I'm not sure what else I can add to the many, many reviews out there about this book.
It wrapped me up in its world, though there was some moments where the strength of the narrative wavered for me. For most of the book, she was right below the line of being "too much" but the final battle was definitely "too much."
I have high hopes that the remaining books in the trilogy will explore ways of rebelling against the Capitol. I wish that had been a bigger thread throughout this book--it was there, but it would have been a stronger book if they had fought each other and The Man at the same time.
Glad I finally joined the bandwagon and read it--and will certainly read the sequel.

This was one of my first choices for book club this year, but alas, with only one copy in the public library, it just wasn't available enough to be a choice.
But holy cow, what a great book club book this would be! Rose was an amazing woman--she traveled extensively throughout her life, including visiting Baghdad in the early 1920s. The snippets of writing from letters, journals and published works reveal a strong, independent mind.
And oh yes, she's the daughter of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Their mother/daughter relationship was far from conventional, and that in itself was fascinating. Rose worked so hard to hide her part in the writing of the Little House book.
Though I know this book is about Rose, I would have liked a bit more about her parents. Both Laura and Almanzo (especially Almanzo) were shadowy. I thought periodically of Eden's Outcasts and how that dual biography worked. I would love to one day see a dual biography of Rose and Laura, because one woman's story can't be told without the other.
Highly recommended.

I had mixed feelings throughout this book. Was it all Too Much? Could I get over and ignore the excessive capitalization (one of my pet peeves in fantasies)?
But my love for Robin McKinley (born back when I first read The Blue Sword and Hero and the Crown in elementary school--books to which I now trace my feminist leanings) won out in the end. It's a relatively simple story of a land under threat--and what it might take to save it.
I loved the characters--Marisol had a wonderful strength, and she wasn't one of those heroes who instantly knew the answer. And the complexities of the new Master were really interesting.
But my ongoing annoyance with some aspects result in the three stars. The world and its vocabulay just took too long to make any sense.

Getting ready for book club next week.

I haven't reread most of the Little House books in years. As a child, my focus was totally on Laura. But as an adult, I keep thinking of Ma and Pa. Ma rocks, and I could never do what all she did. Combine that with all the other Little House related reading I've been doing (Ghost in the Little House and Little House, Long Shadow), and I'll never look at these books the same way again. Definitely glad I'm taking the time to revisit them.

Had forgotten how preachy these books are--almost as preachy as Louisa May Alcott.
But stil good, though I can't quite figure out why I loved these so much as a kid. They're not quite doing it for me as an adult (unlike almost everything else I reread)

Love watching Laura mature--and face some very unhappy pioneers.
The romance with Almanzo is so natural and subtle--had forgotten how all of that plays out.
But again with the preachiness. These books just aren't holding up well for me.

A giggle inducing tale of two girls and their European travels. They get into scrapes, elude authorities, try to be fashionable and see the sights. Written as a memoir, it never devolves into sweet and sappy, but more of those "look how silly we were--can you believe we got away with it?" stories.
Definitely recommended.

Satisfying fluff. . .
In some ways, I felt that marketing might have been behind some of the plot aspects (romance, book lovers, quirky villagers!).

But, the historical setting was fantastic. I enjoyed reading it, but it just felt like a mass-market appeal.

Glad I read it--don't need to read it again.

Wavering between three and four stars. . .
Both fascinating and frustrating, this is not a book for someone casually interested in Schulz and Peanuts. When I read in the acknowledgements that the book had been severely cut from its first draft, I thought "oh lordy!" The details are amazing, and at times, too much. At times, the chronology just went back and forth, confusing me. However, the use of Schulz's strips throughout the text was wonderful.
Snoopy has always been a part of my life (mom is to Snoopy as Melissa is to books) and this book certainly helped explain the cultural phenomenon. I have infinitely more respect for the magic that is the strip.

Bought in Walnut Grove. Yes, that Walnut Grove. . .

A wonderful look at the long range impact children's literature can have. At the museum, we've often talked about how Little House has become synomonous with pioneer history, and this book helps explain how that came to be.
Fellman has certainly done her homework--interviewing teachers, long-time readers, and visitors to the various LIW site. These were the stories I liked best--how people completely fell in love with the books and how it changed their lives. She also extensively explores both Wilder and Lane's political beliefs and how they were integrated into the narrative. Though I agree with the idea that politics (and reaction against the New Deal) helped form some key plot choices in the book, her arguement that Wilder and Lane helped shape the modern conservative movement seems a bit much.
Read this for the stories of how this book became so prominent. I did lots of nodding and lots of thinking about how other children's books have shaped my life.
Highly recommended, especially for those interested in the stories behind books--and the ripple effects of books we love.