ingalls Wilder’s literary reputation took a hit when a scholar postulated that her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, ghost wrote the beloved Little House series. The American Library Association further tarnished Wilder’s reputation when it dropped her name from its prestigious children’s legacy award because of her portrayal of Native Americans and Black Americans.
What’s a Wilder fan to do? Well, you could churn butter or twist hay in homage, or you could read Pamela Smith Hill’s Too Good to Be Altogether Lost: Rediscovering Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House Books. From Wilder’s unpublished memoir Pioneer Girl to the Little House books to the posthumously published The First Four Years, Hill critically examines the artistry, plotting and character development in each book.
Hill tackles both ghostwriting and racism allegations in her close readings of Wilder’s books. By comparing Wilder’s work with Lane’s pioneer novels, Hill convincingly shows that while Lane influenced and edited the series, Laura Ingalls Wilder remains the true author of the Little House books. Hill also thoughtfully considers allegations of Wilder’s racism. Hill acknowledges that readers of the Little House series will encounter racial stereotypes and disturbing incidents (Pa wearing blackface in a minstrel show comes to mind). She then places these racist events in their historical context and examines the characters’ motives.
On the lighter side, Too Good to Be Altogether Lost also contains catnip for fans. Did you know starting with By the Shores of Silver Lake Wilder was pioneering – so to speak! - Young Adult literature? We learn Wilder insisted that Mrs. Brewster’s maniacal butcher knife waving be retained when her editor thought it too scary for kids. Hill also informs us The First Four Years was a first draft of an adult novel and never meant to be part of the Little House series.
The Little House books are beloved and they are flawed. Since both things can be true at once, Too Good to Be Altogether Lost is a welcome reminder of why we can still love Laura, but perhaps with a more critical eye.
