Beginning with a publishing history of Little House in the Big Woods (1932), this title in the Essential Lives series first explains how the Great Depression affected Wilder personally and professionally. Berne then recounts the highlights of Wilder’s life, emphasizing how reality differed from her published fiction. Frequent sidebars add more detailed information to the main narrative, while maps, period photographs and drawings, and contemporary pictures of key sites add clarity and interest. Although for the most part the text is clear and concise, a few details are inaccurate (e.g., the Wilder Medal is given annually rather than biannually). For the casual, middle-grade reader seeking an introduction to Wilder, this makes an acceptable starting point, but more serious students will want to consult William Holtz’s The Ghost in the Little House (1993) or John E.
