The Long Winter By Laura Ingalls Wilder When the old Indian warns of a bad winter to come, Laura's Pa moves the family to the town, but even there the blizzards rage and food begins to run out. An amazing tale by the author of 'Little House on the Prairie'. Illustrated by Garth Williams. ISBN-13: 9780718805203 Specifications: 196x122mm, 252pp, Hardback with b&w illustrations Price: £12.50 • US$25.00 Publication: December 1987 Order this Title Now

About this Book

The old Indian's warning said the coming winter would be hard and long, so Laura's father moved his family from the claim to his house in town. The claim shanty wasn't strong enough to keep out blizzards, and if they were snowed up there, far from help, they might freeze or starve. The shops in town were full of supplies; and if their stocks ran out, the trains would bring more.

But when winter came, the blizzards raged and screamed over the town. When Laura woke in the mornings, she heard the terrifying noise of the storm, and every nail in the planks above her head was thick with frost. There were no trains. Soon there was no oil for the lamps, no fuel for the stove. Laura's family lived on coarse brown bread, made from corn ground in the little coffee mill. They burnt hay; and Ma made a button lamp that gave a tiny light.

It was May before the snow melted, and the first train got through. On it was the Ingalls' Christmas turkey, still frozen stiff. What a dinner that was!

Reviews and Comments

"Perhaps the most impressive of these vivid and memorable narratives."
Times Literary Supplement

About the Author

Laura Elizabeth Ingalls was born in Wisconsin in 1867, and grew up in Dakota, where her pioneer father, Charles Ingalls, brought his family. She married Almanzo Wilder in 1887, and they eventually settled in Missouri, where half a century later, encouraged by her daughter Rose (herself a highly successful author), she began writing the stories of her childhood and girlhood which were to make her famous. Many years after her death, her books remain popular, and her home is still visited by many admirers who grew up with them.

Other titles available by Laura Ingalls Wilder:
The First Four Years