Journey Back to the Prairie in Sarah Miller’s Caroline: Little House, Revisited
True story: When I was a child, I wanted desperately to live on the banks of Plum Creek*. I’m not the only American kid who wanted the Little House life; Roxane Gay felt similarly, she told me in a recent interview for The B&N Podcast. We all raced to read Pioneer Girl by Bich Minh Nguyen and The Wilder Life by Wendy McClure, both of which brought modern takes to Little House, but Sarah Miller’s Caroline: Little House, Revisted goes back to the original source material, telling the story of Caroline Wilder—wife, mother to Laura and her sisters, and pioneer.
The booksellers who handpick the books we feature in our Discover Great New Writers program loved Caroline, and so we asked Sarah to take us behind the scenes of the book, and this is what she told us. – Miwa Messer, Director, Discover Great New Writers
(*I would have settled for a sod house, if my parents had let me.)
How did this story start for you, Sarah? What it a character or a particular moment, or something else?
I like to blame all this on Cherry Jones—she performed the Little House audiobooks, which hit the market while I was working at a children’s bookstore. The owner of the shop tried one out and came back raving about how great it was, so I tried one. And the next…and the next… As I listened, I began to hear more than what I’d read on the pages as a child. The way Cherry Jones voiced Ma’s words, her tone and inflection — as well as my own adult perspective—made me realize how much Laura Ingalls Wilder had left unsaid, especially where her mother was concerned.
Caroline: Little House, Revisited
Hardcover $25.99
Caroline: Little House, Revisited
By Sarah Miller
Hardcover $25.99
There’s a moment in Little House on Prairie when Pa is a day late returning from a trip to town, 40 miles away. Laura wakes in the night to find Ma sitting in her rocking chair with Pa’s pistol in her lap, keeping vigil for his return. I can still tell you the intersection where I was sitting when I heard that scene and realized for the first time that for all her outward calm, Ma is barely holding it together.
That woman was my age, I realized, and not only that, it turns out the real Mrs. Ingalls was pregnant with her third child the year her husband decided to pull up stakes and settle the family in Kansas. Can you imagine? From then on, I couldn’t stop wondering what her life had really been like.
What do you want readers to know about Caroline?
Once upon a time, I was a bookseller, too. If I were still, I’d be handing this to anyone who loves historical fiction, as well as folks who gravitate toward stories centered around warm family relationships. (Plus every last Laura Ingalls Wilder fan who walks through the door, of course.)
How have readers responded to your book?
Feelings for the Little House series run deep — I thought I knew that knew that going in, but even so, I’m amazed by how readily my Caroline is tapping into those emotions. It’s only been a few days, and already I’ve gotten messages on Facebook from readers telling me that returning to the world Laura Ingalls Wilder created is “a gift.” More than one person has said they loved it so much, it brought them to tears — at the beginning. I’d hoped people might cry at the end, but I never anticipated anyone being so moved by the first chapter or two.
There’s a moment in Little House on Prairie when Pa is a day late returning from a trip to town, 40 miles away. Laura wakes in the night to find Ma sitting in her rocking chair with Pa’s pistol in her lap, keeping vigil for his return. I can still tell you the intersection where I was sitting when I heard that scene and realized for the first time that for all her outward calm, Ma is barely holding it together.
That woman was my age, I realized, and not only that, it turns out the real Mrs. Ingalls was pregnant with her third child the year her husband decided to pull up stakes and settle the family in Kansas. Can you imagine? From then on, I couldn’t stop wondering what her life had really been like.
What do you want readers to know about Caroline?
Once upon a time, I was a bookseller, too. If I were still, I’d be handing this to anyone who loves historical fiction, as well as folks who gravitate toward stories centered around warm family relationships. (Plus every last Laura Ingalls Wilder fan who walks through the door, of course.)
How have readers responded to your book?
Feelings for the Little House series run deep — I thought I knew that knew that going in, but even so, I’m amazed by how readily my Caroline is tapping into those emotions. It’s only been a few days, and already I’ve gotten messages on Facebook from readers telling me that returning to the world Laura Ingalls Wilder created is “a gift.” More than one person has said they loved it so much, it brought them to tears — at the beginning. I’d hoped people might cry at the end, but I never anticipated anyone being so moved by the first chapter or two.
Little House on the Prairie (Little House Series: Classic Stories #3)
Hardcover $12.99
Little House on the Prairie (Little House Series: Classic Stories #3)
In Stock Online
Hardcover $12.99
What surprised you most while you were writing Caroline?
There was a point when I realized that Caroline Ingalls was not as old-fashioned as she seems at first glance. Somehow, without most of us noticing how she did it, she saw to it that all four of her daughters became educated, capable women. Mary went to college. Laura and Grace taught school. Carrie filed her own homestead claim and worked at the De Smet newspaper. All of them seem to have acquired a notion that it was ok to nudge at the boundaries of what was expected of women at the turn of the century.
What do you love to read?
I’m naturally drawn to historical fiction, biography, and memoirs. I’ve also got a soft spot for fairy tales retold. Really though, I’m susceptible to all kinds of excellent books. Didn’t think I liked science fiction…until I read The Giver and Ender’s Game. Didn’t think I cared all that much about suspense…until I read Gone Girl and The Fierce Kingdom.
Is there an author you find yourself recommending again and again?
Patricia Wood. At my house, we talk about the characters in her novel, Lottery, like they’re family.
Was there a book that made you realize you were a reader?
I don’t remember not being a reader. That said, there’s a small voice in my head insisting that I mention Harriet the Spy. I wanted to BE Harriet. That may have been when I realized that the things you read in books can follow you out into your actual life.
Caroline: Little House, Revisited is available now.
What surprised you most while you were writing Caroline?
There was a point when I realized that Caroline Ingalls was not as old-fashioned as she seems at first glance. Somehow, without most of us noticing how she did it, she saw to it that all four of her daughters became educated, capable women. Mary went to college. Laura and Grace taught school. Carrie filed her own homestead claim and worked at the De Smet newspaper. All of them seem to have acquired a notion that it was ok to nudge at the boundaries of what was expected of women at the turn of the century.
What do you love to read?
I’m naturally drawn to historical fiction, biography, and memoirs. I’ve also got a soft spot for fairy tales retold. Really though, I’m susceptible to all kinds of excellent books. Didn’t think I liked science fiction…until I read The Giver and Ender’s Game. Didn’t think I cared all that much about suspense…until I read Gone Girl and The Fierce Kingdom.
Is there an author you find yourself recommending again and again?
Patricia Wood. At my house, we talk about the characters in her novel, Lottery, like they’re family.
Was there a book that made you realize you were a reader?
I don’t remember not being a reader. That said, there’s a small voice in my head insisting that I mention Harriet the Spy. I wanted to BE Harriet. That may have been when I realized that the things you read in books can follow you out into your actual life.
Caroline: Little House, Revisited is available now.