De Smet, South Dakota 1882 (- 1885). Weihnachten ist vorbei und Laura tritt mit ihrer frisch erworbenen Lehrerlaubnis ihre erste Stelle als Lehrerin in einer 12 Meilen entfernten kleinen Siedlung an. Gestern noch ein Schulmädchen, jetzt Lehrerin für zwei Monate. Laura kann es selber kaum glauben, dass sie morgen nicht mit ihrer Schwester zur Schule gehen wird, zumal sie es hasst zu unterrichten und nicht wirklich weiß, wie sie es anfangen soll. Sie hatte noch nie unterrichtet, und sie ist gerade mal 15 Jahre alt und für ihr Alter eher klein. Als wäre das Unterrichten nicht schlimm genug, die Schüler nicht teils größer und älter als sie, ist ihre Unterkunft eher ungemütlich. In der Familie Brewster herrscht unfrieden, Mrs Brewster ist ungkücklich und will zurück in den kultivierten Osten der USA und macht ihrem Mann das Leben schwer. Laura fühlt sich unwohl und gehemmt und sehnt sich nach jedem Wochenende daheim zu dem Almanzo Wilder sie mit seinem Schlitten abholt.Dieser letzte Band der Reihe, der noch zu Lauras Lebzeiten veröffentlicht wurde, beschreibt die Jahre 1882 bis 1885, also die Zeit, in welcher Almanzon um sie wirbt und mit ihr Schlitten- und Buggyfahrten unternimmt. Anders als in modernen Teenagerromanzen ist diese Zeit des Werbens aus heutiger Sicht eher nüchtern geschrieben. Ich habe mich die ganze Zeit gefragt, ob Laura überhaupt was für Almanzon empfindet. Es gibt keine großen Gefühle, sie ist mal unruhig und verwirrt über die eigenen Gefühle, wenn er nicht oder spät auftaucht, aber mehr ist da nicht. Laura wirkt in diesem Band zahm, teils fast leblos, also wenn sie von den Ereignissen überrollt wird oder Almanzo nur nimmt, um nicht mehr unterrichten zu müssen.Auch gestört hat mich Onkel Toms Siedlergeschichte, wie sie ausziehen, auf Indianergebeit ein Fort errichten und sich Ma aufregt, dass das Militär sie einfach vertrieben hat. Aus heutiger Sicht hätte man da noch deutlich härter durchgreifen sollen. Die Siedler haben einfach gemacht, was sie wollten und wunderten sich, dass keiner ihnen Applaudierte.Während die Autorin in den ersten Bänden jede Handlung, jeden Handgriff minutiös ermüdend detailreich beschrieb, sind es in diesem Band die verschiedenen Kleider, welche Stoffe, schnitte, Rüschen, Knöpfe, Stickereien… verwendet wurden. Vielleicht liegt es daran, dass sie die Familie jahrelang mit Schneiderarbeiten über Wasser hielt, mir waren das zu viele unwichtige Details zumal ich nicht wirklich firm bin, was die Mode um 1880 in der amerikanischen Provinz angeht.Spannend fand ich hingegen die Stelle als erwähnt wird, dass die Bauern Korn verbrennen, weil die Preise zu niedrig wären (das schon damals!) und als Mary meint "Ich beabsichtige, eines Tages ein Buch zu schreiben". Es ist bekannt, dass die Familie Ingalls große Hoffnungen in Mary hatte, bis diese erblindete und diese zunichtemachte. Laura musste nun diese Rolle der Hoffnungsträgerin übernehmen, obwohl sie das nie wollte. Mary wollte Lehrerin werden, nicht Laura, sie hasste es. Mary wollte wohl Bücher schreiben, Laura verwirklichte es. Wie viel war eigener Antrieb, wie viel noch immer der Wunsch Marys Träume für sie zu erfüllen, und Marys Leben zu führen?
*Some possible spoilers... of course, if you looked at the cover of the book, you're probably already aware of where this is going.Eleanor: I know what my favorite part is already: WHEN LAURA GOT MARRIED!!!I want to give it FIVE STARS!!! You know why it's amazing? Because how can a piece of wedding cake taste like sawdust in your mouth?Dad: Why do you think Laura thought it tasted like sawdust?El: Because she's leaving home forever.Dad: But why would that make it taste like sawdust?El: Well, in the book... it said, usually mom's cake tastes good, but Laura said the cake tasted like sawdust in her mouth. So she couldn't enjoy the cake, because she had to leave. ...Talking about wedding cake makes me hungry for cake... I guess I'm going to have to wait until after dinner to get some banana bread.Dad: Do you think the banana bread mom made is going to taste like sawdust?El: NOOOOOooooo! I'm not going to leave home and not come back for keeps. You're silly daddy. ...Mom said not to make the review really silly. I guess I'll have to explain to her that dad made the review silly.Dad: I guess you will. Will it taste like sawdust when you're getting married and leaving home for keeps?El: I don't think so. I guess I'll have to find out when I get married. Dad: What'd you think about the Brewsters?El: They're MEEEaaaaaannnnn.Dad: No kidding. I'm glad I didn't have to live with them.El: I'm glad I didn't either. I'm glad I live with a mom who's a good cook! I can taste her cake already.Dad: What did you think about Laura's school?El: It was cool that she earned $27!Dad: What's one thing you learned from this book? About life, or about yourself, or about anything?El: I learned that sometimes in life you meet mean people.Dad: Anything else?El: You should love them anyway - like Laura loved Mrs. and Mr. Brewster.Dad: Ok. Was Laura ever mean?El: ...Uhhhh... I don't think so...Dad: I think she was a couple of times.El: When was she mean, daddy? She wasn't mean to Almanzo, that's for sure. Eh! And you know what my next favorite part was? When Nellie was afraid of horses.Dad: So, you remember a part about Laura being mean then, huh?El: Actually, I think it was Nellie that was being mean. Laura held her tongue, and Nellie's tongue was going flippity-flop. And Almanzo was Laura's friend, and Nellie was taking him away from her.Dad: You make some good points. I'm not saying Nellie wasn't mean. I just think it was a little bit mean (but still kind of funny) for Laura to spook the horses when she knew Nellie was afraid of them.El: It was kind of funny. ...Laura's a funny girl.
