Caroline audiobook

One of the first books I read when I had learned how to read well enough to read a chapter book was Little House in the Big Woods. All these years later, I can still remember that I got the book for free at school (R.I.F. day!). I carried it all the way home after school just staring at the cover with the picture of a happy family in a log cabin on it. That book started a life-long love of anything Laura Ingalls Wilder.....the thought of being a pioneer girl, living on the prairie, watching Pa build the house.....it all seemed magical. I never once thought about what it might be like for Ma and Pa Ingalls. As a girl, I just focused on the lovely children's stories told from Laura's perspective. Sarah Miller revists the Ingalls family, telling the story from Caroline Ingalls' perspective. The life of a pioneer family from an adult's view is still magical.....but also harsh, frightening and unforgiving.Caroline recounts the story of the Ingalls' move from Wisconsin to the Indian Territory in Kanasas by covered wagon. It mirrors the tale from Little House on the Prairie, but this time the story is told by Ma, not Laura. Caroline is pregnant and afraid there won't be a woman to help her when it comes time for the baby to be born. She has to bear the stress of the lurching wagon, life on the trail, managing the food supplies and cooking in a moving wagon, keeping the girls occupied, helping Charles with the wagon & horses, helping build their first cabin......I never considered what a hard life it would have been for a mother making a long trek by wagon after leaving her entire family behind. Especially pregnant and not knowing if there would be help for her at the end of the journey. I really enjoyed this book! Christmas with Mr. Edwards. Losing & finding Jack, the dog. Building the log cabin. The family being sick with ague. All the events from Little House on the Prairie....just another side. The tale is sometimes joyous....other times sad. But, that's life,right? The story presents the married/husband side of Pa, too. Caroline supports her husband and is strong for him, even when he makes mistakes. Just a lovely story. Miller did take a few liberties with historical fact, but outlines the few changes she made in the back of the book. It was nothing that made me cringe....little things to keep the continuity. I highly recommend this to anyone who grew up loving the Little House books! Be prepared to get a bit teary eyed a couple of times.....and I even had a few eyerolls when the prose got just a bit too sappy....but all in all, a wonderful read. There are a couple sexual situations -- nothing graphic or inappropriate. Married couples have sex -- even Ma and Pa Ingalls. It's tastefully done, and not in any way traumatizing. But, I would recommend parental guidance before allowing children to read the book. Adults might want to read the book first....and make an informed decision before allowing those under 13 to read it. I was sad momentarily when I read the last page -- I didn't want it to be over! I have the Little House books on my shelf....I need to re-read them! I also have a couple seasons of the 1970's tv show on DVD. I feel a binge watch coming on!

If you love this one, be sure to check out Sarah Miller's "Little Women" novel: Marmee.The Little House books are legendary, so Sarah Miller was very brave to step in that territory with a new perspective -- Caroline's. She nailed it. Now that I also have lived the life of a wife and mother, I loved this book every bit as much as I did the original series. It was clear that Miller did extensive research so she could give this book more depth than the series and make it worthy of adult consumption.Highly recommended for grownup fans of the Little House books.

