Rating: 
Summary: A wealth of information for the hard core fan
Review: I read with interest the reader reviews on this book before I purchased it and saw mixed opinions and many comments, but the one that stood out the most was something to the effect of "this book might be too much for the casual Laura fan, but great for those who want to dig a little deeper." I heartily agree with that and think that needs to be stressed. If you've only ever read the "Little House" books, perhaps you should start with some of the lighter books and biographies about her. If you are like me, however, and can't get enough information about the true life of Laura, this book is fantastic. Its focus is a bit shaky at first, as it breezes through the first 20 or so years of her life in first third of the book. At that point it changes focus so much that it is almost like two books in one. Here is where we meet Laura the writer and witness her long path from town columnist to published national author. Throughout this section of the book her daughter, Rose, plays a pivotal part and has her own biography of sorts within these pages. While at first I was reluctant to read about the controversy over how much Rose actually helped her mother write the books, once I got into it I was fascinated and hooked. This book is a biography, a history book, the story of a young pioneer, and a look into a complex and conflicting mother/daughter relationship. And for those out there who simply can't get enough of Laura, curl up and dive in.One other note: I learned a lot of new information about facts that were left out of the Little House books or changed to make the story flow better for children. John Miller even goes so far as to call her Little House books fiction. I don't completely agree with him on that point, but I did learn a lot and wanted to know more about the actual accurate early life of Laura. Miller makes reference in this book to Laura's first attempt at novel writing; an unpublished manuscript called "Pioneer Girl." I did a little research and found that copies are available from the Herbert Hoover Library in West Branch, Iowa. It is costly, but worth it for the biggest fan. It is definetly an adult read, though, don't plan on reading this to your children as a bedtime story. Hope this review was helpful - enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A wealth of information for the hard core fan
Review: I read with interest the reader reviews on this book before I purchased it and saw mixed opinions and many comments, but the one that stood out the most was something to the effect of "this book might be too much for the casual Laura fan, but great for those who want to dig a little deeper." I heartily agree with that and think that needs to be stressed. If you've only ever read the "Little House" books, perhaps you should start with some of the lighter books and biographies about her. If you are like me, however, and can't get enough information about the true life of Laura, this book is fantastic. Its focus is a bit shaky at first, as it breezes through the first 20 or so years of her life in first third of the book. At that point it changes focus so much that it is almost like two books in one. Here is where we meet Laura the writer and witness her long path from town columnist to published national author. Throughout this section of the book her daughter, Rose, plays a pivotal part and has her own biography of sorts within these pages. While at first I was reluctant to read about the controversy over how much Rose actually helped her mother write the books, once I got into it I was fascinated and hooked. This book is a biography, a history book, the story of a young pioneer, and a look into a complex and conflicting mother/daughter relationship. And for those out there who simply can't get enough of Laura, curl up and dive in. One other note: I learned a lot of new information about facts that were left out of the Little House books or changed to make the story flow better for children. John Miller even goes so far as to call her Little House books fiction. I don't completely agree with him on that point, but I did learn a lot and wanted to know more about the actual accurate early life of Laura. Miller makes reference in this book to Laura's first attempt at novel writing; an unpublished manuscript called "Pioneer Girl." I did a little research and found that copies are available from the Herbert Hoover Library in West Branch, Iowa. It is costly, but worth it for the biggest fan. It is definetly an adult read, though, don't plan on reading this to your children as a bedtime story. Hope this review was helpful - enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: Filled with great information
Review: John E. Miller tells the story of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her writing in a realistic and informative way. I used the book for a major research project in my senior year as a literature major. He was one of my main sources. His book brings new information about Laura and the way her books were written into the public realm. He explains how Laura, with the help of her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane (who mainly edited and made suggestions) collaborated to produce the finest set of frontier children's novels in the country. His book is written in a way that shows the different sides of Mrs. Wilder and how she developed in her writing without being methodical or overly academic. "Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder" is an easy read and is a great asset to teachers and other adults who read Laura themselves as children and who want to know more about the woman behind the legend.
