I just posted a new survey for the month of July in the sidebar. This one asks if you've read Alison Arngrim's book, Confessions of a Prairie Bitch and what you thought of it. Feel free to expand your thoughts here.
After breakfast Pa took his gun and set out to look for those wolves. It was past noon before he returned and he was late for dinner. Ma kept his food warm in the oven. Stomping the snow from his boots he hung his gun back up over the door and then washed his face and hands. He apologized for being late and mentioned he had traveled further then he intended. Pa figured he traveled better then ten miles tracking those wolves. He went across the lake and found the tracks that the girls had made last night. On the high ground Pa discovered a wolves' den.
"Girls there were two big buffalo wolves at that den last night," Pa told them. He also mentioned it was an old den and they'd likely been living there for some years, but they hadn't been there this past winter. "They only took shelter there last night and from the time they left it this morning they never stopped. I followed them far enough to be sure I couldn't get a shot at them. They left for good," he assured them all. Laura was glad they got away.
"That isn't all Caroline," Pa announced. "I've got some news. I've found our homestead".
"Oh where Pa?" Laura, Mary and Carrie asked.
"It lies south of where the lake joins Big Slough. There's a rise in the prairie that will make a nice place to build. On the quarter section there's upland, hay and plow land lying to the south and good grazing on all of it. It's near a townsite too, so the girls can go to school". Ma was glad. "It's a funny thing, I'd been looking around the country for months and had it not been for chasing those wolves I likely wouldn't have come across it at all. I'll get out to Brookings and file on that claim next spring," Pa promised.
If you are looking for a book that is funny, irreverent, and courageous, look no further than Confessions of a Prairie Bitch by Alison Arngrim. In a style you come to expect from the woman who portrayed Nellie Oleson for many seasons on Little House on the Prairie, Arngrim shares her story from her childhood, the years she suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a relative, her years on Little House, and beyond. This is a woman who isn't shy about opening up, and you'll love her for it.
I found this great video clip a while back, which you'll find below. Watch this, and you'll pretty much know what to expect for Arngrim's writing style.
Confessions of a Prairie Bitch was a very enlightening read. I must live under a rock because I didn't know Arngrim came from a family of entertainers, nor did I know the identity of the person who abused her for years; both of which seem like fairly common knowledge.
Argrim provided a great deal of behind the scenes stuff and spoke of many of her co-stars. I wish she had been a bit kinder to Melissa Sue Anderson, but overall, I didn't feel she exposed any horrible or damaging secrets. She spoke lovingly of her time on the set, and shared how portraying Nellie helped her deal with the problems at home. She also spent some time talking about the late Steve Tracy, who played her husband, Percival Dalton.
As a fan of the show, I have always felt that Arngrim and Tracy had such wonderful on-screen chemistry. It is such a shame he passed away so young. Argrim speaks of that loss, Michael Landon's passing, her role as an AIDS activist, and her involvement in PROTECT.org.
I read Confessions of a Prairie Bitch in under a day. The minute it arrived, I opened it up, and I pretty much didn't stop reading until the kids cried of starvation. So, I tossed them a loaf of bread and some water and kept on reading. Just kidding. I didn't want to stop reading. I couldn't stop reading. As soon as I was done I was ready to read it again.
Alison Arngrim is a natural storyteller. I can see why her comedy act is so popular. If you're a fan of Little House on the Prairie, Nellie Oleson, Arngrim, or just want to read a hilarious book that you can't put down, pick up a copy of Confessions of a Prairie Bitch. You won't be sorry!
Title: Confessions of a Prairie Bitch Author: Alison Arngrim Publisher: HarperCollins ISBN: 978-0-06-196214-1 SRP: $25.99
She's been promoting the book for a while. There is word that she was on the Today show this morning. I haven't had time to check. If you're on Facebook or Twitter, you'll find Alison there too.
I'll share my thoughts on this book after I read it.
Lennon Parker of Prairiefans.com and Prairie Talk (LHOP forum), recently released an exclusive interview he performed with Melissa Anderson (Mary Ingalls, LHOP NBC).
They talk about her book, but she also shares some memories of the show and some of her favorite episodes.
You can read the interview at http://prairiefans.com/. There is a thread at Prairie Talk to discuss the interview.
I asked if you had read this autobiography. Surprisingly, most of those who voted didn't even know she had written a book. The two Melissas and Alison Arngrim writing books has been such the topic of conversation in our LHOP circles that I figured everyone must have heard about it by now. Silly me!
Most of the people who read the book said they loved it, but some didn't care for it. Others don't have plans to buy it. A couple of readers had the book on order when they voted.
This is certainly the year for Little House fans. The shipping date for Alison's book is listed on my order as June 21st, but I am hoping it will ship early. Out of the three, this is the one I wanted to read most.
Just in case you didn't know, Dean Butler has completed his Laura Ingalls Wilder documentary through the Legacy Documentaries brand of his production company, Peak Moore Enterprises, Inc. Some of my online chums met up with Dean this past weekend in Sioux Falls, SD, where he showed this documentary. They gave it two thumbs up! We'll keep you posted when we hear anything new on this.
My friends also got a chance to see Little House on the Prairie: The Musical while in Sioux Falls. To say I am extremely jealous would be an understatement.
I appreciate you taking the time to pop in here. I love talking about my favorite show and America's favorite pioneer.
