Laura Ingalls Wilder: life of the week

Author and biographer Pamela Smith Hill considers how Wilder’s fiction reflected her real childhood on the American frontier– and what we should make of her books' more controversial portrayals

Published: September 1, 2026 at 8:23 AM

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Laura Ingalls Wilder’s 'Little House' books have captivated generations with tales of family, hardship and survival on the American frontier. But how closely did Wilder’s fiction reflect her real childhood – and what should we make of its more controversial portrayals?

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In this episode, Elinor Evans speaks to author and biographer Pamela Smith Hill about the tragedies that Wilder omitted from her stories, her complex collaboration with daughter Rose Wilder Lane, and the groundbreaking realism that helped to make her work a sensation.

Authors

Elinor EvansHead of digital (web and video)

Elinor Evans is head of digital (web and video)

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