The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This is one of those almost a 5 star review!
McClure’s writing style, initially, felt a little bit choppy for me. It seemed there were abrupt transitions in the first 20 pages or so, but once I fell in with her style of writing I had a hard time putting the book down.
Also, from a teacherly standpoint, I love her love of colons (the grammar kind).
I don’t think you have to be a fan of the Little House books (or TV show) to find this memoir appealing because it is that – a memoir. The book travels with Wendy (can I call her Wendy now) as she investigates the “real” sites where the Little House books took place.
I, of course, read the Little House books when I was a pre-teen, but I haven’t been back to read them. I don’t think I was quite involved enough (or with the show – although I wanted to be Melissa Gilbert the actress cause she was small and a brunette) that I’d want to track down the sites myself so this saves me from having to do that. In fact, this book had me wondering – is there anything I’ve read, watched, done that I find so enthralling that I’d have to go on this kind of quest?
One of my favorite reflective moments in the book happens towards the end when McClure writes, “Maybe the Little House books have always been a way to “unremember . . . To me unremembering is knowing that something once happened or existed by remembering the things around it or by putting something else in its place.”
Isn’t that what we writers, and avid readers do? Don’t we want to remember something that relates to ourselves or remember something that never happened to us so we can fit better into the world?
Well, that’s what I hope we do 
I have a friend that I bet would like this book! Thanks Jessie! I’m kind of bad about sticking with a book, usually, and this is one reason. Sometimes it just takes awhile for me to get onto the writer’s style.
I take notes while I read and it says “page 24 – not I’m into this!” so it only took 24 pages
I wondered about this book when I saw it online. So glad you read and reviewed it.
I like that the author went on a quest, and your comments on wanting to be Melissa Gilbert made me smile. 
Oh, and the sentence about colons was a hoot. Sounds like an interesting read. As popular as the show was for a generation growing up in the ’70s and early ’80s, I’m kind of surprised there hasn’t been a destination book of this sort written yet. Oh, and if you ever want to have another hoot, Little House related, read the autobiography of the actress who played Nellie Olson. Completely hilarious and insightful! 
Even the title got me: Confessions of a Prairie Bitch. 
I’d mail it to you, but my cousin borrowed it.
If you get that book back I’d soooo borrow it! There are actually other books about similar journeys. I’ve added another one to my to read list
Oh I’m laughing about the Nellie Olsen autobiography. If I get this to give to my little house fan friend, I’m reading it first for sure!