These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder

First published: 1943; illustrated

Type of work: Historical fiction

Themes: Coming-of-age, family, and friendship

Time of work: The late nineteenth century

Recommended Ages: 10-13

Locale: DeSmet, South Dakota

Principal Characters:

• Laura Ingalls, a sensitive, caring, determined, and dedicated girl, who has grown up on the prairies of the frontier
• Almanzo Wilder, bachelor farmer, who shows interest in and concern for Laura and who eventually becomes her husband
• Charles (Pa) Ingalls, Laura’s “jack-of-all-trades” father, whose influence on her for strength and guidance is a mainstay in her life
• Caroline (Ma) Ingalls, Laura’s mother and role model
• Mary Ingalls, Laura’s older sister, who attends a school for the blind in Iowa
• Carrie Ingalls, Laura’s younger sister
• Grace Wilder, Laura’s youngest sister
• Mrs. Brewster, a bitter, despondent farmer’s wife, with whom Laura lives while teaching in her first school
• Mr. Brewster, Mrs. Brewster’s farmer husband

The Story

These Happy Golden Years opens on a sunny winter morning on the prairies of South Dakota, with the protagonist, Laura, on her way to her first teaching position in a nearby settlement twelve miles from town and her home. During her ride in the open sleigh with her father, she expresses her concerns and fears to him about teaching. As they near the house in which she will stay, she begins to realize that life as she knew it is about to change. Once she enters the house, she is confronted with a family that is quite unlike the one she has known. Thus, Laura begins to make her transition from childhood to adulthood. Although she can understand the bitterness and hostility in the Brewster home, she cannot help but reflect upon the uniqueness and specialness of her own home and family. Yet this experience is merely the beginning of her growth and reflection.

As she begins her first day as teacher in the one-room school, she is confronted with children who are reluctant to learn and eager to challenge her. She must now begin the process of gaining their trust and respect. When she returns at night to the Brewsters’ house, she is faced with the misery and frustration of a woman who despises her life and living conditions; her infant son, who is neglected and unhappy; and her husband, whose only concern is survival for the family. To help her cope, she devotes all of her time to her studies in an effort to keep pace with her classmates back in town and remembers that her employment will allow her sister Mary to continue to attend a school for the blind in Iowa.

As her first week drags on, she comes to the realization that the twelve-mile trip there and back is too difficult for horses to make during this time of year. She is confronted with the fact that she will be confined with this family for two months and begins to fear the coming days. As school ends on the last day of her first week, she hears sleigh bells and looks to see two familiar horses pass the window. They belong to Almanzo Wilder. Thus begins the weekend trips to and from town with him and the beginning of a cautious relationship and another transition in her life.

Throughout the eight weeks of her employment, she gains confidence in herself as a teacher and begins to respect and appreciate Almanzo and his concern for her. More important, she gains new insights into the significance and closeness of her family and their dependence on one another. When she returns home, she notices the details of the touches her mother adds to the house and the love and caring that are reflected in the music of the fiddle and the words of the songs her father sings with them.

As she develops into her womanhood, she grows into a relationship with Almanzo that, in her independent way, she at first denies. Her free spirit and independence remain an important part of her character and an integral part of his attraction to her. Upon his eventual proposal, she is most concerned as to whether he will want her to “promise to obey” him. Their Sunday drives in his sleigh or buggy (depending on the time of year) eventually bring her to the realization that he is indeed someone special to her. She is torn between her commitment to and deep love for her family and her desire for a life with Almanzo but realizes that maturing and growing away is part of life, and she willingly looks forward to their life together.

Context

These Happy Golden Years is the last “complete” book written by Laura Ingalls Wilder in a series. Although The First Four Years (1971) was written as a sequel to this novel, it was never finished by her for publication but was instead released after her death. In essence, These Happy Golden Years marks the end of her truly happy and idyllic childhood as portrayed by the series. Her life immediately following her marriage was fraught with hardships. Drought, crop failure, sickness that eventually left Almanzo permanently lame, the death of her infant son, and the destruction of their house by fire finally forced them to move. She did, however, have a daughter, Rose, who eventually became a writer herself and encouraged Wilder to write an account of her childhood.

The Wilders were eventually to settle near Mansfield, Missouri, where they were content to farm. Her success with farming and her ability to express herself in writing led to her first published article in the Missouri Ruralist in 1911. One year later, she became the editor of the home section for the magazine and a contributing author to other recognized national publications.

The “Little House” books stand alone for their portrayal of family life in the expanding American West during the late 1800’s. Her characters, though flawed and each with his or her own peculiar weakness, demonstrate the strength of character and determination that helped the pioneers to survive and eventually conquer the frontier. The writing in These Happy Golden Years is an example of Wilder’s direct, uncluttered, and simple style that reflects the direct, uncluttered, and simple lives of the time. This style not only adds to the force of the book but also makes it accessible to readers who are just learning to tackle writing of this length. The book’s topic and content parallel the initial studies of the westward expansion in the school curriculum, thus potentially making both the study and the reading more meaningful. Finally, These Happy Golden Years is a satisfying conclusion to the series in presenting the successful transition of Laura Ingalls from childhood to adulthood.

Bibliography

Anderson, William. “The Literary Apprenticeship of Laura Ingalls Wilder.” South Dakota History 13 (Winter, 1983): 285-331.

Erisman, Fred. Laura Ingalls Wilder. Boise, Idaho: Boise State University Press, 1994.

Mac Bride, Roger Lea. New Dawn on Rocky Ridge. Illustrated by David Gilleece. New York: HarperCollins, 1997.

Spaeth, Janet. Laura Ingalls Wilder. Boston: Twayne, 1987.

Walner, Alexandra. Laura Ingalls Wilder. New York: Holiday House, 1997.