Guest post by Dr. Laura McLemore Céad míle fáilte I have to tell you people that it is very difficult to write about blizzards as I am sitting only a few hundred feet from the Alabama coastline.  And before I…

Guest post by Karen Witham After the dreariness of the last chapter, “Fair Weather” opens with the blizzard over but the after-effects lingering. The lack of a train is beginning to strike a somber note, and while Mary is her…

Guest post by Erin Blakemore Now it starts to get GOOD, people.  And by good, of course I mean bad, because to Laura it’s not even worth the effort to get up in the morning (sacrilege to a group of…

While you have been discussing the chapters of The Long Winter, Dr. Laura stated that another family lived with the Ingalls during that winter. I have not heard that information before and would love to know more about this fact.…

Guest post by Laura McLemore This is a relatively short chapter and serves as bit of reprieve from the tension of the story.  In this chapter, the blizzard of the previous days has subsided.  Laura is awakened suddenly.  She lies…

Guest post by Susan Barton Malphurs Another bone-chilling sunrise, more ravaging winds with “wild voices,” yet Pa sings. He calls to Caroline that he is headed to the barn, but the fires are going. Ma advises the girls to remain…

I have to restrain myself from starting this post in my finest Dickensian style: “Alone: In which the family begins to speculate about how MUCH trouble they’re in, and how truly dire this winter will be.” We open this chapter…

Guest post by Susan Hundt This chapter gives us an enticing glimpse of Almanzo and Royal’s day-to-day life, as well as some depth to Almanzo as a character as his adult back story is introduced to readers for the first…