Laura Ingalls Wilder was born on this day in 1867. She was a remarkable girl and woman and thousands of children are indebted to her for writing her family’s story down. She is one of the pioneer women who inspired me to write “Summer on the Prairie” in the American Portraits book.
As a Kansas girl surrounded by large empty fields, it is easy for me to imagine how lonely the prairie must have felt to the Ingalls family. In “Summer on the Prairie,” you can hear the mesmerizing sound of the locust beginning in measure 1 and returning throughout the piece. You can also feel the change in temperature in measure 9 as the sun warms the prairie in the early afternoon.
You can read more about the inspiration for this series of pieces about forgotten American Heroes and Heroines.
What an incredibly adventurous spirit Laura and her family had as they travelled in their wagon across the unchartered plains of Kansas. My children and I will forever be grateful for the detailed picture Laura wrote of her family’s adventures in the Little House books. Happy Birthday Laura!
