Book Synopsis The beloved author of the Little House books was not only one of
America's great pioneer storytellers but a woman of vibrant faith.
A Prairie Girl's Faith provides
the first extended, in depth discussion of the Christian faith of one
of America's most beloved pioneer women--Laura Ingalls Wilder. Although
the faith of the Ingalls' family pervades books in the Little House
series, the more specific details of Laura's faith have never been fully
explored. It took extraordinary pluck for anyone to survive the
harshness of frontier life--from the heartbreak of sudden crop losses to
murderous storms to unrelenting loneliness. This book reveals how in
surviving, the brave Laura drew not just on her character, but found
encouragement, strength, and hope in her relationship with God. My Review A Prairie Girl's Faith: The Spiritual Legacy of Laura Ingalls Wilder has a unique focus on the faith of Laura Ingalls Wilder, as a person and a writer. The book also looks at faith as it is presented in the beloved Little House on the Prairie book series. I have been a great fan of the Little House series since childhood, and was intrigued by this book from first mention. It far surpassed my expectations. The writing by Stephen Hines is lively and engaging, with many anecdotes I have not read before -- and specific examples of faith from the books. Topics covered in this book include the Ingalls family, the relationship of Laura and her husband Almanzo, Laura and her daughter Rose, the writing of the Little House books, and more. Stephen Hines posits: "Throughout the eight original titles there are, in the foreground, references to Scripture, hymns, and prayer -- to a daily life that experienced the reality of God" (p. 5). He then gives many detailed and fascinating examples of faith in the books. One example is songs in the books. There are at least 126 songs mentioned in the Little House books, and a number of these are hymns and spirituals. This book looks at music in the Little House books in detail. The Ingalls family originally belonged to a Congregational church, but since that denomination was not as prevalent on the frontier, the family (who moved several times) also actively attended a Methodist congregation. As someone who believes in ecumenical Christianity, I loved this passage: "There was a great spirit of ecumenicism in those days, and the Congregationalists generously shared their building with the Methodists and the Baptists until they could build their own houses of worship. Once they did, Episcopal services were sometimes held at the Baptist church. And when the Catholic church burned down, it received help and the offer of a meeting place from other churches in town" (p. 172). There was a good deal of information about Laura Ingalls Wilder's early writing in The Ruralist and other publications. I found this fascinating, especially as it tied into her development as a writer. The author does discuss the sometimes delicate relationship between Laura and Rose, and their work together. He directly addresses Rose's involvement in the writing process. There is a lovely section about Christmas stories in the Little House books, and the Christmas music featured in these stories. I found the details about Christmas music over the years very interesting. A Prairie Girl's Faith also has a section of The Church Potluck. This section features a number of recipes from friends of the Ingalls family. Anyone who has an interest in food history, as I do, will love this section of the book. There are a couple of Appendixes in the book. One featured a fascinating interview with Laura's friend Neta Seal. I loved the glimpse of Laura's later life that was shown in this interview. There is a lovely anecdote about Laura and Almanzo's dog Ben:
"They always had bulldogs after I got acquainted with them . . .
Here's a funny little story about the dog. He had a boil on his jaw; and when it went to hurting him so bad, he'd come in and lay his head in her lap and look up as if he was saying, 'Can you do anything for me?' Then she would get some salve and rub it on his jaw. When that was done, he would go back and lay down. Finally, it was healed. Mrs. Wilder - I always called her Mrs. Wilder - didn't even have a dog after he [Almanzo] went away" (p. 177). I highly recommend A Prairie Girl's Faith for anyone who has an interest in Laura Ingalls Wilder's life and work. It is a richly rewarding read.
Author Bio Stephen Hines is a recognized authority on Laura Ingalls Wilder and has
authored several best-selling volumes on her life, including Little House in the Ozarks.
He grew up in the midwest in an area where Wilder once lived. Hines was
the founding Director of Communications for the Tennessee Department of
Children’s Services and has held several editorial positions in
magazine, newspaper, and book publishing. The author is a contributor
to www.littlehouseontheprairie.com. He lives with his wife, Gwen, in
Nashville, Tennessee. I received a copy of this book from Blogging for Books.
Dear Friends, I am happy to visit with you again today. A couple of friends have mentioned the movie The Incredible Journey. I have not seen this film, but it sounded interesting, so I looked into it to share with you.
The Incredible Journey was a 1963 live action Disney movie. It starred two dogs - a Retriever and a Bull Terrier - and a Siamese cat. They were on vacation with their family and they got lost. The movie is about their journey home. The pets are named Luauth (Labrador Retriever), Bodger (Bull Terrier), and Tao (kitty). The movie is filmed in the Canadian wilderness.
