Pioneer Girl
Wilder’s daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, became rather successful as a writer in the 1920s, and she knew her mother, as gifted as she was, could also find great success if she turned to books. With Rose cheering her on, Laura put together a book called Pioneer Girl in 1930. Laura was in her 50s and would finally write her first book.
“Pioneer Girl,” an autobiography by Laura Ingalls Wilder, targeted adult readers, unlike her later, more child-friendly “Little House” books. It delved into more disturbing content, including violence and realistic life depictions, unfit for younger audiences. Rose edited the book and took it to New York to seek a publisher, but it faced rejection. The South Dakota Historical Society Press eventually published it in 2014. Despite the initial lack of success of “Pioneer Girl,” it laid the groundwork for Wilder’s later, highly successful works.
