Back to the Prairie cover art

Back to the Prairie

A Home Remade, A Life Rediscovered

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Back to the Prairie

By: Melissa Gilbert, Timothy Busfield - introduction
Narrated by: Melissa Gilbert
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About this listen

 Includes a foreword written and read by Timothy Busfield

The New York Times bestselling author and star of Little House on the Prairie returns with a hilarious and heartfelt memoir chronicling her journey from Hollywood to a ramshackle house in the Catskills during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Known for her childhood role as Laura Ingalls Wilder on the classic NBC show Little House on the Prairie, Melissa Gilbert has spent nearly her entire life in Hollywood. From Dancing with the Stars to a turn in politics, she is always on the lookout for her next project. She just had no idea that her latest one would be completely life changing.

When her husband introduces her to the wilds of rural Michigan, Melissa begins to fall back in love with nature. And when work takes them to New York, they find a rustic cottage in the Catskill Mountains to call home. But “rustic” is a generous description for the state of the house, requiring a lot of blood, sweat, and tears for the newlyweds to make habitable.

When the pandemic descends on the world, it further nudges Melissa out of the spotlight and into the woods. She trades Botox treatments for DIY projects, power lunching for gardening and raising chickens, and soon her life is rediscovered anew in her own little house in the Catskills. Entertainment & Celebrities Celebrity Funny Heartfelt Witty Great Plains

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Critic reviews

"Fans of Melissa Gilbert and “Little House on the Prairie” will get a lift during this performance of her second memoir, this one detailing her life with Timothy Busfield. Although Gilbert's voice has matured with age, one still hears the perky nuances that made her performances as Laura Ingalls so endearing. Anecdotes are filled with joy, anger, hope, and laughter as the couple leave California and settle down in the Catskills. Gilbert displays wonder as she gets to know the wildlife around their renovated home, determination as she builds and tends a garden, and love and respect for her husband during the challenging isolation of the Covid pandemic. It seems Gilbert's life has come full circle. Busfield's narration of his introduction is icing on the cake."
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Most relevant
What an emotional journey from beginning to end. Melissa is a marvel and a gem!

Loved it!

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As a child I avidly watched The Little House On The Prairie on my TV in the UK because I had a crush on Pa who’d been Little Joe in Bonanza but learned to love and respect the other characters. When I learned there were books I borrowed them from the library and later bought a set one at a time.
So of course I thought I knew the actress who played Laura as a mixture of “wet” and “firecracker”.
This book opened my eyes to a new side. The adult that the actress became.
I strongly felt for her as she described her lockdown and thought of my separation from my grandson for whom I’d provided child care as I supported my daughter and her partner as they worked. Suddenly it wasn’t advisable as I was on immune suppression so as my daughter joked I got an abundance of peace and quiet.
As “Half pint” described her experience it helped me come to terms with mine…
It’s worth a read just to get another perspective on the pandemic.
Wish her other books were available as audiobooks to learn more about her childhood and her recipes as audiobooks are most accessible for me.

Finding out more about a person I felt I knew

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A relatable tale of life, love and struggles through a global pandemic, of growing in grace and becoming at peace with the woman you are meant to be. I loved this book and know I will listen again and again.

A History of us All

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It's a blessing to have grown with Laura Ingalls and now with Melissa Gilbert. 💞 Listening to her delicate voice, took me back to that "prairie" where I was, and hope always be, happy and grateful. I'm not much of a crying baby, but Melissa's sense of gratitude brought tears to my eyes. Thank you for reminding me the little things that truly matter in this prairie called life.

The prairie called life

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Melissa is so open and honest about how she is feeling and what’s going on her life .

She is so comfortable in her own skin

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