I would have liked Young Pioneers even more if it had been longer. This seemed like just a portion of the story that there was to tell. Three stars.

Couldn't put it down. I found the writing sharp and the story engrossing.
Thinking of doing a Pioneer theme for my summer book group. This would be a good choice for one of the books.
Need 2 more.

A few years ago, I visited the Laura Ingalls Wilder homesite in Mansfield, Missouri. In the house was a painting that I believe was on the cover of an issue of Saturday Evening Post, during the time Let the Hurricane Roar (later renamed Young Pioneers) was published in the magazine. I fell in love with the painting and also bought a copy of the book. Just the other day I saw it on my shelf and realized I had never read it.

I finished it in just a couple of days. I am very familiar with all of Laura Ingalls' Wilder's works, and this work by her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, borrows heavily from the stories Rose certainly heard her mother tell growing up. It takes the most exciting parts from By the Banks of Plum Creek, By the Shores of Silver Lake, and The Long Winter, and puts them together into one story. Of course Laura had not published these works yet. At the time Let the Hurricane Roar/Young Pioneers was first published, Laura had only published the first two works in her series.

The main characters, Molly and David, are basically a younger, more naive version of Charles and Caroline. It is fast-paced and exciting, and I found myself rooting for this young couple. Some of Rose's libertarian views make an appearance as well.

Charles and Caroline are young, newly married, and looking to start their lives on a homestead by Plum Creek. Life is starting out well for the young couple: they have a beautiful baby boy and the wheat crop looks like it will bring a good yield. Soon, the harshness of the prairie rears its ugly head and all looks bleak.

Lane gathered many of her story ideas from her parents, and that is obvious from the very names of her protagonists. In many of Laura Ingalls Wilder's fan mail, she had to set the record straight that the events of this book were fictional and it was unfortunate that Lane chose to name these characters after her parents. This novel is stark and bleak, very different from the Little House books. It's a quick read, and an interesting read to see how the writing styles differ between mother and daughter.

A very quick read, it only has 4 kinda long chapters. I'd estimate around 12 would be a good age for this?
It's a cute story, but also shows a lot of hardship. The protagonists are so young!
I wasn't very fond of how the swedes were portrayed though, very stereotypical.
Now, I haven't read Laura Ingalls Wilder's books or anything, so I'm not familiar, but maybe if you're a fan of her books you'll like this too? Otherwise I wouldn't really bother.

This novella is written by Laura Ingalls Wilder’s daughter Rose Wilder Lane. I’ve been interested in Laura Ingalls lately and I’m being a bit of a completionist.

I’m not quite sure what to say about this book. It’s no secret that Rose Wilder heavily edited Laura Ingalls’ Little House’ books, but this is a case of her cribbing her Mother’s material. The grasshopper plague from Plum Creek as well as elements of The Long Winter are present.

It has the similarities of plot but none of the soul. The characters are thin tropes. The prose reads quickly, competently, and is a bit pulpy.

Brought back warm memories from the Little House books of my childhood, so yes I liked it. Still, the writing itself was choppy at points and could have used a bit of editing at other places. It also seems to end a bit abruptly. Maybe she intended to write a sequel?

As always so good!

Maybe it’s just nostalgia, but I loved this book. I know it was written by Rose Wilder and that it’s fiction, based loosely on some of the Ingalls story, but it is still so good to read about the beloved characters I grew up with!

Some historians say that Laura Ingalls Wilder was not the author of her “Little House” books, but her daughter Rose Wilder Lane wrote them. I disagree. The tone of this book matches more closely the 9th book in the Little House series, a dark book not written by Laura, just authored from her notes after her death. Clearly not the bright writing of the rest of the series, her daughter may have put that book together. This book is worth reading because of the true conditions on the prairie suffered by the pioneers that it brings to life. What books like these ought to do is inspire grateful hearts in us who live in the lap of luxury because of the suffering of those stalwart pioneers.

I enjoyed this book. Although similar to the Little House series, attributed to the author's mother, there are moments of personal musings. It makes me wonder if Rose's writings were influenced by her mother or if she had an impact on her mother's published works. I prefer the original title, 'Let the Hurricane Roar'.

It was a bit hard reading this, being so familiar with the Little House books. Not only did Rose borrow stories from her parents, she even modelled Molly and David after them--at least once David was referred to as Charles. That said, this is not exactly them. The writing isn't as good as her mother's was when her books came out. Perhaps part of the reason is that her mother fictionalized her own life, perhaps another part of the reason is that Laura actually lived through the things in her fictionalized biographies. For me, this book was disappointing because too many things were borrowed from her parents.

The story of David and Molly is undoubtedly the mirror images of Charles and Caroline Ingalls, grandparents of the author. I can certainly understand why Laura Ingalls Wilder was upset with her daughter's copycat version of the Ingalls life on the prairie. It borders on plagiarism. I had read the notes on the history of this "fictional novel" by Rose Wilder Lane and had an interest to read it but never did I imagine the story line to be so blatantly identical.