Includes bibliographical references (pages [517]-602) and index.

Part I: The pioneer -- Maiden rock -- Indian summers -- Crying hard times -- God hates a coward -- Don't leave the farm, boys -- Part II: The exile -- A world made -- As a farm woman thinks -- The absent ones -- Pioneer girl -- Part III: The dream -- A ruined country -- Dusty old dust -- We are all here -- Sunshine and shadow -- There is gold in the farm.

"This book, written by the editor of the Library of America edition of the Little House books, is a thoroughly researched biography of not only Laura Ingalls Wilder, but of her daughter, Rose. Using unpublished manuscripts, letters, financial records, and more, Fraser gives fresh insight into the life of a woman beloved to many. Intensively researched, this is definitely a fascinating read, and one that I plan on reading again -- maybe the next time I re-read the Little House series. -- Jennifer Ohzourk for LibraryReads,"--Novelist.

"Millions of readers of Little House on the Prairie believe they know Laura Ingalls--the pioneer girl who survived blizzards and near-starvation on the Great Plains, and the woman who wrote the famous autobiographical books. But the true saga of her life has never been fully told. Now, drawing on unpublished manuscripts, letters, diaries, and land and financial records, Caroline Fraser--the editor of the Library of America edition of the Little House series--masterfully fills in the gaps in Wilder's biography. Revealing the grown-up story behind the most influential childhood epic of pioneer life, she also chronicles Wilder's tumultuous relationship with her journalist daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, setting the record straight regarding charges of ghostwriting that have swirled around the books." -- Publisher's description