Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder: The Woman behind the Legend by John E. Miller (review)

B o o k R e v i e w s 2 2 5 O v e r all, t h is is n o t a m a jo r c o n t r ib u t io n t o M an fr e d cr it icism , b u t M an fr e d sc h o la r s w ill c e r t a in ly w an t t o b e aw ar e o f it. Becoming Laura Ingalls W ilder: The W oman behind the Legend. By Jo h n E. M ille r . C o l u m b i a : U n i v e r s i t y o f M i s s o u r i P r e s s , 1 9 9 8 . 3 0 6 p a g e s , $ 2 9 . 9 5 . R e v ie w e d b y Diane D. Quantic W i c h i t a S t a t e U n i v e r s i t y Jo h n E. M ille r ’ s b io gr ap h y o f Lau r a In galls W ild e r is a w e lco m e a d d it io n t o t h e gr o w in g b o d y o f W ild e r sch o lar sh ip . W ild e r ’s p e r siste n t ly p o p u lar e igh t - v o l­ u m e au t o b io gr ap h y o f h e r p e r ip a t e t ic c h ild h o o d o n t h e G r e a t P lain s, w h ile in t e n d e d fo r ch ild r e n , h as b e c o m e a n in t e gr al p a r t o f t h e m y t h o f t h e A m e r ic a n W est . By car r y in g W ild e r ’s st or y in t o a d u lth o o d in M isso u r i, M ille r p r e se n t s a c o m p r e h e n siv e a c co u n t o f t h e In galls an d W ild e r fam ilies. A b io gr ap h y o f L au r a In galls W ild e r p r e se n t s so m e u n iq u e c h a lle n ge s. Fir st, t h e “Lit t le H o u se ” b o o k s ar e so w e ll k n o w n t h at t h e r e ad e r is lik ely t o a n t ic ip a t e t h e st or y t h e b io gr ap h e r is t ellin g. T o au gm e n t W ild e r ’s o w n story, M ille r u ses a n u n p u b lish e d a u t o b io gr a p h ic a l m an u scr ip t , fam ily r eco r d s, a v a r i­ ety o f so c ia l h ist o r ie s o f t h e fr o n t ie r an d lo c al r e co r d s fr o m t h e v ar io u s c o m ­ m u n it ie s w h er e t h e fam ily liv ed . H e in clu d e...