Another Laura Ingalls Wilder report by author Kathleen Ernst. I so appreciate Kathleen reminding me how great these books are — both in a literary sense and as history, connoting the hardships of those who came before us, to whom we will always be grateful.
Chloe’s Book Club: The Long Winter
by Kathleen Ernst
The Long Winter has always been one of my favorite books in the Little House series. A number of readers have mentioned that they loved it too
Weather dominates the book from the first chapter, when—on a hot day—Pa predicts a hard winter, based on the thickness of muskrat houses. The author made additional use of foreshadowing when she describes a wonderful October dinner in their claim shanty:
That was such a happy supper that Laura wanted it never to end. When she was in bed with Mary and Carrie, she stayed awake to keep on being happy. She was so sleepily comfortable and cosy.
They wake to a blizzard. The shanty isn’t an ideal place to wait out a storm, but the family has food and fuel–and Pa keeps everyone’s spirits up by playing the fiddle. No problem.
Uneasy about the weather, Pa moves the family into town for the winter. The blizzards keep coming, and the supply train can’t get through. Valiant and increasingly desperate attempts are made to clear the tracks—all without success… Continue reading HERE
