Sarah Miller (1) (1979–)

I loved the Little House on the Prairie books when I was a child and when I received Caroline by Sarah Miller as a Christmas gift a few years ago, I was intrigued by the thought of reading about the Ingalls family again but from an adult’s perspective. Unfortunately, I placed the book on my shelf and promptly forgot about it. I finally pulled it down the other day and I thoroughly enjoyed this reworking of a beloved story.

The book opens as the Ingalls family is packing up and leaving Wisconsin for the Kansas prairie. Caroline supports her husband but feels some uncertainties and is saddened by leaving family and friends behind. The author describes the difficulty in choosing what to take and what to leave, the long journey west, at times tedious and others, difficult and dangerous. Pioneer life is hard, especially as Caroline is pregnant but she grows to love her new home. She and Charles work hard to transform this new land into a place where her family can grow and flourish.

Although the author made some changes to the story, sticking closer to the actual historical record, I was totally captivated by Caroline. This is a story of love, survival and family that vividly recaptures the past and shows Caroline Ingalls as the complex wife, mother and woman that she most certainly was.… (meer)

3.5 stars

This is a fictional account of a young Annie Sullivan (20-years old) who shows up to teach deaf and blind Helen Keller in the late 1800s. It is told from Annie’s point of view, as she tries to get through to a stubborn, tantrum-filled, overindulged 6-year old who cannot see nor hear.

This is fairly short and ends only after about a month of Annie living with the Kellers, just after the well-known breakthrough of spelling water on Helen’s hand to try to get her to understand. Assuming it stayed fairly accurate to true life, the parents and family of Helen sure didn’t help, as they just gave in her tantrums, feeling badly because she was unable to understand why they might deny her what she wanted. It’s short (meant as YA, I think), but it has definitely made me want to read more, probably nonfiction. I liked that there was a broad continuation at the end of the book that quickly explained more of Helen and Annie’s lives together. Because Annie did stay with Helen (though she also got married) for the rest of her (Annie’s) life.… (meer)