Rating:
Summary: Rose Wilder Lane did NOT write the "Little House Books"
Review: Miller pretty well refutes the contention that Rose Wilder Lane ghostwrote the "Little House" books. There is no question that she edited her mother's manuscripts, and without her connections in the publishing industry there is a good chance the books might not have been published at all. However, the books were and are Laura's. It's also important to remember that the "Little House" books only cover Laura's life up to her marriage, and that she in fact lived less than 15 years in DeSmet. She spent the remaining 63 years of her life in Missouri. I always thought that Missouri was an odd choice of destinations, but there in fact were compelling reasons, and Miller does explain them. Some have criticized this book because they feel that it almost becomes a biography of Rose Wilder Lane about halfway through. A more careful reading gives an explanation for why this seems to be the case; Rose left massive amounts of personal archives, letters, and other documents when she died. On the other hand, Laura ("Mama Bess")left very little of this kind of information behind, and were it not for Rose's archives there would be even bigger gaps in the narrative. Miller does mention that a roomfull of possessions left behind in Laura's parents' home in DeSmet was discarded by the new owners of the house, and it's just possible that some of her letters were lost there. If some people wish the book provided more in-depth detail about Laura's life in Missouri, then they should also wish for even more information about Almanzo. At the end of this book we know only a little more about him than we did at the end of "The First Four Years." He was apparently a man of few words, either spoken or written, so he largely remains an enigma. What little we do know about him comes from either Laura or Roses's writings. One thing we do learn is that Laura never lost her pioneering spirit. In 1925 she, Rose, and a good friend of Rose's drove all the way to the West Coast from Missouri. A transcontinental auto trip in 1925 was sitll a major adventure, and even more remarkable when undertaken by three women. An account of this adventure surely would have made for good reading, but apparently neither Laura nor Rose thought of it. This has been something of a rambling review, so I will conclude that Miller did very good work, and that any true fans of Laura Ingalls Wilder or her daughter would do well to read it.
Rating:
Summary: wonderful, in-depth look at my idol
Review: This book contains almost TOO MUCH information about the famous Laura. Many myths and legends about her and what kind of person and writer she was are dispelled by this book. I found it fascinating, but almost TOO in-depth. Every little bit of info about the writing of her Little House Series is squeezed out and put into this book. The book is extremely detailed about the entire process of writing and editing the books, and how Rose and Laura worked together on them. You can even see some pages before and after Rose edited them!
Rating: 
Summary: who is this book really about?
Review: This book gave a few new insights into Mrs. Wilders life but not to many. We are told that she was a private person and she must have been because most of the info seems to be from public records. I myself would have liked to have had more insight on how the lives of Pa, Ma and her sisters were in later life instead of so much talk about Lauras daughter Rose. Halfway through the book I felt the story began to center on Rose and her dislike of her mother. If you are looking for a book about Laura Ingalls Wilder I do not know if you will like this, there are better ones out there. When I was done reading the only thing I got out of the book was that Rose Wilder was a depressed woman who disliked her mother.
Rating:
Summary: Worth much more than the paper on which it's printed!
Review: This book gives a much more balanced account of Laura Ingalls Wilder's life than other recent biographies. John E. Miller creates a richly detailed portrait of the real Laura Ingalls Wilder, one that is well supported by his documentation. The relationship between LIW and her daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, is examined in great detail. Miller's assertions about the relationship between mother and daughter ring true. His statements are clearly supported by his research. He does not attempt to negate Rose Wilder Lane's contribution to the Little House Series. This book gives a good picture of the complexities of the mother/daughter literary collaboration. One comes away with a better understanding of and an appreciation for both women. "Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder" is an interesting, well written, and highly readable biography. A most welcome addition to the shelf of any admirer of Laura Ingalls Wilder's books!
