Caroline

July 15, 2017
The Ingalls family loads everything they own onto a wagon and heads west from Wisconsin to the unsettled Kansas Territory, but this time, the tale is told from Caroline's perspective.A master of historical fiction, Miller (The Borden Murders: Lizzie Borden and the Trial of the Century, 2016, etc.) forges Caroline Ingalls into a formidable, complex pioneer woman, and adult fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House series will delight in this portrayal of "Ma." Taking advantage of the opportunity to sell their Wisconsin farm, the Ingallses say goodbye to extended family. Will Charles, her beloved husband; Mary, her sweetly serious 5-year-old; and Laura, her rambunctious 3-year-old, be enough for Caroline? More worrisome, she's again pregnant. Without her kinswomen near, who will deliver her child? The journey is rife with dangers, from torrential rains and swollen rivers to menacing wolves and inscrutable Indians, not to mention claustrophobic quarters aboard the wagon. Yet the journey also brings rekindled romance and the discovery of new friends, including the beloved Mr. Edwards, who arrives gruff, lean, and thirsty for a family. And in her direst moments Caroline must swallow her fears as she faces down Indians invading her new home, catastrophic accidents, and illnesses. And she must stifle her modesty as she surrenders to the ministrations of a stranger, the only woman for miles, in childbirth. As the Ingalls family moves into the wide-open prairie, Caroline's own psychological terrain cracks opens, and Miller's novel shifts from exploring the geographical to the emotional wilderness of a woman caught on the very edge of civilization as she knows it. Caroline is compellingly mindful, particularly when she studies the effects of a tightly knit family life on her daughters and of relentless, brutal work on her husband, herself, and her far-flung neighbors in Indian territory. Beguiling, pulse-pounding historical fiction.

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August 1, 2017
Over the years, the Little House books have become big business, spawning endless spin-offs. Herewith the approval of the Little House estateis the latest: the series revisited from the point of view not of Laura but of her mother, Caroline. The result is a gentle historical romance that begins in 1870 with Caroline, three months pregnant, leaving the familiar Big Woods of Wisconsin with her family as they head for a new life in the unknown wilds of Kansas' Indian Territory. The familiar story proceeds from there as the Wilders journey west, encounter Indians, and put down roots. Miller excels at verisimilitude, bringing her setting to vivid life, including her exposition of the extraordinary difficulties of the pioneers' lot. She is less successful with her characters, who are so unrelievedly good as to rob the story of conflict, and, hence, drama. Nevertheless, Little House fans will welcome this new perspective even as it attracts new readers to the beloved series.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)

August 1, 2017

Peeling back the layers of Laura Ingalls Wilder's "Little House on the Prairie" series allows young adult author Miller to reveal the real Caroline Ingalls, Wilder's mother. While Ma projected a calm, strong exterior in the face of adversity in the series, research and family letters point to a woman in real life who at times questioned her ability to be a good caretaker and was haunted by the meagerness of her childhood. Miller, who has previously exposed unheard voices in her work (Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller), recounts the story of the Ingalls family's 700-mile covered wagon trek from Wisconsin to a settlement in Kansas. Here, Ma's thoughts run deep as she constantly assesses her words and actions toward daughters Laura, Mary, and Carrie, and partners effectively with her husband, Charles, and his wanderlust. This character-driven narrative balances a submissive and dutiful wife with a passionate young woman who openly and tenderly admires her husband and relishes their lovemaking. VERDICT Not to be missed by Wilder's grown-up fans or those who enjoy historical fiction about the settling of the American West in the late 1800s. [See Prepub Alert, 3/27/17.]--Wendy W. Paige, Shelby Cty. P.L., Morristown, IN

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 15, 2017

In time for the 150th anniversary of Laura Ingalls Wilder's birth, Miller (Miss Spitfire) retells the Little House saga from the perspective of mother Caroline, who leaves the comfort of friends and family for rugged Kansas Indian Territory. Authorized by the Little House estate; with a 200,000-copy first printing.

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.