I can't believe I never finished reading these books, since I am a huge fan of the original 1970s TV show. Now that I'm watching the new series on Netflix, the discrepancies between the two TV versions had me wondering what's in the book. (And also what was actually true in real life, which so far means lots of online searching, but maybe I'll finally get around to reading Pioneer Girl too.)
I am so deep into my creature comforts that the description of the Ingallses' life in the Big Woods was more than just charming or quaint, it was downright awe-inspiring. I was reminded how, amidst the hard work and daily toil, much creativity and love went into handcrafted things, e.g., even Ma's butter was molded so beautifully to ensure a pretty table (p. 32), the kind of small but steady source of joy we rarely see in our fast-paced, convenience-centered modern lives.
I enjoyed the straightforward storytelling and stories-within-the-story, ideal formatting for the young target audience.
All that said, I can't just let it go that this book includes a song about "darkeys". (p. 100) I personally think it's okay for the original text to be left unchanged, as it bears witness to the prevailing sentiments of the time in which the book was written; but young children today shouldn't be reading this book and thinking that kind of language is acceptable. It would be nice if modern re-printings could include some kind of forward or footnotes to provide additional educational context around such words.
