Back in May (the 24th) I mentioned that the American frontier was a busy place ... further proof of that may be found in Prairie Fever: British Aristocrats in the American West 1830 - 1890, by Peter Pagnamenta. They came for sport (hunting the bison), they came for opportunity (second and third sons, etc.). Some stayed just for the hunt, arriving with a lot of money (and some very surprised valets), some tried farming or a business venture and failed (mostly because they were more interested in recreating the fox hunt or polo), and some came and stayed. This is an interesting and sometimes humorous book on how the Brits saw the frontier, and how the American frontiersman saw them.

For younger readers, and a mix of fiction and non-fiction, there are the Little House books, by Laura Ingalls Wilder, of course. While I did read these books, and even watched a few episodes of the popular TV show, I was not as big a fan as many others.

The author of The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost Wold of Little House on the Prairie, however, was! Wendy McClure came to them 'late' (only because she was born when she was) in that she read them as paperbacks, the ones with the yellow covers, not the hardcover books I remember. She felt an association with Laura that would last well into her adult years. At some point she (and then her husband) planned vacations to visit the places where the books had taken place. Some are recreated villages and houses, there are festivals, and so on. The author found a butter churn and made her own butter, and tried many of the recipes from the books. Some times interesting, some times a bit of a slog, I think a more serious fan would enjoy it this book.

Constant Reader reminded me of a recommendation from a few years ago: Confessions of a Prairie Bitch, by Alison Arngrim. Allsion had a terrible childhood ... oblivious parents, an abusive brother (who gave her various drugs), bullied at school, and, at that time, no one to tell. Starting at a young age, she played the most hated character on the TV series Little House On the Prairie and was often treated as if she WAS this person by fans. The years on the set protected her from the earlier memories but when she left the show they all came flooding back. Good friends, a good therapist and her stand-up comedy act were all part of a healing process. What emerged was a strong, confident woman, happily married, who does charity work with the AIDS Project Los Angeles and the National Association to Protect Children. Witty, charming and humorous, this is an amazing read.

For obvious reasons I find myself humming "Home on the Range" ....

Reading Hermit With Dog