Discovering Laura

Discovering Laura: The Historical Laura Ingalls Wilder

Volume 1 coming on February 7, 2026!

The trip from Pepin, Wisconsin, to DeSmet, South Dakota, would take less than seven hours by car today. For Laura Ingalls Wilder and her family, the journey lasted eleven years as they travelled across dense forests and sweeping prairies, from a “Little House” to a “Little Town” and multiple places in between. Children of all ages have seen the world of the pioneer through Laura’s eyes.

The structure of this two-volume series , along with its chronology, appendices, and extensive use of primary sources, will make it a resource for Wilder scholars, teachers, homeschoolers, and Little House fans.  It begins with the historical background for the family’s travels and each subsequent chapter covers one of Wilder’s autobiographical books or is another episode in the lives of the Ingalls and Wilder families, some of which have been overlooked. The book is deliberately eclectic, using incidents in Wilder’s writings as jumping-off points to enrich and deepen an understanding of the pioneer experience. 

Discovering Laura, Volume 1: 1860-1880

Discovering Laura, Volume 2:  1880-1957  

Discovering Almanzo, Volume 3: 1857-1947

This, the third and final volume in the series, explores the life and times of Laura's husband, Almanzo.

Endorsement from Dr. William Bennet, former U.S. Secretary of Education

• America has come to be known as a nation of pioneers. From the earliest European settlers to those expanding the frontiers of technology and space exploration today, the American continent has served to shape the culture and values of her people. The pioneering spirit of Laura Ingalls Wilder, preserved for posterity in the form of her classic books, has received a fresh and invigorating interpretation by Dr. Yecke, award-winning educator, historian, and author. Discovering Laura: The Historical Laura Ingalls Wilder provides a well-researched and broad collection of detailed background information not found anywhere else, and places characters and events solidly within their historical context.  Designed to enrich the understanding of the times and events in Wilder’s life, Dr. Yecke has created a must-have resource for parents, homeschoolers, teachers, and anyone who is a serious Wilder scholar. 

Endorsement from Cindy Wilson, 

author of The Beautiful Snow: The Ingalls Family, the Railroads, and the Hard Winter of 1880-81 and 

“We Suffered Much”: Charles Wood Irish and the Dakota Territory Railroad Survey of 1879-1881 

Presented in an approachable manner, this volume is rich in context and perspective, illuminating references within the Little House books that might be unfamiliar to the modern reader. Dr. Yecke has added well to Wilder scholarship by adding deeper understanding and perspective to not only the Little House books and Wilder's life, but American history as well. This enjoyable volume will be valuable to casual fans as well as researchers.