Laura Ingalls Wilder is one of the great American storytellers. Millions of people in the United States and beyond have read her “Little House” books. Beloved by many, her writing has stood the test of time. But her own words about her own life—her autobiography—have been hidden in repositories and archives, accessible only to those who know . . . until now. The Pioneer Girl Project is dedicated to the process of researching and publishing a comprehensive edition of Pioneer Girl, Laura Ingalls Wilder’s autobiography.
Nancy Tystad Koupal, director of the South Dakota State Historical Society Press. She tells NPR's Melissa Block that the initial print run of 15,000 was snapped up in just a few weeks. So was an additional run of 15,000 more copies. Now, the historical society is waiting on a third run of 45,000 books — enough to fill current demand and have some leftovers.
"This book offers an opportunity to get behind the scenes and see what that life was really like," Koupal says. Like the time that Wilder was caring for a woman and found herself in a compromised position with the woman's husband. "The young man was drunk and came into her bedroom and she challenged him and he left. So it was — I would suppose you'd say — a near miss."
