Prairie Fires

Last updated
First edition (publ. Metropolitan Books) Prairie Fires.jpg
First edition (publ. Metropolitan Books)

Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder is a 2017 biography of Little House on the Prairie author Laura Ingalls Wilder, by Caroline Fraser. [1] It was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography, [2] the National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography, [3] and the Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography</span> American award for distinguished biographies

The Pulitzer Prize for Biography is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It has been presented since 1917 for a distinguished biography, autobiography or memoir by an American author or co-authors, published during the preceding calendar year. Thus it is one of the original Pulitzers, for the program was inaugurated in 1917 with seven prizes, four of which were awarded that year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De Smet, South Dakota</span> Town in South Dakota, United States

De Smet is a city in and the county seat of Kingsbury County, South Dakota, United States. The population was 1,089 at the 2010 census.

<i>Little House on the Prairie</i> American series of childrens books (1932–1971) and media franchise

The Little House on the Prairie books is a series of American children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. The stories are based on her childhood and adolescence in the American Midwest between 1870 and 1894. Eight of the novels were completed by Wilder, and published by Harper & Brothers in the 1930s and 1940s, during her lifetime. The name "Little House" appears in the first and third novels in the series, while the third is identically titled Little House on the Prairie. The second novel, meanwhile, was about her husband's childhood.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Ingalls Wilder</span> American writer, teacher, and journalist (1867–1957)

Laura Elizabeth Ingalls Wilder was an American writer, mostly known for the Little House on the Prairie series of children's books, published between 1932 and 1943, which were based on her childhood in a settler and pioneer family.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rose Wilder Lane</span> American journalist, writer, and political theorist (1886–1968)

Rose Wilder Lane was an American journalist, travel writer, novelist, political theorist and daughter of American writer Laura Ingalls Wilder. Along with two other female writers, Ayn Rand and Isabel Paterson, Lane is noted as one of the most influential advocates of the American libertarian movement.

The Children's Literature Legacy Award is a prize awarded by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), to writers or illustrators of children's books published in the United States who have, over a period of years, made substantial and lasting contributions to children's literature. The bronze medal prize was named after its first winner, twentieth-century American author Laura Ingalls Wilder.

<i>Little House on the Prairie</i> (TV series) American western drama television series

Little House on the Prairie is an American Western historical drama television series about the Ingalls family, who live on a farm on Plum Creek near Walnut Grove, Minnesota, in the 1870s–90s. Charles, Laura, Caroline, Mary, and Carrie Ingalls are respectively portrayed by Michael Landon, Melissa Gilbert, Karen Grassle, and Melissa Sue Anderson and twins Lindsay and Sydney Greenbush. The show is an adaptation of Laura Ingalls Wilder's best-selling series of Little House books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Almanzo Wilder</span> Husband of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Almanzo James Wilder was the husband of Laura Ingalls Wilder and the father of Rose Wilder Lane, both noted authors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrie Ingalls</span>

Caroline Celestia Ingalls Swanzey was the third child of Charles and Caroline Ingalls, and was born in Montgomery County, Kansas. She was a younger sister of Laura Ingalls Wilder, who is known for her Little House books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Ingalls</span> Elder sister of author Laura Ingalls Wilder

Mary Amelia Ingalls was born near the town of Pepin, Wisconsin. She was the first child of Caroline and Charles Ingalls and older sister of author Laura Ingalls Wilder, known for her Little House book series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grace Ingalls</span>

Grace Pearl Ingalls Dow was the fifth and last child of Caroline and Charles Ingalls. She was the youngest sister of Laura Ingalls Wilder, known for her Little House on the Prairie books.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charles Ingalls</span> Father of Laura Ingalls Wilder

Charles Phillip Ingalls was the father of Laura Ingalls Wilder, known for her Little House series of books. He is depicted as the character "Pa" in the books and the television series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Ingalls Wilder House</span> Historic house in Missouri, United States

The Laura Ingalls Wilder House is a historic house museum at 3060 Highway A in Mansfield, Missouri. Also known as Rocky Ridge Farm, it was the home of author Laura Ingalls Wilder from 1896 until her death in 1957. The author of the Little House on the Prairie series, Wilder began writing the series while living there. The house, together with the nearby Rock Cottage on the same property, represents one of the few surviving places where she resided. Shortly after her death local residents initiated legal steps to acquire the house through the incorporation of a non-profit organization to preserve her legacy. Owned by the Laura Ingalls Wilder Home Association, the house is open to the public for tours. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991.

The Chicago Tribune Heartland Prize is a literary prize created in 1988 by the newspaper The Chicago Tribune. It is awarded yearly in two categories: Fiction and Nonfiction. These prizes are awarded to books that "reinforce and perpetuate the values of heartland America."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ashley Bryan</span> American childrens writer and illustrator (1923–2022)

Ashley Frederick Bryan was an American writer and illustrator of children's books. Most of his subjects are from the African-American experience. He was U.S. nominee for the Hans Christian Andersen Award in 2006 and he won the Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for his contribution to American children's literature in 2009. His picture book Freedom Over Me was short-listed for the 2016 Kirkus Prize and received a Newbery Honor.

William Anderson is an American author, historian, and lecturer. He is a specialist in the subject of Laura Ingalls Wilder and her times.

<i>Laura, the Prairie Girl</i>

Laura, the Prairie Girl is a Japanese anime television series based on the novels Little House in the Big Woods and Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. Twenty-six half-hour episodes were released between 1975 and 1976.

Mr. Edwards is a fictional character that appeared in the Little House series of autobiographical children's novels written by Laura Ingalls Wilder. His character was later adapted for the NBC television show, Little House on the Prairie and given the name "Isaiah Edwards."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caroline Fraser</span> American writer

Caroline Fraser is an American writer. She won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Biography or Autobiography, and the 2017 National Book Critics Circle Award in Biography, for Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder, a biography of American author Laura Ingalls Wilder.

References

  1. Sethi, Anita (December 31, 2017). "Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder review – a pioneer revealed". The Guardian. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  2. "Prairie Fires: The American Dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder, by Caroline Fraser". pulitzer.org. Retrieved February 14, 2020.
  3. Taylor, Elizabeth (March 30, 2018). "Caroline Fraser, Biography Winner for 'Prairie Fires'". bookcritics.org. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  4. Johnson, Christen A. (August 23, 2018). "Ron Chernow, George Saunders and Caroline Fraser win 2018 Tribune literary prizes". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved November 14, 2020.