Laura Ingalls Wilder: Prairie to Page (2020)

Born in 1867 within the confines of a log cabin nestled in the woods bordering the grand Mississippi River, Laura Ingalls Wilder began her humble life in Pepin, Wisconsin, the setting that would inspire her renowned "Little House in the Big Woods". Her life embarked on a journey of constant migration at the tender age of two, venturing into the untamed lands of Kansas, the backdrop for "Little House on the Prairie", and later returning to Wisconsin. Her family's nomadic life continued, moving to a subterranean dwelling on the banks of the Plum Creek near Walnut Grove, Minnesota, before finally settling in DeSmet, South Dakota for her father's railroad job in 1879. Laura's life was a tapestry of experiences, from starting a teaching career at a young age of just under 16 to marrying Almanzo Wilder, a man twelve years her senior. Life was not kind in the early years of her marriage, plagued by crop failures and health issues. Eventually, they found solace in the serene confines of Mansfield, Missouri. Struggling with finances, her daughter Rose, an accomplished writer, urged Laura to pen her adventures, believing they had the potential to fetch a good price from publishers. Laura's first manuscript, "Pioneer Girl", was met with rejection but came with a silver lining - a suggestion to rewrite it for a younger audience. Thus, the seed for the Little House series was planted. Rose played a paramount role in the successful metamorphosis of Laura's autobiography into a children's series, a fact that remained shrouded in secrecy until letters surfacing between the two revealed the truth. The first in the series was published when Laura was 65, marking the beginning of her celebrated journey as an author that immortalized the American frontier's expansion into the Midwest. The movie, Laura Ingalls Wilder: Prairie to Page, presents an engaging exploration of her life, from the prairies to the printed page.

Laura Ingalls Wilder: Prairie to Page is a documentary movie featuring Tess Harper and directed by Mary McDonagh Murphy.

Laura Ingalls Wilder: Prairie to Page is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy.

It is also possible to buy Laura Ingalls Wilder: Prairie to Page on Amazon Video.