1976, 1977 Avon edition
Donald Zochert
Laura: The Life of Laura Ingalls Wilder
Original price $2.50, purchase price unknown
Very worn paperback
C+
At the time this book came out, the Little House TV-series had been on for a couple years, so perhaps not surprisingly the Laura on the front cover looks like Melissa Gilbert, although the rest of the family doesn't resemble the people on the show or real life. It's the back cover that will make you do a double-take, since grown-up Laura is wearing a shirt unbuttoned to the waist, with a bodice underneath, as she and Almanzo eye each other.
As for the content of the book, Zochert does fill in a bit of the parts of Laura's life that her books didn't cover, but the last chapter spans over 70 years, and surely he could've gone into more detail on her adulthood. I didn't see the point into discussing which neighbors lived where, especially those who appear hardly or not at all in the books. It is interesting that Nellie Oleson is a composite of two snooty town girls (who were actually rivals). But mostly Zochert is either rehashing the books or adding unimportant details. Also, his style is off, not quite for children or adults, and I swear he twice on one page says that 1876 was the Centennial Year.
Still, it's a quick, light read and the eight pages of photos are good.
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