#because when you find out that the future founder of sears was in spring valley at the same time as almanzo

[fictionadventurer]

Me: Is this Farmer Boy sequel written in 2012 really going to be able to feel like a legitimate follow-up to the style and atmosphere of the original, or is it just another modern cash-grab?

Heather Williams, on page 2: Best of all, he knew that fall meant crispy spareribs and sweet cider and hot roasted potatoes with melting butter and all the pumpkin pie he could eat.

Me: ....it looks like I can trust you. Carry on.

#little house #farmer boy goes west #i'm about halfway through and i'm fairly impressed #she seems to be making a legitimate effort to match some of the stylistic quirks of the original #there are pieces that are anachronistic or too modern #or elements that fit better into the laura books than the almanzo one #(mrs. wilder of farmer boy would not give an explanation of the history of jenny lind trunks even though caroline ingalls would) #there is a lot of focus on food (good) #perhaps a bit too much focus on horses (he wouldn't spend *all* his time thinking about starlight) #the throughline of 'what does he want to be' is stupid when we know he wants to be a farmer #the parents feel less old-fashioned than they did in the original #the sibling dynamics are pretty good (especially with alice) #there are some things that are fun in light of the later books but aren't obnoxious wink wink style foreshadowing #the author's note makes it clear that she did try to do her research and stick to real history and to laura's heavily altered timeline #and i can totally forgive her for a really shoehorned in conversation #because when you find out that the future founder of sears was in spring valley at the same time as almanzo #you *have* to stick that in no matter how clunky it is