What do You think about These Happy Golden Years (1953)?
Laura's now almost an adult, 18 years old when the book concludes. She's got her teaching certificate and teaches 3 terms of school throughout this book, attending school herself on breaks between teaching terms. On weekends, Almanzo Wilder takes her for rides in his buggy, and she soon becomes engaged to him.The developing friendship between Laura and Almanzo was sweet, even though they didn't share a lot of conversation. They were both quieter, and he seemed to be okay even when she spoke her mind and the words didn't come out as expected. While their engagement was sweet, I do wonder if it was, in reality, a little more of a drawn out or expected process than how this book portrays it, as Laura seemed almost surprised with herself and no discussion about marriage was previously brought up. But perhaps that's how it actually went, with both too reserved to ask what was going on between them.My favorite parts of the book were about Laura's school life and teaching adventures. Much of this was glossed over, as the book covered so much time that there just weren't enough pages devoted to any one topic, but it was interesting to think about how Laura, as a teacher, was the same age as some of her pupils. It's amazing to think about how schools were run and the way that education was expected to be taught. It was also fun to read about some of the crazy times that she had while boarding and how she just had to make do despite the discomfort.What a hard life it must have been living out there, with temperatures going 40 below zero in the winter and it taking so long to "drive" 12 miles. The descriptions of life in both its interesting and day-to-day parts did a beautiful job of illustrating Laura's experiences growing up and going from a girl to a "young lady."
—Sara
These Happy Golden Years is the last "real" book in the Little House series. There is another, much shorter, book afterward (The First Four Years) that was published from Laura Ingalls Wilder's notes and outlines, but this is the last she wrote. It ranks a very close second in my most favorite books ever.It's interesting that my favorite two books are the first and the last in the series. In the first, Laura is a child. 6 or 7 years old. In the last, she's a "grown up," around 18 years old. There is quite a difference in the girl Laura and the woman Laura, and part of what I like about the book is looking back on how she used to be and comparing what she is in this book. I suppose that's what parents probably feel, but, whatever.This is also the book where Laura falls in love, and probably why I love it so much. Almanzo is such a gentleman to her, and I love that this plain, brunette, stocky girl isn't destined to be a spinster (again,identification!) She may not be rich, or know how to flirt, or really even acknowledge their courtship, but Almanzo (who comes across to me as handsome and COOL) is still in love with her, and still asks her to marry him. Gah. As a 9 year old girl, this was the height of romance. The sleigh rides, and buggy rides, and Almanzo slipping her ring on her finger (not a diamond, since this is pre- Victorian engagement) during a buggy ride, and then the combs at christmas and showing up Christmas Eve! Gah! Old fashioned romance, I'm telling you.I prefer to pretend their story ends at the end of These Happy Golden Years. I've since learned about the hardships Laura and Almanzo faced in their life together, and it really depresses me. They did not have an easy life. But if I pretend that this is the end, it's such a hopeful story. The wedding is over, they go back to their very own Little House that Almanzo built by himself, with a sheepdog, and the horses that started the whole courtship pulling the buggy. They have left over wedding food, and wedding cake, and sit on the front porch watching the twilight. Magic. Anything could happen.
—Jessica
A nice, solid ending (essentially...'The First Four Years' has a lot of mystery in its origins, and whether it's valid as a completion of the Little House series) to a lovely series. At this point, a lot of people's enthusiasm starts to wane as relentless westward migration gives way to sleigh rides in town and Literaries. It's a natural part of the story, but certainly not as exciting as amok cows or Indian war dances or amok horses. The Literaries, however, offer a lot of head-scratching moments, from town-wide spelling bees to school recitations to...gulp...minstrel shows. And of course, Laura and Almanzo wed here. It's nice, quite emotional, and a kind, compassionate happy ending to eight books worth of hardship, hard winters, and hard candy for Christmas. Very glad I read these.
—Chris