Rating:
Summary: Left wanting more
Review: This book gives only a few new insights into Laura Ingalls Wilders life. You learn she was a private person and she must have been because most of the information about her life seems to be from records of what organizations she belonged to. I did not like the way that the book seemed to turn into a bio about her daughter Rose Wilder Lane about halfway through. Not only did the author talk more about her than Laura he painted a picture in my opinion of a depressed unhappy woman who did not really care for her mother deep down. I also felt that since most of us "know" Lauras' family from the Little House books the author could have given the readers some more detailed information about how their lives turned out. That would have interested me more then hearing about Roses' depressed and seemingly unhappy life.
Rating: 
Summary: disappointing, but if you love Laura - it's a must read
Review: While I will never pass up any biography about LIW, I have to admit that this book is not too exciting. First, in some sections it is clear that Miller does not have enough documented sources of information. In these chapters, his writing jumps around, back and forth in time, and is very repetitive within and among paragraphs. Secondly, he provides almost no information that I have not seen before. Despite these complaints, this book seems to be very well researched and is readable throughout. The focus on the "Rose Story," that many other reviewers complain about, is actually the most cleanly written part of the book. No doubt, this can be attributed to the fact that there are MANY extant primary sources that depict the relationship between Laura and her daughter. They apparently wrote to each other constantly. Therefore, Miller does not need to stretch his material regarding this part of Laura's life. On the other hand, readers who love Laura and her stories want to know more about the family and other people described in the novels. We want to know about Laura's relationships with her parents and adult sisters and with the Wilder in-laws. We want to know what happened to Mary, Carrie and Grace after "These Happy Golden Years." We want to know what Almanzo was really like. These topics are not explored in depth. In the end, my disappointment is not in Miller and his writing. It is rooted in two inescapable facts. First, most of Laura's adult life was quite ordinary. She and Almanzo, like the Ingalls family before them, were poor most of the time. The magical Laura and "Manly" of "Little House" fame did not heroically rise above circumstances and make a great success of farming. Their married relationship does not appear to have been remarkable. Their relationship with Rose seems to have been tense due to the usual generational differences. My second and most depressing disappointment is that there are no sources that have preserved the more personal aspects of the Ingalls and Wilder legacy. So, while I would like to know more of the family details, no one knows for sure what they are. All in all, if you are a real Laura fan, you will want to read this book. However, do not expect much excitement or new information.
Rating:
Summary: disappointing, but if you love Laura - it's a must read
Review: While I will never pass up any biography about LIW, I have to admit that this book is not too exciting. First, in some sections it is clear that Miller does not have enough documented sources of information. In these chapters, his writing jumps around, back and forth in time, and is very repetitive within and among paragraphs. Secondly, he provides almost no information that I have not seen before. Despite these complaints, this book seems to be very well researched and is readable throughout. The focus on the "Rose Story," that many other reviewers complain about, is actually the most cleanly written part of the book. No doubt, this can be attributed to the fact that there are MANY extant primary sources that depict the relationship between Laura and her daughter. They apparently wrote to each other constantly. Therefore, Miller does not need to stretch his material regarding this part of Laura's life. On the other hand, readers who love Laura and her stories want to know more about the family and other people described in the novels. We want to know about Laura's relationships with her parents and adult sisters and with the Wilder in-laws. We want to know what happened to Mary, Carrie and Grace after "These Happy Golden Years." We want to know what Almanzo was really like. These topics are not explored in depth. In the end, my disappointment is not in Miller and his writing. It is rooted in two inescapable facts. First, most of Laura's adult life was quite ordinary. She and Almanzo, like the Ingalls family before them, were poor most of the time. The magical Laura and "Manly" of "Little House" fame did not heroically rise above circumstances and make a great success of farming. Their married relationship does not appear to have been remarkable. Their relationship with Rose seems to have been tense due to the usual generational differences. My second and most depressing disappointment is that there are no sources that have preserved the more personal aspects of the Ingalls and Wilder legacy. So, while I would like to know more of the family details, no one knows for sure what they are. All in all, if you are a real Laura fan, you will want to read this book. However, do not expect much excitement or new information.
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