The audiobook, narrated by Cherry Jones, was great. The experience of listening to the stories was enriched by her voice, as well as the occasional snippets of singing and fiddle playing. As I listened, I tried to figure out what has given these books longevity. I can only conclude that there is something about listening to stories about regular people facing and overcoming hardships. It almost seems like you could live and even thrive in those times, difficult as they must have been (grasshoppers ughhh), with the steady presence of Pa and Ma and their pioneer spirit. I admire Mrs. Wilder for her ability to convey our shared humanity through her stories, in spite of how different those times were compared to now.