Trivia -- the kitty from this movie, Syn Cat, also appeared in the Disney movie That Darn Cat! More Trivia - the movie was later remade as Homeward Bound. More on that in an upcoming blog post! Here is an old fashioned movie trailer for The Incredible Journey: Have you seen this movie or the remake Homeward Bound? I would love to hear from you about this, or any other favorite dog movies, in the comments, below. Love, Abby xoxoxo
My Review Scone Cold Killer is a cozy mystery about Gia Morelli, who moves to a small town in Florida to escape her past in New York City. While she is setting up a new restaurant, the All Day Breakfast Cafe, she discovers her ex-husband dead in the dumpster just out back. With the help of her best friend, Savannah, and Savannah's hunky detective cousin, Hunt, she sets out to find the killer and solve the mystery.
This is such a fun, fast paced mystery. It is lively and a quick, energetic read.
I really liked the character of Gia and enjoyed her acclimation to a new life in Florida. Savannah was a great friend and sidekick. There is even a hint of a possible future romance with Hunt. The book is wonderfully atmospheric. I loved the small town setting. I know and like the area where this is set (near Ocala, Florida) and that made the read even more enjoyable. The food descriptions were great and often made me hungry! I love grits (often discussed in this novel), although I prefer them the traditional deep south style (just butter - never sugar). The mystery is interesting, with several likely suspects, and it kept me guessing right up until the denouement. I already have the next book in this series on my Wish List. Scone Cold Killer is a terrific start to a new cozy series. I recommend it to other mystery fans!
Giveaway (3) Kindle Copy - Scone Cold Killer by Lena Gregory. Giveway ends 2/5. a Rafflecopter giveaway I received a copy of this book from Great Escapes Book Tours and Netgalley.
Book Synopsis Publication Date: October 9, 2017 BeWrite Press Paperback & eBook; 138 Pages Genre: Fiction/Historical/Jewish READ THE FIRST CHAPTER. It’s 1908 and Leah and her boys have immigrated to New York’s Lower
East Side to live with her brothers after surviving a pogrom in their
Russian village. She is determined to find a home in America but the
conditions are harsher than she expected. The garment sweat shops are
brutal to work in and it’s essential that her son Benny works after
school to help with expenses. Unbeknownst to her he runs errands for the
local bookie/gangster. Life isn’t what Leah hoped for, but she’s a
fighter and not willing to accept the awful conditions at Wollowitz’s
Factory. She’s on a journey to find her own voice, to find a place for
herself and her sons, to find a little beauty and romance in her life.
Author Bio Beverly Magid, before writing her novel, was a journalist and an
entertainment and celebrity PR executive, who interviewed many
luminaries, including John Lennon, Jim Croce and the Monty Python gang,
and as a publicist represented clients in music, tv and film, ranging
from Whoopi Goldberg, John Denver and Dolly Parton to Tom Skerritt,
Martin Landau, Kathy Ireland and Jacqueline Bisset. Beverly is a longtime west coast resident who still considers herself
a New Yorker. Among the social issues she’s passionate about is
literacy and she worked with KorehLA to mentor elementary children in
reading. Also she has been an advocate for Jewish World Watch, an
organization dedicated to working against genocide and to aid the
victims of war atrocities. On a lighter side, she is also a volunteer at
the Los Angeles Zoo, monitoring animal behavior for their Research
Department. She is a news and political junkie who supports environmental, animal
and human rights issues. She believes most passionately that “We must
remain vigilant to the those who would erode the rights of people around
the world and work to defeat them.” For more information, please visit Beverly Magid’s website. You can also find her on Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.
Giveaway
During the Book Blast we will be giving away a signed copy of WHERE DO I GO!
To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.
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Dear Friends, Today I am happy to introduce a new blog series about favorite dog movies. I asked readers for their favorite dog movies, and I will be blogging about movies that my friends mentioned here and on Facebook.
The Adventures of Milo and Otis is a movie that was mentioned several times. I have not ever seen this movie, but I enjoyed reading about it and learning more. This movie was about the special friendship of a kitten named Milo and a pug dog named Otis. They are great friends, but they are separated, and go on a journey to find their way back together.
This movie was in production in Japan for four years, and the original Japanese title translated to A Kitten's Story. The original movie was released in 1986, but Columbia Pictures re-edited the movie and shortened it, adding narration by actor Dudley Moore. It was a great success, both in Japan and in the United States. Here is the original trailer from this movie: The trailer was fun! I really like pug dogs and love stories about friendships between cats and dogs.
Have you seen The Adventures of Milo and Otis? Do you have other favorite dog movies you would like to see featured here in the future? I would love to hear from you in the comments, below. Thanks for visiting, and have a great day! Love, Abby xoxoxo
