Caroline: Little House, Revisited
Sarah Miller, 2017
HarperCollins
384 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780062685346
Summary
In this novel authorized by the Little House Heritage Trust, Sarah Miller vividly recreates the beauty, hardship, and joys of the frontier in a dazzling work of historical fiction, a captivating story that illuminates one courageous, resilient, and loving pioneer woman as never before — Caroline Ingalls, "Ma" in Laura Ingalls Wilder’s beloved Little House books.
In the frigid days of February, 1870, Caroline Ingalls and her family leave the familiar comforts of the Big Woods of Wisconsin and the warm bosom of her family, for a new life in Kansas Indian Territory.
Packing what they can carry in their wagon, Caroline, her husband Charles, and their little girls, Mary and Laura, head west to settle in a beautiful, unpredictable land full of promise and peril.
The pioneer life is a hard one, especially for a pregnant woman with no friends or kin to turn to for comfort or help. The burden of work must be shouldered alone, sickness tended without the aid of doctors, and babies birthed without the accustomed hands of mothers or sisters.
But Caroline’s new world is also full of tender joys. In adapting to this strange new place and transforming a rough log house built by Charles’ hands into a home, Caroline must draw on untapped wells of strength she does not know she possesses.
For more than eighty years, generations of readers have been enchanted by the adventures of the American frontier’s most famous child, Laura Ingalls Wilder, in the Little House books. Now, that familiar story is retold in this captivating tale of family, fidelity, hardship, love, and survival that vividly reimagines our past. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
Sarah Miller began writing her first novel at 10 years old, and has spent half her life working in libraries and bookstores. She is the author of Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller, which was named an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and nominated for numerous state award lists. Sarah lives in Michigan with her family. (From the publisher.)
Book Reviews
Through assured prose, Miller puts us in those conversations, showing us the fear and uncertainty behind Wilder’s implacable, unflappable "Ma," but also her strength and devotion to her husband and children.… [T]his is a stunning novel. Miller’s research is impeccable and her writing exquisite.
Historical Novels Review
Now, Miller draws [Caroline Ingalls] onto center stage, gifting readers with a beautiful portrait of a remarkable, true pioneer. This is a beautiful tribute to a mother and a family who followed their dreams and a tale that is as uplifting and real as the original Little House books.
RT Book Reviews
A stunning and sentimental novel brimming with historical detail, Caroline grants readers a chance at a new experience with an old familiar story.
Bustle
This character-driven narrative balances a submissive and dutiful wife with a passionate young woman who openly and tenderly admires her husband and relishes their lovemaking. Verdict: Not to be missed by Wilder's grown-up fans. —Wendy W. Paige, Shelby Cty. P.L. Morristown.
Library Journal
Readers who grew up cherishing the stories of Laura Ingalls Wilder will find much to savor in Caroline.… Full of lyrical descriptions of the wild beauty of the Kansas countryside, Caroline is a well-researched and thoughtful look at the inner life of one of America’s most famous frontier women.
BookPage
Caroline is compellingly mindful, particularly when she studies the effects of a tightly knit family life on her daughters and of relentless, brutal work on her husband, herself, and her far-flung neighbors in Indian territory. Beguiling, pulse-pounding historical fiction.
Kirkus Reviews
Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, use our LitLovers talking points to help start a discussion for Caroline: Little House, Revisited … then take off on your own:
1. If you have been a fan of Laura Ingalls Wilder's Little House on the Prairie series, how well does Sarah Miller adhere to the basic story, especially her characterization of "Ma"?
2. Follow-up to Question 1: How would you describe Caroline? Talk about the ways in which Miller explores the emotional as well as the geographical terrain of a life lived on the edge of civilization, especially as it applies to Ma.
3. Follow-up to Question 2: What does Caroline observe about the effects of prairie life — and a tight-knit family — on her husband and daughters.
4. Does Miller's book include any surprises — new details or altered events — that are not found in Wilder's original telling? (Consider, for instance, Carrie's birth.)
5. How does this new book handle the treatment of the Osage Indians? Does Miller's treatment differ from Wilder's? In what way are Caroline's attitudes at variance with her husband's. Would you say either of their views reflect those of the era's culture?
6. Discuss the pioneer life, its hardships and perils. Talk especially about the difficulties for women and the myriad responsibilities that normally fall under their purview: tending to illness, giving birth, keeping house. How might you have fared, making your way across the frontier in a wagon or living in a rough-hewn log cabin? What inner strengths would you have had to tap into?
7. Do visit the author's webpage where she lays out all the sources she has based her novel on. Does undertanding the degree of Miller's research make a difference in how you view her novel?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online or off, with attribution. Thanks.)