Overview
What role did Laura Ingalls Wilder's Christian faith play in her life and writing? The beloved Little Housebooks by Laura Ingalls Wilder have sold over 60 million copies since their publication in the first half of the twentieth century. Even her unpolished memoir, Pioneer Girl, which tells the true story behind the children's books, was widely embraced upon its release in 2014. Despite Wilder's enduring popularity, few fans know much about her Christian beliefs and practice. John J. Fry shines a light on Wilder's quiet faith in this unique biography. Fry surveys the Little Housebooks, Pioneer Girl, and Wilder's lesser-known writings, including her letters, poems, and newspaper columns. Analyzing this wealth of sources, he reveals how Wilder's down-to-earth faith and Christian morality influenced her life and work. Interweaving these investigations with Wilder's perennially interesting life story, A Prairie Faith illustrates the Christian practices of pioneers and rural farmers during this dynamic period of American history. Webster County Literacy Council Ella Dickey Literacy Award (2025) Foreword Reviews INDIES Book of the Year Award in Biography Finalist (2024)
Full Product Details
Author: John J Fry ,
Mark a Noll
Publisher: William B Eerdmans Publishing Co
Imprint: William B Eerdmans Publishing Co
Dimensions:
Width: 15.70cm
, Height: 2.50cm
, Length: 21.80cm
Weight: 0.340kg
ISBN: 9780802876287
ISBN 10: 0802876285
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 06 February 2024
Audience:
General/trade
,
General
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active
Availability: Available To Order
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Reviews
"""[A]n outstanding example of how detailed research can supplement, modify, or, in some cases, overthrow what everyone thought they knew about an author whose books are still much read and, by many, much loved."" --from the foreword by Mark A. Noll ""In A Prairie Faith, John Fry provides his readers with a nuanced and thoughtful discussion of the spiritual world of Laura Ingalls Wilder. This is no small task, since Wilder rarely talked about her own faith and left no diaries and few letters that shed significant light on the matter. In search of his elusive subject, Fry has read myriad manuscripts, including all known drafts of Wilder's famous Little House books, a daunting task in itself. What emerges is a new and convincing picture of a Laura Ingalls Wilder whom few of us know."" --Pamela Riney-Kehrberg, author of Childhood on the Farm: Work, Play, and Coming of Age in the Midwest ""The elusive topic of Laura Ingalls Wilder's religious life has mystified readers and scholars since the publication of her Little House books. Dr. Fry's research is a welcome addition to Wilder studies."" --William Anderson, editor of The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder"
Author Information
John J. Fry is professor of history, dean of faculty, and director of Foundations at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois. He is the author of The Farm Press, Reform, and Rural Change, 1895- 1920 and the editor of Almost Pioneers: One Couple's Homesteading Adventure in the West.
