…For all that they are fiction, and children’s fiction at that, I admit that much of what I truly, deeply understand and love about American history and character comes from my early childhood reading and rereading of these books: frontier politics, American self-reliance, homesteading, the near-religious fervor for fairness and honesty … Everything I learned later about American history somehow fit into the context of my profound love of these books.
From a recent L.A. Times monthly column, Sonia Bolle’s “Word Play,” on the appeal of the Little House books. It’s a pretty decent read.