A Prairie Faith: The Religious Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder (Library of Religious Biography (Lrb)) - Softcover

Fry, John J

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0802876285 ISBN 13: 9780802876287

Publisher: William B Eerdmans Publishing Co, 2024

Synopsis

What role did Laura Ingalls Wilder's Christian faith play in her life and writing?

The beloved Little Housebooks by Laura Ingalls Wilder have sold over 60 million copies since their publication in the first half of the twentieth century. Even her unpolished memoir, Pioneer Girl, which tells the true story behind the children's books, was widely embraced upon its release in 2014. Despite Wilder's enduring popularity, few fans know much about her Christian beliefs and practice.

John J. Fry shines a light on Wilder's quiet faith in this unique biography. Fry surveys the Little Housebooks, Pioneer Girl, and Wilder's lesser-known writings, including her letters, poems, and newspaper columns. Analyzing this wealth of sources, he reveals how Wilder's down-to-earth faith and Christian morality influenced her life and work. Interweaving these investigations with Wilder's perennially interesting life story, A Prairie Faith illustrates the Christian practices of pioneers and rural farmers during this dynamic period of American history.

Webster County Literacy Council Ella Dickey Literacy Award (2025)

Foreword Reviews INDIES Book of the Year Award Biography (2024)

About this title

About the Authors

John J. Fry is professor of history, dean of faculty, and director of Foundations at Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, Illinois. He is the author of The Farm Press, Reform, and Rural Change, 1895- 1920 and the editor of Almost Pioneers: One Couple's Homesteading Adventure in the West.

Mark A. Noll is the Francis A. McAnaney Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Notre Dame. His other books include A History of Christianity in the United States and Canada, America's God: From Jonathan Edwards to Abraham Lincoln, and Turning Points: Decisive Moments in the History of Christianity.

Edition details

• Publisher: William B Eerdmans Publishing Co
• Publication date: 2024
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0802876285
• ISBN 13: 9780802876287
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 240