4.5/5The book begins in 1870, as Pa and Ma, Mary and Laura are leaving the woods of Wisconsin for the prairie of Kansas. If you’re like me and Ingalls-obsessed, then you likely know the bulk of the story as Laura Ingalls Wilder wrote it, but Author Sarah Miller has mixed the fiction that we know from the Wilder’s Little House books and real-life fact based on research to show us this portion of their tale thru Caroline’s eyes. Caroline’s perspective on this trip is everything. Caroline, as the mother and wife, was the glue that held this family together.Right away, we get to witness Ma’s perspective on leaving behind her beloved family and her large support group of women in Wisconsin – this broke my heart a little and opened my eyes to the differences in Ma Ingalls’ story versus how I always assumed she was just as excited about the trip as Pa and Laura. We witness what it was like for Caroline to ride in a wagon for an extended period of time (over approximately-700 miles – can you imagine doing that as a pregnant woman?) and then we experience along with her the nerves that she felt when they finally got to “Indian Territory.” (As many of us know, Ma had feelings of racism and fear toward Native Americans, and that is evident in this book as well since it was part of her life.)Some of my favorite scenes from the Ingalls Family’s story are included, only now from Caroline’s perspective, and I couldn’t help but smile while I was reading. Some favorites of mine are when Caroline helped Charles build their home once they arrived in Kansas (yes, still pregnant!), how she helped Charles rescue their neighbor from the well (still pregnant!), and how Caroline felt about a stranger coming to assist her during childbirth with Carrie because there was no one else, unlike the large community of women they left back in Wisconsin. I loved these moments so much in this book.It is wonderful to be able to experience Caroline’s grief over leaving Wisconsin turn into joy at the bounty and hope of their new home in Kansas. I believe that the feelings that Caroline experienced were very normal and real, and I can say this because I’ve experience somewhat similar feelings over large moves before, except the circumstances are clearly not the same. Caroline’s emotions are very in line with what ours are today despite the difference in time period, and I love being able to finally learn this about her. I love how strong and real she is, yet also vulnerable to many of the same feelings and issues that women are today. Whether she is a favorite character or not, I think she is very relatable since we have her perspective; I personally adored getting to put myself in Caroline’s unique position as she had to make that long wagon trip and start up her new home on the frontier.I cannot stress exactly how much Caroline by Sarah Miller is a true treat. After reading the Laura-centric Little House books, I feel like that children’s historical series is also almost an adventure-series. This book has a quieter pacing, and it is very nice. This book very much carries the perspective of an adult-Caroline who was valued as the center of the home, who was beloved by Charles, who knew she had very little privacy with her husband but took advantage of that time anyway. Caroline was a wise women, and independent, and she had her own thoughts. She knew when she needed to share them, and when it was best to just lead her family by example.I love the familiarity of the setting, the people, and things like Pa’s fiddle, the shepherdess, the delaine. If you’re already familiar with the Ingalls’ story, then you’ll smile when you read about these things too. If this is your first time reading anything-Ingalls, I hope that one thing you take away from this is that the author has obviously researched well and loves this subject matter. I should point out, just to be clear, that this story is historical fiction but that it is based on tons of research. The Author’s Note is exceptionally interesting.As for me personally, there is always a little bit of trepidation when I start a book that I’ve anticipated so heavily. Will it hold up to my hopes? Once I read just a few pages into this one, I realized that I didn’t need to worry at all. Caroline by Sarah Miller is one that I’ll be rereading over and over, just like other Ingalls-related stuff that I often revisit. In fact, I’ve already purchased the audiobook for a reread/listen.This is another book that I’ve made room for on my top shelf, and I would have gladly kept reading if this book had more pages.I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. Thank you, William Morrow Books!Find this review and more like it on my blog, Into the Hall of Books!

This tells the story of Caroline, Ma from the Little House on the Prairie books starting at the point where Charles tells Caroline he has had an offer on the little house and land in Wisconsin. And then comes the second part of the plan. Taking the still young Mary and Laura, they will leave Caroline’s brother’s family and other relatives and head for Kansas to settle. The impact of this move ion Caroline is apparent. Leaving family and all that is familiar is a huge wrench for her, but she loves her husband deeply and knows this is his dream.From the first page I was absorbed into this story. The writing is beautiful. I loved the opening which compares the movement of Caroline’s crochet hook to the movement of the fiddle bow. I loved the insights into Caroline. I never read the Little House books as a child. My only knowledge comes from the TV show which we watched regularly with our children. So to have a deeper understanding of Caroline, the problems she and Charles and the family face and see her feelings about the move and all that happened after, is lovely. It is not a novel full of action but a gentle reflective novel, although there were some scenes that made me catch my breath. It is obvious a lot of research has gone into it and it shows in the descriptions, the daily scenes, the hardships of life on the land and the dangers and attitudes of the time. Some scenes had me teary or fondly remembering scenes from the TV show. I am not one who usually enjoys sex scenes as they are often clumsy and graphic. In this book that aspect is tastefully handled. It shows two people whose love for each other is paramount, making love not just having sex. This book, is not for children as some daily life scenes are harsh, but for adults who want a deeper understanding of love, marriage, working together and following a dream. I rarely will read a book written by someone else that picks up on characters from another author’s work, so I was unsure how I would respond to this. But something about the cover drew me in. I adored it from start to finish and am very glad I chose to read it. It is a book for those who want to settle in to a beautifully written thoughtful read, with well researched setting and a character driven novel. As far as I am concerned this is a highly recommended read that was a treat to read.

