Though fiction, I know this story was based in fact. It was an excellent depiction of the pioneering spirit that settled our country. No wonder it was a bestseller.

I enjoyed the book. It helped me to see how back then it was much harder to start a homestead than now. The last chapter was a real page turner.

This was interesting to read, as I hadn't read much by Lane, having been more familiar with her mother's work. This work is obviously heavily inspired by stories she must have heard her parents tell of early homesteading days on the prairie, including Wilder's memories of a dugout and grasshoppers, and the hard winter. It has some of the same problematic elements as Wilder's stories, as far as some racist language and attitudes, but for the most part, it's just a story of a (very) young couple working through incredible hardship trying to make a life. It's a short book and could easily be read in an afternoon (it took me longer because I read a few pages at a time to my toddler at bedtime) and worth checking out.

I loved this book.
The beginning story of Charles and Caroline when they were first married, moved out west, and lived in a dugout. They counted on their wheat crop that they had planted to provide for them. Unfortunately, locusts came and destroyed the crop, forcing Charles to go east to find work. Caroline had a rough time without him, but made it through. I had forgotten about their first child, a son named Charles.

Well written and sweet but basically On the Shores of Silver Lake and the Long Winter in one with the grasshoppers and endless storms and twisting hay for fire.

I was very disappointed in this book. I am taking a class on Laura Ingalls Wilder, where part of our discussion is how much influence did Rose have on Laura's Little House books. I don't see how anyone can even compare their writing styles. I understand Rose used Laura's Pioneer Girl biography as source material for this story, which Laura also used for portions of her Little House novels. A number of scenes are clearly recognizable, for example, the grasshoppers and trying to save the wheat. Similarities end there, however. Lane's writing style is so stark, stripped of emotion, almost journalistic, in a way. Wilder's writing style is the complete opposite: warm, vibrant, emotional, full of an abundance of details. It took a lot of effort for me to continue Young Pioneers. Sooooo boring!

Imagine some books from the Little House series, like On the Banks of Plum Creek, crossed with The Long Winter, and you have Young Pioneers. It’s perfectly okay, but lacks the charm of the Little House books. A young married couple goes west, endures a plague of grasshoppers and a very long winter, and they thrive.

This was my first book by Rose Wilder. I was sorely disappointed. Perhaps the bar was higher due to her mother's books, which I adore.
This book crams far too many events into a very short book. It is like the author took all the most interesting/exciting bits from the entire Little House series, and jammed them together into a novel half the size of any of the Laura Ingalls books. I honestly don't know why it is a favorite of so many people.
If you are familiar with the Little House series and love them, you will recognize the events and even phrases and mannerisms that Laura used in her books. It is a series of facts and information with very little emotion in the first half of the book. The second half is actually pretty interesting, mainly because it is slightly new material, though still draws heavily on the experiences of the Long Winter and Plum Creek.
I really think that if this is the best of Rose's work, there's a very good reason her work is not well known. You simply can't ride on someone else's coattails in the writing industry. Also, this shows me without a doubt that Rose was not the ghost-writer for Laura, as some believe. The writing style is vastly different.

Well... If it weren't for RWL, then I wouldn't have my love for her mother Laura Ingalls Wilder. However, RWL tends to be over-dramatic and a bit extreme in her ... politics?

Anyway. This book was originally titled Let the Hurricane Roar... with the primary characters named Charles and Caroline. I had first read that years ago -- and I was well into my adult years. It is TOO easy as a fan of the Little House books to identify elements, scenes and plots that Rose had used in LTHR. Rose had her obvious own styles and ideas that she knitted into her book. Even as an adult, I confess I prefer the Little House books more.

Thank You to Alison Arngrim who made this experience rather amusing (and especially tolerable) -- reading this live on Facebook nearly every day.

Because there are theories that Rose was the actual author of the Little House series of books, I purchased Young Pioneers at the Rocky Ridge Bookstore in Mansfield for the express purpose of comparison. In my personal "you get what you paid for" opinion, there just isn't any way that theory is true. It is well written but lacks the emotion of Laura's books. Since Rose was considered an accomplished writer, I can certainly believe she helped with editing, but writing, no. This book was originally called Let the Hurricane Roar and the characters called Charles and Caroline. It was initially a serial in the Saturday Evening Post then released as a book shortly after Little House in the Big Woods was published. After the success of the TV series Little House on the Prairie, a movie called Young Pioneers based on Let the Hurricane Roar was filmed and the names of the characters changed to David and Molly. The book was then reissued as Young Pioneers. David and Molly get married and move west. They make a claim on property with a dugout on Plum Creek. Several disasters follow. The book is short with just 4 long chapters. I'd say it's worth reading, but I much prefer the Little House series.

A good book for those who loved the Little House series by Rose's mom Laura Ingalls Wilder. I'm a bit annoyed by the reviewers who didn't take the time to figure out that Rose's book pre-dates Laura's and any quick Google search will show that the Little House books only came about at Rose's urging and assistance. It is a quick, sweet story and does not hinge on knowing anything about Little House. The ending is a bit abrupt and the reader hopes there will be more. Good for all ages.

You have to feel sorry for Rose Wilder Lane: at one point, SHE was the famous author in the family. In her lifetime, she wrote over 20 books, and countless magazine and newspaper articles. She wrote biographies of Henry Ford, Herbert Hoover, and Charlie Chaplin. She is considered one of the founders of the Libertarian movement.

Now? She’s mainly relegated to being “the daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder.” She’s a footnote in the sad chapter of “The First Four Years.”

My daughter and I have been reading a series of books...

Read my full review here: http://cynthiahillbooks.com/2013/10/1...