In the third book of the famous autobiographical epic by the American writer Laura Ingles Wilder, the large family of eight-year-old Laura again heads to the West in search of a peaceful place where there will be fertile land, plenty of food, and children can study. At first, the family settled in a dugout, but one day the bull Pete turned out to be right over their dwelling and fell through the roof. Of course, a skilled dad built a new strong house. However, troubles continued to haunt the family. They had to survive the locust invasion and lose their entire crop, fight the steppe fire, which almost deprived them of their homes, and endure severe snowstorms and frosts in winter. Natural disasters seriously disrupt family plans, and sometimes even threaten death. But, most importantly, the girls are finally going to school, and the smart Laura is making progress. True, communication with peers does not always please Laura: girls from wealthy families consider her a “hillbilly”, but Laura knows how to stand up for herself. And Pope Charles, a man of extraordinary stamina and fortitude, is able to overcome any difficulties for the sake of the happiness of his beloved wife and daughters.
The book gently teaches children to be polite and obey their elders. “Children should be seen, but not heard,” the mother reminds her daughters from time to time.
Author: Laura Ingles Wilder
Illustrations: Garth Williams
Pages: 240 (offset). Hard cover
Dimensions: 211x146x20 mm