I just love a good retelling, and I love good historical fiction! I can't believe how much detail I remembered from my frequent rereading of the Little House series as a kid, since it's been probably 25 years. The events of Little House on the Prairie from Ma's perspective are illuminating, especially since she's so often portrayed as the stern but loving authority figure in contrast to Pa's fun personality. I wish there'd been a little more tension in the presentation of her stifled feelings, but I liked that the book didn't try to flip their relationship on its head. Similarly, the racist underbelly of the Little House books is really nicely incorporated into the story without dominating completely. But above all, the setting is the book's star. I could feel the cracking of ice on Lake Pepin and the sweeping grasses of the prairie.

I've a confession to make: I'm a 42 year old man who loves football, swords 'n' sorcery fantasy, and Laura Ingalls Wilder.I've probably read the Little House books dozens of times. My favorite is THE LONG WINTER, and that single volume was probably one of the biggest reasons why I wrote AFTER EVERYONE DIED.When I saw a book blurb on a Harper-Collins mailer about a novel called CAROLINE, and saw that it was about the Ingalls family's move from Pepin, Wisconsin to the Kansas Indian Territories, I was intrigued. This was a novel written for adults from the perspective of Caroline Ingalls, the family matriarch, and how she and Charles moved to Kansas with two young girls, while she was pregnant with her third. The book was a fascinating and insightful look at a a woman who doesn't get too much depth in the books (Laura's love for her father is evident often, but Ma is a steadfast icon in the background, kind and nurturing, but never really a deep character). I have the utmost respect for Charles and Caroline and how they handled their moves across the prairie, helping to settle this country. To really get inside Caroline's head was a wonderful treat for a fan of the Little House books.Sarah Miller really dives deep on Caroline, bringing up the historical facts of her own childhood (losing her own father at age five and being raised by a stepfather) to process the relationships she saw between Charles and the girls. She really examines the relationship between Caroline and Charles, a very tight, loving relationship that any couple would envy.All in all, it's a really interesting piece of historical fiction that I found riveting. It was nice to see the pieces of Laura's LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE show up in this book from Caroline's perspective--things like Mr. Edwards meeting Santa Claus, and the building of the home in Kansas with Mr. Edwards' help, and the malaria outbreak that nearly killed the Ingalls family. Laura was relegated to a squawky child in the background, while Mary was more of a focus for Caroline. Even in Laura's books, Laura was Pa's kid, and Mary was Caroline's.If you're a fan of the Little House books, I'd recommend giving this one a go. You might enjoy it.Having said all that, this is one of those books that I both loved and hated. I loved everything I saw that I wrote about above. Miller is clearly a good writer, and she has a love for the material. Her prose is elegant and vivid most of the time.The things I hated are based wholly on my own tastes and opinions, not anything empirical. For instance, Miller's prose--to my mind--is often overwrought. Obviously, this being a major publication from Harper-Collins, it was edited by at least one or two editors who had no problem with this prose. It feels as though it fits Caroline's personality. It is a similar voice to how Laura wrote the initial books, and given that it's directed at adults and not children, the extra wordiness of the prose can be forgiven, but I found myself rolling my eyes at times.One of the biggest issues I had with the prose was the proliferation of similes. It felt like there was at least one heavy simile per page, so much so that I started getting angry at every one. They were obvious similes that tried to capture a voice from 1870, and sometimes they were forgivable, but many times they felt so obtuse and clunky that they took me out of the moment.Again, her editors seemed to have no issue with them, so this is purely my own editorial tastes in action. I'm not against similes. I use a lot of them, myself. But when they start battering down your door with obviousness, there's a problem.I enjoyed the story greatly. It was a welcomed perspective to a book series I love. Even with my own issues with the prose, I'd still give this one 5/5 stars. It was an enjoyable and readable book, just a little heavy-handed at times.

