Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder by Caroline Fraser

Summary: This book attempts to remove some of the mystique surrounding Laura Ingalls Wilder. Major events and relationships in her life are painstakingly set into their historical context. Myths are debunked. Family relationships are explored.

My Review: I found parts of this book thoroughly engaging and learned or relearned a lot of US history. Other parts of the book were repetitious and slow-moving. Nonetheless, I am looking forward to hearing the author speak at the Fox Service Center in Arnold on October 17, thanks to a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (#IMLSGrant).

Pages: 625          My Rating: 4 out of 5

Genius in Diguise

Genius in Diguise
Thomas Kunkel

In a great paradox of American letters, the urbane and witty New Yorker was founded by a former tramp newspaperman from Colorado with a 10th grade education. Yet Harold W. Ross revealed an irrepressible spirit, an insatiable curiosity and a bristling intellect--all the qualities that distinguished The New Yorker (Amazon.com)

I have always liked the New Yorker magazine as well as the time period.  This book covered both topics.  Kunkel writes well and gives a well-rounded history of the man and the magazine.  I was struck by how many really famous writers got their start, or enhanced their reputations, with the New Yorker.  

The book is very readable...even the appendices, which reproduce some of the edit sheets that Ross did.  Very interesting.  497 pages.