The Little House books, which chronicled the pioneer adventures of Laura Ingalls Wilder, are among the most beloved books in the American literary canon. Lesser known is the secret, concealed for decades, of how they came to be. Now, bestselling author Susan Wittig Albert reimagines the fascinating story of Laura’s daughter, Rose Wilder Lane, an intrepid world traveler and writer who returned to her parents’ Ozark farm, Rocky Ridge, in 1928. There she began a collaboration with her mother on the pioneer stories that would captivate generations of readers around the world. Despite the books’ success, Rose’s involvement would remain a secret long after both women died. A vivid account of a great literary deception, A Wilder Rose is a spellbinding tale of a complicated mother-daughter relationship set against the brutal backdrop of the Great Depression. Revised edition: This edition of A Wilder Rose: A Novel includes editorial revisions. This pitch-perfect novel reimagines the life of Rose Wilder Lane, co-author of Little House on the Prairie. Albert (Widow’s Tears, 2013, etc.) has discovered an endlessly fascinating protagonist. Rose Wilder Lane, the libertarian and rumored lesbian, was an established, award-winning writer in her own right, but she may be best remembered today as the uncredited co-author of the Little House books written by her mother, Laura Ingalls Wilder. Albert’s well-researched novel draws from the letters and journal entries of both women to offer a fictionalized account of the years spanning 1928-1939. The Great Depression threatened not only Rose’s livelihood as a writer, but also the freewheeling, itinerant lifestyle she so valued. When she and her companion, Helen Boylston, leave their home in Albania and return to the Wilder farmstead in Missouri, the move is meant to be temporary—Mansfield, Mo., has little to offer in the way of culture, after all, and Rose frequently clashes with her headstrong and old-fashioned mother. In the aftershock of the stock market crash, however, both women lose their savings, and Rose loses the financial stability she had enjoyed as a freelance writer before the crash. When a publisher shows interest in printing the stories of Laura’s difficult frontier childhood (but Laura’s untrained writing fails to impress), the mother and daughter enter into an unlikely, often contentious collaboration to produce the now-beloved Little House books. From this strange, very specific historical relationship, Albert has written a nuanced, moving and resonant novel about fraught mother-daughter relationships, family obligation and the ways we both inherit and reject the values of our parents. The book also offers insightful, timely commentary on what it means to be a career writer. With all of the charm of the Little House series—and the benefit of a sophisticated, adult worldview—Albert’s novel is an absolute pleasure. “Albert has written a nuanced, moving, and resonant novel about fraught mother-daughter relationships, family obligation, and the ways we both inherit and reject the values of our parents...With all of the charm of the Little House series―and the benefit of a sophisticated, adult worldview―Albert’s novel is an absolute pleasure.” ― Kirkus Reviews , Starred Review “Albert does an excellent job of bringing historical figures to life in a credible way; her novel is well paced, its characterizations are strong, and the plot is solidly constructed.” ― Publishers Weekly , Starred Review “A revealing behind-the-scenes look into a literary deception that has persisted for decades.” ―William Holtz, author of The Ghost in the Little House: A Life of Rose Wilder Lane “ A Wilder Rose expertly fleshes out the bond between mother and daughter. The novel is a fine study in personalities, an accurate depiction of time and place, and a thorough understanding of the birth of the Little House books.” ―William Anderson, author of Laura Ingalls Wilder: A Biography “Albert has written a compelling novel that lays out a very plausible version of the events leading to each of the Little House books...An amazingly engrossing story.” ―Janet Spaeth, author of Laura Ingalls Wilder “ A Wilder Rose fictionalizes history in a way that helps readers better understand the thoughts, emotions, and desires that motivated and energized them and the people surrounding them.” ―John E. Miller, author of Becoming Laura Ingalls Wilder and Laura Ingalls Wilder and Rose Wilder Lane “ A Wilder Rose is a compelling depiction of one of the most significant literary collaborations of the twentieth century. That the two people involved were mother and daughter adds to its complexity and human interest.” ―Anita Claire Fellman, author of Little House, Long Shadow: Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Impact on American Culture “ A Wilder Rose smoothly blends fact and fiction...a splendid novel for everyone who has loved the Little House books.” ―Carolyn Hart, award-winning author o