Family Saga

The Ingalls family has seen both joy and hardship since the end of "On the Banks of Plum Creek". Mary has been left blind from a battle with scarlet fever, and a new sister, Grace, has been born. Pa decides to move to a railroad camp in the unsettled Dakota Territory to work as a bookkeeper to earn money. Eventually, Laura, her sisters, and Ma travel by train to join Pa at the spot he's claimed for their new home. They spend a long winter in the surveyor's house, and in the spring, Pa begins to build a store. It's the first building in what will become the town of De Smet. Finally, the Ingalls family's travels by covered wagon are over.

This book was a little faster-paced than the previous ones in a way, with the bustling railroad workers nearby, the steady stream of homesteaders filing past them, and the short time living in town. There are some exciting surprises and some heart-stopping moments. After all of the moving they've done, I feel for Ma here and hope for her said that Pa's promise to settle down won't be broken. I wish more and more that I'd read these books when I was younger, but I'm glad I'm reading them now.

As before, my enjoyment of the book was greatly enhanced by the audiobook narrator, Cherry Jones, who does a fantastic job, and being able to hear Pa's fiddle, thanks to Paul Woodiel. If you've ever considered reading this series, or have already read it and have occasion to listen to the audiobooks, I say do it! ( )

After listening to the first book of the little house series I couldn't resist myself to finish the series as soon as possible so that I know what happened to Laura and his family. I didn't read any book before finishing this series. ( )

In this book, the surprising thing is how matter-of-factly Mary's blindness is treated. There is no sorrow or concern about it, it is just plainly stated that now, after suffering from scarlet fever, she is blind. Laura acts as her "eyes", describing the scenery as they move once again across the country to the Dakota Territories to follow Pa Ingalls and his dream of getting a homestead. Among other things, Laura is resigned to becoming a teacher in Mary's stead. She doesn't want to, since she has no inclination towards that profession, but accepts that she must. There is also excitement when baby Grace gets lost in the fields. ( )