This was everything I wanted a Little House tie-in to be. It was faithful to original but also felt fresh and new. I loved hearing the familiar story from Ma's POV. Her bravery and her ability to make a home anywhere is Inspiring. And her self doubts made her more realistic and human.One of my favourite books this year.

I was fortunate to receive an ARC from the publisher for Caroline: Little House Revisited. Sarah Miller does an admirable job of deftly weaving her story into a smooth fabric befitting of the events portrayed in the novel Little House on the Prairie. Miller's book reveals a more intimate view from Caroline's perspective. She elaborates on her pain, passion, impatience, fear, relief, and joy. Miller captures the voice of Caroline in a sympathetic tone that only enhances the narrative. Her descriptions are very good, especially of the creek crossing, childbirth, and the beauty of nature.Caroline is the linchpin of the family, the anchor to Charles' wanderlust and Miller keenly displays that role in this novel. It's a good addition to the ever growing list of books associated with the Little House series, both fiction and fact.

Straight up a must read for any grown up Little House fan. This book did not disappoint! Caroline is told through the perspective of Ma and it starts right where Little House in the Big Woods ends. We saw Laura's carefree nature, Pa's strong unwavering love, Caroline's fears about giving birth in the plains with no other females around to assist her. This goes into more detail about the little things that readers always wondered but never knew, how the family went to the bathroom on the road, how childbirth went on the prairie, how the house was built, what was really going on with the Indians. It beautifully ties in with the series and lends an adult viewpoint to the stories we love so well. I would love to see more books that feature Caroline as an adult narrator, this was lovely!

Little House on the Prairie retold from Ma's perspective. I was really nervous to read this book because retelling a beloved classic could have gone off the rails easily, but I was pleasantly surprised by a magnificent, gentle, and honest adult version of the familiar tale. A vulnerable and human Ma made me love her all the more for her hardships and small victories that I could recognize as an adult and mother. This book was also surprisingly romantic. You could see from the original books that Ma and Pa had a good marriage, but this reinterpretation of their relationship from an adult perspective was lovely.

Caroline: Little House Revisited is the perfect book for a cold winter’s day. I couldn’t pull myself away from the story of the Ingalls family traveling from Wisconsin to Kansas through the winter of 1870. Caroline traveled with her husband, 2 daughters, Mary and Laura – ages 3 and 4 – and was pregnant with her 3rd child at the time. They traveled through the winter so they would be arriving by spring and be able to plant crops. The first half of the book focuses on their journey to Kansas. The second half tells about building their home and settling the land. They faced many dangers – Indians, wolves, illness, childbirth and prairie fires. Though Caroline was often terrified, she always felt like it was important to remain calm and brave so her daughters wouldn’t be afraid. Although Charles was a charming, kind and considerate husband, he was also a dreamer and wasn’t very good at managing their finances. I loved the Little House books as a child and revisiting an adult version was very pleasurable. I wish Sarah Miller would continue with the series.

I was lucky enough to obtain an ARC and I read it straight through. It was beyond words to be back in the Little House world and being submersed in it solely from Ma's point of view. I have read and re-read the entire Little House series, as well as every book and article outside the series that has been published about Laura Ingalls Wilder. Caroline: Little House, Revisited, remains true to the tone, atmosphere, history and legacy of the Little House series. Evocative and lush in detail, you will feel as if you are in the wagon traveling across the plains and living the reality of prairie life right along with Caroline, Charles, Mary, Laura and Baby Carrie.Little House fans will not be disappointed!

When you grow up identifying with Laura as strongly as I did, reading about Ma and Pa having sex is just about as horrifying as walking in on your parents.But otherwise, I loved this reimagining of LHOP from Caroline's perspective. All of the details that made the originals so precious to me as a girl are similarly entrancing as an adult: the salt pork, the patty cakes, the 5 million steps it took to do a simple task. Seeing it all through Ma's eyes, even an entirely imagined version, was a lot of fun.